Year: 1874

earnest political organizations. Tho
they may be mistaken in their general
aims, their honesty of Purpose and de
votion to central idea my be heroic,
But where is the reputable nucleus, Of
of any third party in this country to- |
day? 1t is easy to say that such q |
rallying point is found in reform. But
what is to be reformed. and who are
the reformer-? So far as any national
reform organization is concerned,
there is not even the pretense of one
and the cry of reform" is SO vague
and general that we are reminded of
the plight of some New England
strikers, who, when asked to state the
grievance for which they tumultuous-
ly demanded redress, were at loss
what to say until one ingenious fellow
raised a laugh declaring that they
wanted rum with their water. Tosbe
sure we have innunerable "indict-
ments of this corrupt Government
as neutrals phrase it; but when pee |,
pie look ut t:sa nfol',1ls add manners Of
the men, who are so noisy on the sub
ject OF the public honesty they are
moved to mirth. Fancy, if you can,
the leaders in the latest reform move
ment-tl,at at Cincinnati-reformi
| the Government Of the United States!
| Whatever may have been the motives
of the original agitators of that i'll
starred expedition, it is notorious that
it was burdened with all the political
adventurers and riff-raff that had been
sifted out of the other living organiza-
tlons. Yet the oparty men keep up
their jeremiad, continually complain
ing that there is no party worth the
having; and they insist that somehow
there should be a new organization
for them. We do notSee how they
can be gratitied unless they choose to
form some sort of an unpatriotic asso-
citation which shall be pledged to sit
still and find fault The histories of
parties in this and other countries
show that the great mass of voters
must be divided on vital questions
No party ever came into existence on
a mere generality; none was ever
horne to power on the abstract propo-
sition that new party would be a
good thing to have in the country.


Very clearly it is the duty of every
good citizen to exercise his privilege
of casting ballot for elective officers.
AS republican institutions are man
aged, it is necessary that parties with
complete and widely ramifying ma
chinery should be organized to bring
forward and support candidates No


body has seriously proposed disband-
ing of all parties with voluntary, indi
vidual and unconcertcd action by all
voters as substitute therefor. If
| the present political ills are so great
as represented, there ought to be some
means of ridding them from the body
polite, which is, after all, the source
OF all power corrupted or uRcorrupted.
With the people ultimately rests the
responsibility for the evils complained
! of. If, for example, there is a large
element in the Republican party, as
alleged, which is disgusted with the
management of affairs, can it not more
effectually bring to pass a salutary
change in affairs by insisting upon a
reformation in their party than by
folding hands and finding fault? The
party now in power has the means
ability and disposition to reform itself
whenever necessary 1t is not posi-
BILE for any political organization to be
long in existence without abuses
creeping into it. But no party in the
Republic since the foundation of the
Government has ever exhibited such
sensltiveness to criticism as the Re
publican party. 1t was founded upor
moral ideas; it has conducted the
Government mainly by policy of ma.
tional and international honesty. IT.
peculiar pride to-day is that it il the
sole defender of the nations credir
and the nations honor and that i


stands by the nations pledge to pro


tect in their political rig ghts all classes
of citizens. There is nothing vague
about this. If these objects are no


worthy Of the devotion of the voter


of the Republic, We fail to see any tha


are more worthy. Ifany other organ


ization, whether proposed by partisan


or by no-party men, has any NOR,


definite or more vital purpose. W,


would like to hear of it.-New Yorl


Times.