Year: 1874

rather than ihduIging IN feellngs OF DuOyahcy
and exhilaratiOn over their recent successes.


That there will be struggle within the
party for the mastery of the organization BE-
tween the statesmen and the mere politicians,
between the thoughtful men and the noisy
blatherskites, between men of ability and cul-
ture and the men of smartness and assurance,
and that this struggle will not be long de-
layed, is very plain. We do not doubt at all
the disposition of the best representatives OF
the coming party to put down and keep down
the blatherskite influence and blatherskite
tendency. Whether they will have the ability
is quite another question. Ii is a question
indeed whether the respectability and decency
Of the party will not be intimidated by the
impudence and buster Of the lower order OF
politicians, and after q feeble show OF resist
ance Weld to their demands and sacrlhce
their convictions of duty and sense OF rlght
upon the altar of partisan expediency. ms
has happened before; in fact has happened 80
invariably as to have become the rule. we
do not need to cite examples or illustrations
The whole record of the party for twenty
wears illustrates the feebleness of the respecta-
bility of the party when the grasping and





element has been pitted against it.


Nor is the party limited to its own history
for lessons of the fatal influence of the class
of politicians whose principle is self-aggran-
dizement, whose policy is always temporizing,
tricky. and mean, and who forever elbow
themselves to the front with great noise and
gesticulatiOn and self-assertiOn. The record
of the Grant Administration furnishes forth
it's admonitions and its warnings as well.
They have seen this Administration given
over in its personal associations. its political
relations, its appointments and policies, its
whole atmosphere and surroundings, to the
grossest materiallsm and the most degrading
influences. The respectablity and honesty OF
the Democratic Party, now 80 confident OF
shaping the future policy of the party, had
their cOunterparts in the party which elected
Grant. Men equally able and as earnest and
sincere as any of the Democratic statesmen
who have been promoted to positions OF
power and influence by the late cleo
tions, were as hopeful OF main
tanning high standard of official
integrity and personal honor in that party as
these Democrats are in their own to-day. They
have seen the President calling third and
fourth rate men-and perhaps it is fiattery to
rate them even SO high-tO his cOunsels. They
have seen him using the Presidential office as
personal possession, and the patronage as
gifts to be dispensed according to favor or
caprice; they have seen him appoint unit
persons, either relations or personal friends,
the Caseys and Murphys and Shepherds, the
Bories and Richardson's and Williamses, and
host more of such people. to places which they
did not dignity and could not fill, while he
has driven away from himself and his party
such men as Sumner, Greeley, Schurz, Trum-
bull and hundreds more OF unswervlng IN
tegrity and unselfsh patriotism, the:most COM
petent to advise and the safest to be trusted
in the country.


They have seen President Grant doing this.
and the party at his back controlled by men
who put partisanshIp-an the pettiest OF per-
sonal partsanship at that-abOve patriotism,
making fealty to the President test of
political orthodoxy, and reading out in the
most arrogant and insolent manner the states
men who founded the party, and TO whom it
was most indebted for its high character and
its grand success And if the respectable
Democrats who hope to hold their party up
to higher standard of political morality and
decency have any curiosity to see what comes
of fiabbiness of principle and fear of giving
offense to the bad element, and so of injuring
the party, they have only to look at the
results of the late elections which
have wiped out Grantism and given
them the opportunity to improve upon
it. They may be able to purchase in
ternal harmony for a time by deferring to
the low and loud politicians. But such har-
mony cannot be lasting, and the success
which follows will be but temporary. The
people want a Government they can take
pride in-one that is able, honest, and clean
and though they have to keep on experiment.
ing with parties and falling into the hands of
the blackguards and demagogues of both, the
time will come when they will have their way
and put an end to the period of greed and
corruption. The party newly come to power
has meantime to ponder well the fate of
Grantism and the lessons of its own experience.
ARE THE AMENDMENTS CONSTITUTIONS