The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1893-03-15
Future Of Parties.
New York Press,

Politicians on both sides are for
some time yet likely to assume, in
the public utterances, at least, that
the present political division is to
continue, the one declaring that the
Republicans party will come into the
next presidential election withunbrok-
en- front, and the other ignoring any
danger of division in the Democratic
ranks. But whoever will consider
the composition of these parties will
see that this cannot be, and that a
new political alignment is inevitable.
Although the lie issues of the
time have been more and more to the
front and the first of them, the ques-
of tariff, determined the result of the
last election, yet the political division
was not a true one. That is to say
that the habits, prejudices and afec-
tons growing out of the previous
alignment on the slavery question
and it's issues to which its bloody
settlement gave rise, still largely
controlled the division of parties.
The Republican party had on its side
large numbers, held by it's prestige
and it's memories, who would not
have been with it on the naked ques-
ton Of protection or free trade, while
the Democratic party was supported
by many whose true place on the
economic question was with Reppb-
licans.
The prestige of the Republican
party is now gone; the memories
which constituted such an element
of its strength cannot hold it to-
gether in the face of a decisive de.
feat which brings into the Issue of
practical Legislation the the vital
questions of time. The Republican
party as it was is as dead as the fed
eral party or the whig party. But
the live element Of the Republican
party remains, and must fDd politi-
cal expression just as the live ele-
ment in the federal and the whig
party found other political express
sion. Protectionism is not dead. It
has suffered a reverse, but it has the
-sunnQrt Of long and deeply inegainaa
habits of thought aHa powerful
money interests which will enable it
to revive and renew the struggle.
While the clement of the Republican
party which has adhered to it de-
spite protectionism and because of
it's prestige and memories will now
divide on The live questions of the
hour, and the tendency of ~disintegra-
ton which has shown itself in the
rise of the Peoples party in the West
and in individual changes and Austen
ton from voting in other sections,
will have free play, the protection
element will seek new combinations.
To it the prestige and~memories Of
the Republican party were but a
useful adjunct, a convenient shell.
It crept into the Republican party on
the death Of the old wing party be
cause that offered the most favorable
opportunity to secure subsidies and
protective duties and special priv
liges, not that in opposition TO the
Entertainments of slavery there was
anything german to protectionism,
and it has lavished pensions simply
to keep up taxes which yielded pr
vate profit. It would ally itself to
the Sold South" and vote pensions to
Confederate veterans if it could
thereby have its way; and now that
the prestige and memories Of the
Republican party have proved power
less to save it, it will naturally seek
alliance with the protective element
in the party that has come to power.
The law of political life requires
two great parties. Any third party
must ere long swallow Of them
or become a mere adjunct Of one OF
the other Of the two real contestants.
And so the death of one great party
inevitably involves the disruption Of
the other, for a dual division cannot
give expressions to all causes of diff
ference, and external pressure being
removed these must show themselves
within party lines. Thus the "Solid
South" has only existed through pres
sure Of thesRepubliean party. The
fear of that party gone it must split.
And so the incongruos elements
which the Democratic party has held
together in the North so long as it
was a party of opposition, must part
company when it accedes to power
and essays the task of Legislation
and administration.
Already, and in advance Of the as
sumption Of power, this line of cleav-
age is beginning to show itself. lt
was the manifest failure Of the
attempt to mix oil and water which
called such wide attention to the
Crisp incident at the Reform Club