The southern sentinel. (Winnfield, La.) 1883-1910, 1885-05-08
4 NATIONAL SERVICE.

so significant as the victory it has
achieved within its own ranks.
There have been few if any lnstan-
ces In history where n great party
has returned to power with more
Or better reasons FOR yindictiye
feeling toward its rival; and there
has been no instance OF 4 more
complete refusal to use the oppor-
tunities of power for the service of
revenge. 1t would BE- impossible
to overstate the bitterness with
which the Democratic party has
been denounced for more than n
quarter of Il century. Democrats
at the North have been characteri-
zed as Copperheads. and in the
South as rebels and traitors. no.
only during the war Of secession.
but from the cessation of that
struggle up to the present hour.
The discussion OF the most impor-
tant questions of public policy has
been perverted and confused by
the introduction Of intensely acri-
monious personalities, and parely
civil contests have been conducted
with the fiercencss of men in the
heat o. battle.
Throughout tl.is period, more
over, Federal patronage has been
bestowed upon Republicans excIu-
sively, and, for the most part ul,-
on Republicans whose claim to of
flee has been based upon active
partisanism. Democrats have not
only not been appointed to Office,
but whenever it was practicable
they have been declared ineligible.
The tendency of this policy has
been to keep alive the spirit of war
in the midst of peace, and to make
mere difference of opinion the
ground of deadly enmity.
Under such circumstances the
Democracy returns to power. ard
the first step of the new admins
tration is tG Affirm aud enter upon
a policy OF reform which renders
impossible the Immediate and gen.
cral reward of its friends on the
one hand, and the punishment of
its opponents on the other. There
are those who have so much human
nature in them that they cannot
see the justice of this course.
''What - they exclaIm, "Does a
Democratic victory mean a Repub-
lican success? Do the Offices then
really belong to the Republican par
ty? And to the Republican party |
whether in power or out of pow
er?" No-the answer is-the Off
ces do not belong to the Rcpubli-
can party, neither dc they belong
to the Democratic party they be-
long to the people.
Urtil we can make that distiuc-
ton we will remain below the
highest place in civilization. The
welfare of the country demands
t....t it shall have national gov
ernmeat, not a party government.
True statelmeI Will labor toward
that eEd, though mere politicians
will continue to declare that it can
never be realized. Mr.. William
Walter Phelps, for one, assures us
that Mr.. Cleveiand's policy cf civ
i service will break him dcwn. Mr..
Phelps is friend and admirer Of
Mr.. Blaine, and it is not, therefore,
to find him skeptical as
% the working of a plan which be-
gins with a new definition of "po-
itical influence. - If Mr.. Blaine
ln been elected he would by this
.ime have deeapitatod more Re-
publican Office .:oldcrs than Mr..
: leyeiand has had occasion to re-
move; for Nh. Blaine would have
5ersonal as we'll as party fealty
rom his appcintees.
Now, it may seem strange con-
AID to some 1T may seem
| hardship. that Republicans who
lave been defeated are to remain
n Office, and that Democrats who
AVE been victorious IT TO remain
4 =