Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1899-06-01

sach. ii performs the end 81 It's existence
Good men are lost iL the zeal for party sue
a reward Tor craftsmanship, suBordfaates
every tree function Of a political party.
ences merely 70 peTpeluafe power. wEen n
tact no real honest difference should arise.
1t IS this fact. more than anything else
which has made men indifferent in the per-
torrance OF their duty In the matter OF
voting. We see men hiae-bound in their
steadfast devotion 70 party whatever is
declarations may be. 80 long as Il keeps It's
name Republican or Democratic. And how
often dove hear the remark made Of man,
By way Of showing his constancY and fdeii-
t. Of character He IS all rig Mt, you always
know where to find MIN. He's always q
good republscan or He's always good dem
0crat. 1t IS dificult 10 see how these re
marks should particularly datter man. As
well might il be 50 claimed Of one whom we
say Is all right we always know where TO
find him he always IN Jail
No my friends the parttsansnip from
which great fnings can come. must rise a.
bove the party must be able 70 say be-
long to this party, - long as u expresses nv
convictions. 50 long as my views are IN mar
mong with the others Of the party, / will
support the party and am willing 70 be afftIi-
atea win IT. Bat II not. deem II my duty
e fgiloW my own convlctions + was that
kind 81 parttsanship which placed men ike
Edward II stanton and James r. Doolttle
close te Abraham Lincoln during the civil
war and have the nation accord them their
dues as uusflftsh patriots. II was this kind
81 partisanshipwnich gave t. VIM. Mckin-
call 81 an oppressed people, ana give them
speedy delireraHce And If men can DO these
things In times Of crisis. why not at ali
timess TIE great trouble has come from re-
garding party as IN end in itself, the ac-
complishment Of which means reward to its
leaders. Never have we had better illus
tratf0n Of the punishment sure 10 follow
blind craftsmanship than within the past few
years. We have just witnessed the specta-
Gle of great body Of men.laying aside their
hrm conviction on great pubic question,
and taking up another view solely With the
idea that IL might enable the party to sue
ceed And now after having met dismal
defeat how almost pitiful is the attempt 10
excuse the act. We find the leaders seeking
retreat in the same paths in which they
moved forward. They gave poor reason for
taking up the question, and can give no bet
ter one for dropping it. We do not near
couldn't succeed. And many of the lead
ers take the candid. though humiliating. po-
sition that they can no longer die for prin-
ciple. Yes, that is true but 1t is equally
true that those who no longer want TO die
for any supposed principle. never seriously
expected to live for II. II is striking Illus
ordinary standards of integrity-that the
reasons which we give tor our political con-
duct, while they may not be wholly good,
should at least have back OF them an honest
belief in their cogency. II teaches Us better
than anything else. that trthing with honest
convictions leads to a loss of respect of
others II not 0f our own selves II shows
that an issue must appeal to party. for its
establishment and that party must not
create an issue merely Tor party success
We. III Wisconsin have had, within the past
few mon tbs q most signal illustration Of
stunted views respecting official life and rs
this charge must fall against rs al. there II
certainly no oifeuse in making III For the
past few years we have agitated the prOpfI-
ETY. Oh impropriety Of railroads OF other cor
porati0us giving free passes aud franks 70
public officials and without doubt the act
passed BY our Inst legislature prohibiting inc
practice In the future Is welcomed as the So
set n