The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1886-01-01
CHARLES sUMNER.s AXIOM.
How lie Great Statesman Came 10 Join
sIie Frec-SoiE Parry.

Row tie Oseat Statesman Came TO Join
siie Frec-soiE Fairy.
When the same questions are before the
people for long series of years, party
lines become firmly fixed. and an ordinary
man would no more think OF leaving his
political party than leaving his religious
denomination.
When new questions arise, which divide
the old parties, it is for the interest Of
politicians and Office seekers to stayc them
off, and hold their followers together by
cxaggeratng the old issues and intensity
ing party feeling.
The building Of new political party is
something which docs not oecur every day
and which the present generation knows
little abont The pages of history, how
ever, show abundantly that political par
ties, like individuals and empires, are born.
flourish and die. Among an intelligent
people party can only live until the ques-
ton which gave it birth is settled and some
other question Of commanding Importance
arises Il is impossible for an old party to
| deal successfully with real new issue.
These reflections are not suggested by
any particular theory of politics. bur by
| casually CHANGING over the titles of the
orations of Charles Sumner. When that
great man came upon the political stage
he found it occupied by the wing and de-
mocratic parties These parties commended
about the tariff. internal improvements
etc, etc, but each of them was divided
upon the burning question of slavery and
hence ignored it.
Sumner found himself connected with
the wing party, the party of Clay and Web
stel, the party which contained an undoubt-
cd majority Of anti-slavery men. But he
found that the wing party needed, TO carry
an election, the votes Of few Shareholders,
and hence remained rcsolutely non-eom-
INITIAL on the subject ofslayery, The wing
party was not, mark you, as bad as the
democratic. The democrats defended
slavery; the wings refused to adopt the
''Wimot Proviso'' and thus make freedom
party issue Sumner saw that profit
able and organized crime like slavery could
be suppressed, or even restricted only by a
party ''openly, actively, rerretuallyN on
the side of freedom. Failing to bring the
wing party to commit itself he boldly
threw himself into the task Of building
new party, and he lived 10 see that party
triumph and decay. This history is fifty
summarized in the titles of three of his
published addresses:
1916. Address before the wlig state
convention. ''Thc anti-slavery duties of
the wing party (Anti-slavery resolu-
tions defeated.
1917. Address before the wing state
convention. ''rhe necessity Of political
action against the slave power. (Anti-
slavery resolutions defeatcd)
1S4s. Address before the free soil state
convention. Where liberty is, there is
my party
1t is not as easy to trace the applications
of principle in the confused present as in
the calm light of history, but it seems to
many thoughtful minds that this history
is being repeated to-day. Take the politics
of Ohio as an example. a new issue, that
of the suppression of the saloon, has arisen
and both the old parties are divided upon
it. A majority of the republicans, and
perhaps a majority of democrats are
in favor of prohibition, but both parties
depead upon certaia share Of tic tiqHor
cote to eaFyyaH olectioa. Hence both par
ties refuse to commit themselves against
the traffic, and by refusing to submit 4
prohibitory amendment, or To advocate any
really restrictive measure virtually stand
in defence
There is no state issue whatever between
the democrats or republicans. Members
of both parties, particularly the republic
can, have confdentially predicted that the
old parties would deal with this question
when they had chance They have had
many chances, and could haze no better
chance than this year They have been
duly memorialized 10y the voters union
and the temperance press. The republi-
cans have dishonesty eyaded, if they have
not contcmptuously rejected, these memoir
ials, and the democrats will certainly do
no better A profitable and organized
crime like the liquor traffic can he sup
pressed, or even restricted, only by party
''opcnly, actively, perpetually GA the
side Of temperance. with malice toward
none, and charity for all not because we
love our old parties less but our country
and onr homes more, ''wc third party
prohibitionists' say, "Where principle is,
there is my party.-PfQf Nm. GoodeU
Frost, III Leger.
Lincoln never finished his education.
To the night of his death he was a pnpil,
a learner, an inquirer, a seeker after knowl-
edge. Yon have no idea how many men
are spoiled by what is called education.
For the most part colleges are places
where pebbles are polished and diamonds
are dimmcd lf Shakespeare had gradu-
a,.-.l az Is far1 he tnf.,ht hax,. leett 4 anih-