The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-01-21
POLTTTCAL FUsIONS.

POLITICAL FUSIONS.
In an article on Non Partisan Poll
tics" published in the current number
of Gunton's Magazine, Mr.. Edward Lau-
terbach takes the ground that political
parties are essential not only in the con-
duct of governmental affairs of the state
and nation bnt of the cities also. He
says.
If the national party organization were
held responsible for the application of
it's highest principles in state and NUM-
cipal affairs, wherever its party Is In
control, the inc jmpet nee, corruption,
fraud and social degradation in munich
pal administration would be chargeabIe,
not merely to the local managers but to
the national party.
QDishonor and disgrace in New York
city, Troy and Chicago would be charged
to the party as national organizatlon
and the right to be intrusted with the
national government would be made to
depend just as much on the honesty, in
tegrity and policy pursued in city and
state affairs as upon the general doc
trines of federal policy.
A party whose general principles is
popular education, social improvement
for the masses. purity of the ballot,
should be held responsible for the carry
cities, town and wards, just as much as
in the federal policy. With public opin-
ion educated and organized on the basis
of central party responsibility running
through the whole body polite, it would
be in vain for party to issue high
sounding sentiments from the White
house, and practice fraud, corruption,
ballot stuthng, thugism and general po-
litical debauchery in its local admins
udT iSfr fnU
at Washington, with Tammanyism in
New York, McKane and McLaug him
ism in Brooklyn, rowdyism in Troy and
Chicago, and lynching, assassination,
political intimidation and coercion in the
south, would be an impossibility. Public
opinion would demand, as an evidence
of good faith, that the high pre-
tensions of political purity and personal
freedom should be verified in the local
and state administration where the party
is in the ascendency. This would make
it necessary for the national party to
bring to bear it's whole power and infu-
ence to secure reform in local and state
politics as the only means of its success
in the nation.
Having asked the question, what shall
decent people do who belong to degeuer-
ate political parties, he answers it as fol-
lows:
They should be compelled by the pub
lie demand for party responsibility to re-
form their party or leave it; but it should
be impossible for them to obtain public
confidence by merely ignoring or repu-
dating the corrupt and degrading con-
duct of their party in local matters.
He says: Fusion politics neither en-
phasize better principles of public poll
cy, nor purify party organization. On
he al
for the reform element to shirk the re-
sponsi bility of the worst consequences
of its party in local politics while help
ing to maintain the ascendency in the
state and national affairs. Instead of
Furnishing the party for permitting its
political degeneracy, it helps to shield it
from legitimate consequences of its
vicious conduct.
Fusion is not a reform of methods or
development of principles. but mere
mixing of men for official positions.
Moreover, it Injuries the influence aud
power of the superior party, because it
de prives it of whatever honor and pres
tige attaches to the sporadic fusion
movement by destroying party respoEsi-
bility. In New York city, for instance,
the credit of the improvements intro
duced by the present administration has
no definite resting place. The honor,
esponsibilitY and credit belong. to no.
body, inspire nobody and this fact .chills
the enthusiasm of organized effort, and
has essentially disintegrated the reform
movement
The Republican party was the organ
lied party of honest government and
municipal reform in this community. 1t
stood definitely for honest elections. re-
spect for law, better schools, cleaner
streets and general municipal decency.
If it had been true to its principle and
party responsibility, refused fusion and
insisted upon its platform and party or
ganization. respectable Democrats would
have been forced to go with it or share
the disgrace of sustaining Tammany.
Whether it had succeeded or failed, it
would have welded together the public
sentiment in favor of the movement,
strengthened its own power for good,
and weakened the possibility of the com
promise with evil. But by fusi on-try-
ing to mix elements having little or
nothing in common-it helped to
strengthen the general party to which
the local corruption belonged, disinte-
grated its own organization, weakened its
own local influence and set back the