Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-09-16
short rgts,ory or PARTIES.


I
undertaken. il.
abort EEtsfory OF Parties.
! To Hc Edifor Of Tho DjsDafch:
RIcTioND, September Y, 1883.
We sometimes hear that Mr.. Clcyc-
/ lnud should not have unfuricl the ban
ner Of reform and statcsmanship-in
other words, that hc should have dlsre-
Qarded tine mandates OF the people as
[ formulated IN their pntlorm 10y paying
no attention TO civil service, reduction
of taxes, and the prevention Of the
/ boarding OF millions OF Their money IN
the Treasury. to be pillerod and sluan-
dercl hv the morccnlfy gangs that
/ thronc the Hobbies. Their idea is THAI
| Mr. Cleveland should have relied upon
bis own storing qualities and to run, as
ltwcrc, without creedOr platform. and not
TO have given the enemy au opportunity
Of hiding behind u tariff discussion
I that j. a. say. We 10 have no distinctive
idea, Of government nor policies nor line
Of action from which the pulse Of great
country desires the power OF Vibration.
/ Simply We want the Offices. Happily for
/ this country tine vast majority are think
ing people and would scOrn g. party with
ont % lody. Tho truth is, the Eopub'l-
can party with its mongrcmcal tsudcn-
cics aud autocratc politics fears nothing
so much d. the eyes OF the people and
the agitation of the tariff. That the Men
who have become mlIhomircs under the
trusts bred Of protection keep that party
for It's sole and selfish uses, no one
viii, nor can successfully deny.
"D.4rui-e Choir bondage t1ey viii,
TITS th3 trusts, me trusts tnatlule them siill''
Vow. for the purpose Of show
ing the fallacv Of lodging this Issue
on orr part and the fear OF Talsingit upon
,he part Of the other, let rs SIT down
10y the lamp OF reflection and cen the
pages of history DER. In the one hun
dred years that the United States have
lived three parties have divided between
them the opposition TO Democracy, and
4 is curious TO note that each Of them
existed about the same length Of time -
coIncidcut with one generation Of men.
With tie ratification Of the Constitution
i'm l-SS the Federal party commenced iiS
career aud IT lasted until $50, when 1t
went 10 pieces-a period az thirty two
wears, during which it held power for
twelve. This party was privately
respectable. but not sagacious. II had
great leaders. but they never formulated
their principles in "a way to be comp!c
heusiblc 10 the mass OF the vot rs. For
instance, they wanted a strong and cen
trai government after the English Gov
eminent, and the writings OF Hamilton,
of Cabot. and of Amcs may be searched
iu vain for an exposition Undeiincd of
cardinal party principles, in tins r'srect
heinz in marked contrast with the
writings Of jefferson, which they under
stood. Well, this aristOcratc child,
aged thirty-tWo Years was lam in its lit
tie grave. In 1921 the Adams and Clay
Republicans united and completed the
organization oi the party which few
DAYS later assumed the name of
Whic (auothcr English c!fetcl. Henry
CLAW became It's accepted and
cherished leader. and during his
lifetime il WAS a strong and formidable
opponent Of tine Democratic party. Il
was successful IN but two presidential
contests. electiug HARRISON in 1870 and
Taylor in ISlS, and both of those Vie
tories proved t. be almost "a disastrous
as defeat. Both Presidents died in Of
nee, and the vicepreside successors
rent the party with discussion which for
hade further success. It's great leader,
CLAW. himself brought about It's most
fatal rupture through the fugitive
slave law and compromise ~ 1880.
In 1872 it was overwhelmingly de
fcatod, carrying four only of thirty one
States. ltcontinued t. eXIstIn some OF the
States until 1896, whenlts adhercnts took
refuge ~ the other parties. It's last con-
vcntIon was IN lc56. when it put no can
didates In nomination Int endorsed the
candidacy OF Fillmore Gni Donclson.
who had been nominated by the Amer
can party. Thus Il also lasted thirty-twO
years. It's great economic doctrine WIS
the HGH PROTECTIVE TARIFF, which 1t
lad received from its predecessor. tie
Federal parts. aud IN trun bequt athed
il % The Republican party. Tins lmIua-
culate party the Republican com
mrnced us career IN 1896 with the uOmi-
nation of John G.. Fremont. 1t was
COMPOSED of Know-Nothlngs, northern
Wings. and Free SoiIers. 1t he.d
pover in one branch or the other
continuously from 1860 TO 1884
by the bayouet and by rascality,
Lake the Wings under Henry Clay 1t has
become the party OF a single leader. and
as that WAS Clay party, 30 Is this
Blaine ynr.y. Like the formeroppos
rarties 10 Democracy It, TOO, has lasted
for thriy-tao years, but the signs OF Dis
indignation are apparent on every hand.
so let All vAo have fears because Of the
shedding of light on tins one-hundred-
wear old question e tariff under which
the Democrats governed sixty years and
more. and the country grew and pros
pered, and the honest yeomanry grew
lat and lived happily, brace up and be
ip at the burial Of tins putrid kepuoii-
can corpse whose steuch has been so OF
fensiye that even buzzards held Their
noses The eagle. that proud blrd'
Whose home ia on tao mountain he ght,
whose field the DoInc'oss AIR.
perches on thu banner Of our noble
cleveland. the Young Hickory. as IT did
in the DAYS of yore upon Old hickory
while their bird, the crow, for It's SIZE,
color and habits. were its chief recon-