The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1888-02-09

honor or COCO taltn dOiulnR among lneu'
1t has become almost an Impossibility to
convict resident offender of any seri-
GUS offense."
These are truths of wide application.
There has been a strong tendency in re.
cent years to disregard party lines in
selecting municipal officers, and the ar.
gument for it is plausible, namely, that
the issues are not the same as national
issues an that towns and villages are
but business corporations. in the man
agement of which political distinction
should be ignored.
This would be true if the practice re.
suited in selecting the best men of all
parties instead of the worst. But there
is nothing like party organization and
emulation to call out voters of the class
which become Indifferent without some
incentive of that kind. And, though
we hope that Bennington is not so bad
as painted by this address, A clear case
of erecting "a man of straw, it is obvi-
GUS that many non.partsan governments
have become as bad as the worst Demo,
cratic governments in New York, Bos-
ton, Baltimore, Cincinnati and Chicago,
The remedy which this address goes
on to propose is the nomination of a
ticket by the prohibition party and its
support by all good men. The charge is
made that "by their combinations
the old parties have forfeited and de-
stroyed all condolences in both of them"
which it seems to us is a violent deduc.
ton from a mistaken course of manage
ment.
Surprising now, that the Republican
party should conclude 10 have no more
non partisan town tickets, and should
nominate its best men for all the various
offices, is there any reason why that
ticket should not command public con-
fidence? In such a case all the vicious
voters would naturally gravitate to the
Democratic ticket. If the prohibition
lists have a third ticket, it will hardly
draw Democratic vote. Without such
ticket in the way, the Republicans
might win.
Unless, however, the Republicans as
sert themselves, and justify their birth
and breeding. by offering the people the
best government, they cannot expect
the moral forces that seek expression in
the public movement to remain mac.
tive.
No party which is numerically large
enough to win, and which embraces so
much of good as the Republican party
has almost always expIiiied, has any
right to abdicate or compromise. It
owes to the public this duty, as well in
local as in national and state affairs, we
maintain that it will be the duty of i'm.
patient reformers. as good citizens, de-
string the best administration to work
with the hest party that is likely to win
We say that is likely to win"because
it is foolshness to divide moral forces
when the immoral is certain to be unit.
ed. Success is duty and this is why
there should only be two organizations
Without, as we think, giving due
weight to this important consideration
the Bennington County prohibitIonists
put forth pledge for voters to sign. at
taching them to the National prohibi
ton party, with this distinct object in
view-the disposing of both the Repub-
lican and Democratic parties wherever
they may be in power throughout the
land"
Here, then, is a confession. They pro.
pose to smash the Republican party"
and that only, for they know they will
draw none from the Democrats at least
in Vermont. This is the immediate task
tn which they address themselves. They
seek to supercede the Republican party
as the party of great moral ideas" Not
always able to control 1t in some mat.
tiers that they propose they intend to re-
move it as unfilial children sometimes
remove" wise parent whose money
and position they seek. To this end they
will divide forces which, if denied could
elect law and order ticket every time.
But law and order is not what they seek
except after many years. They seek to
defeat the Republicans until they win
them.
Perhaps Republicans will be won in
that way: perhaps they will lose spirit
and become like viii ped spaniels; per-
haps they can be exasperated into sub
mission. But in laying out such a pro-
gramme the prohibitionists unconsci US.
ly pay higher compliment to the Re
publicans than to themselves, for they
expect the Republicans. out of regard
for good government, will bury their re
sentiments and join them, rather than
make common cause with the Demo-
Gratis In other words, they count upon
the Republicans to behave better than
they behave in politics themselves.
But it is little less than insolence for
small minority to undertake such con-
tract, They Guido the Mugwumps, who
never set up as party, but only as a
corrective, giving both parties to under.
stand that they would vote for the one
which made itself most worthy of their
vote. If there must be an independent
and veering political force, this, of course
is the best form it can take for the every
year promotion of good government
But unfortunately, as in case of the
Mugwumps. it usually loses its indie;
pendence and becomes absorbed IN the
party that it helps.
We have written thus at length in the
hope that both prohibitionists aud Re
publicans may see the inevitable tend