The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1893-07-29
REPUBLICAN, REORGANIZATION.
Tho Badly Unsettled Condition OF the
q. r.

, REPUBLICAN REORGAN0ZATJON
Tho BADLY Unsettled Condition OF tho
q. q. r.
Since the November election of 1899
the republicans have been in a some
what dazed condition, and their efforts
to pull themselves together and to get
their bearings have not been crowned
with any very brilliant success. They
appear to be at one in the opinion that
something ought to be done; but what
to do and how to do it. are points with
reference to which there is lamen-
ia BILE difference of opini On.
There IS a ~vides preao impression that
the republican party must turn over a
new leaf. But, in orde TT to determine
what to do, it is thought necessary to
decide where it has erred in the past.
In order properly to treat the wound, it
is desira bic to know what hit it. A
cnse is recorded 1vhcro a physician mis-
took the peck of a hen for the bite of a
rattlesna<e, and thereby brought him
self and his art into ridicule. But. after
all, the blunder was safer than the op-
posite one of MISLEADING the injection of
a deadly poison into the veins for a
Nd ere scratch.
singular difference of opinion. They
cannot agree whether their party has
been too virtuous or too vile for the pop
u1ar taste. In view of the history of
the party this difference is quite unac-
countable, but there is abundant evil
dence of its existence. To do the lead
ers justice, they are willing to seem
either better or worse if they can win
votes by it. A candidate for ccrtifi-
cate as teacher of a pu bile school, when
asked whether he believed the earth to
be round or fiat, not feeling sure of his
ground, avo,ved his willingness to teach
either round or fiat, rs the trustees
mil OF n n "a n.
publican leaders would be ready either
to seem virtuous, or to espouse vice, if
they could only decide which course
would bring them the greater number
of votes.
Mr.. Clarkson, it will be remembered,
has steadily held to the theory that
the repu blican party is too good for an
unregenerate world. Its austere moral
ity, its intolerance of cakes and ale. in
his opinion, repel all but the few that
love the straight and narrow road, and
leave it in tho minority. There are
others, however, who arc of a very diff
ferent opinion. These last are aware
that it has mixed greed in heroic doses
with homeopathic measures Of god]i-
ness, has paraded hypocrisy for holi-
ness, has cultivated corruption, con-
doned crime, and in many ways pro-
voked the wrath of the people which
fell upon it SO unsparingly. This cle-
now is to reform, or, at least, to assume
a virtue if they have it not. They
wish to see the party aspire to a higher
plane by putting forward better can
didates, and ignoring the ways of ma
chine politicians. In this way they
hope to purchase return of popular
favor.
OF this class is the republican club of
Massachusetts, which has just sent out
remarkable circular, from which the
following is an extract:
by taking part in your caucuses, and thus
attending to your duty as citizens, you Will
also do much to insure the triumph OF your
principles and the election OF your candidates
a the polls. for there are many in this common
wealth who at present but little bound by
party ties in state affairs. and who will vote
high character and without rcproach, and who,
having been noInna ted by the people, are IN
touch with them and have no promises to re-
deem to individuals for political services"
The reorganization of the republican
party is doubtless necessary, hut how
is it to be accomplished while such diff
ferences of opinion exist among it's
members? If the virt,lous people of the
repu blican club of Massachusetts sue
coed in nominating Il candidate who has
how are those individuals who make
such promises Il condition of their sup
port to be .'placated?' Questions such
as this make the task of reorganizing
the party for future conflicts one of
much difficulty. - Louisville Courier
Journal.