The Opelousas courier., 1895-07-13
to be gained by continuing them, and

to be gained by continuing them, ant
face of death. They are by no mean!
an isolated instance in American pol
tics. They are an illustration of q
treatment that is sure to follow a mar
who has the courage to declare him
self independent of party. Such a mar
is pursued witha vtruleuce and a malig.
nifty corresponding to his Importance
and to the amouns Of influence he is
supposed to exert. Secretary Gresham
was a great loss TO the republicans, 9
great gain to the democrats; hence the
unusual bitterness evinced toward him.
We have intimated that there are
people Of sincere intentions who really
believe these libels upon those who dc
not agree with them in politics. They
detest independent men even more
than they dislike those who have al
ways openly opposed them. They can
not believe in independent mems sin
ceritv. Yet were they capable of calm
and Intelligent reasoning, they would
sec that independent men are as sin.
ere as they are themselves, though in
a very different form of manifestation.
They would appreciate that it is just
as natural Dor some men to be indie
pendent AZ for others to be unswerv-
ing followers of party. There was a
prominent democrat in New York
years ago who openly declared that he
would vote for the devil If his party
nominatedahis Satanic majesty; there
are republicans to-day who believe
that any democrat is next door to the
devil. Both very likely were sincere
In this, more's the pity. But why, we
ask, Is not a man who takes a different
view to be accounted equally sincere?
Is it not possible that a man may be SO
constituted as to be capable Of seeing
both sides of a question, as to be in the
world with a capacity of seeing only
one side? And why is one to be abused
for following his instinct and his rea-
son in the first case, more than one
who persists in clinging to his preju-
dices in the second?
Here is the reason in the case. If
offended partisans who are enraged
against one Of their party for leaving
their association would exercise it,
their bitterness would be sensibly
nbated. They too often yield to a vul-
gar prejudice in its place. No extent
Of evidence is sufficient to convince
them. When the great secession from
tho republican party of eleven years
ago took place, no man exercising or
binary reason could fail to see that
there were ample grounds for it. In
our own s!ste of Massachusetts, 1t COM
pretended nearly every man Of prom
inence and distinction then living who
had been active in forming the repub-
lican party; in the nation it comprised
mon Of such absolute purity and tran
sceudent intelligence as George Will
liam Curtis and Carl Schurz. Yet the
abuse Of these men was only limited by
the cowardice Of their opponents in
the faoe Of a public which would not
tolerate their defamation. So it has
been ncww with Secretary Gresham. He.
was more tempting mark because he
occupied q public station where, if he
could not be personally assaulted, pois-
oned might be directed at him
by Misrepresentation OF his official
acts. 1t is the penalty that is paid for
independence. It is hard to bear for
the time being, but, as in this instance,
there Is the consolation that It is sure
TO be aet right in the minds of the peo-
Aei y tths end.-Rostop Herald