Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1899-03-10
Gsssx County 4rrala.
ISLAND PoND. MARCH 10.
The Mission of Political Parties.

means available and directed to-
ward desirable results an united
study of the situation by men
having conformity of ideas and
acting in unity is of course bene-
fetal. So that political parties
are beneficial or detrimental &C
cording as they arc conducted
correctly and honorably in good
designs, or as they are moved by
selfish and local interests regard
less of or adverse to public inter
ests. When a party merits the
applause and enthusiasm OF all |
men who have the public goodin
view it is a benefaction; but
when party, no matter how
sound, or patriotic, is perverted
to base uses, the stronger 1t is
the more evil it is capable of in
flicting. Every now and again
a considerable portion of thepeo-
pie are saying away with party
ties, let every man vote accord
ing to his own convictions. A
large portion of that class have
strong party atfinities. They do
not easily break loose from party
ties. 1t is not natural nor agree
able to then. to subject them
selves to the rcproaches of former
partisan associates. Now the
proper treatment of men in that
condition is not tofallupon them
with abuse, or to undertake to
lash them into submission or out
oftheirconvictiOnS, for ordinarily
most of them are honest men,
more liable to be so than a large
contingent who are most slav-
ishly devoted to party. 1t can
not be denied that very many
who make loud pretensions to
partisan zeal and devotion do so
entirely from self-interest; al
ways ready and watching to go
where success leads the way, and
ready to desert when adverse
conditions arise; who have nc
fidelity to friends or principles
and who stay in prosperity and
sunshine but seek safety and com
fort when storms arise.
When discomfort and aversion
to craftsmanship comes there is
cause for it, and true partisan
ship policy should rather seek tt
find the cause and remedy tn,
evils, if any exist, than to driv,
men from honest convictions into
them. When men, who have NJ
personal ambitions or selfish de
signs, desiring to live in peace
and having no public wish be
yond the maintenance of a gOoC
government, economically ad
ministered and that so equabl'
that it protects all individual in
dustry, see every department O
the government filled with strue
giles for local and individual bene
fits; see a man get into Office an,
grind and Cypress the small
poor and needy, then boast Q
his economy and use it for sell
advancement, as cold and heart
less as any man who otherwis
robs the small or deprives tn
suffering of the necessities of life
when a man through party in
fluences joins himself to tn
strong and despises the wea
and uses party power to accom-
plish an unjust treatment {
them; when public positions al
treated as private benefits an
are run for and used as persona
adventures; and when combine
tons are made so that an hor
est voter must adopt individus
arrangements, based upon mt
tual individual advantages; an
when men in political manage
nent unjustly take from weake
individuals and localities an
give to stronger ones; in short
when selfislness and individus
interests rise up and the peop1
become powerless except to ratif
wrong, then the common ma
will necessarily be aroused.
There has OF late been a grea
deal of hue and cry Throughout
the country as to what credi
was due and how much to it
individual politicians without
word being said about no,