Rensselaer Union, Volume 9, Number 44, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 July 1877 — Tne Future of American Politics. [ARTICLE]

Tne Future of American Politics.

It is vcported that Asiatic cholera lias appeared li> New York City, and that Peter Van Konren, a letter carrier, aged 49, died with U Tuesday. A committee recently met at St, Louis in the interest of a narrow* gauge railroad project. They estimated the cost of building this class of roads in Missouri at an average of *IO,OOO per mile. Gen. James F. Wilder, wellknown to those ex-soldiers who aerved In the Army of the Cumberland, has been commissioned postInaster at Chattanooga, Tennessee where he has resided since the tplose of the war. Terrible volcanic eruptions with the not unusual accompaniment of awful earthquakes and violent agitation of the sea, arc* reported in Ecuador, South America. Great •floods and vast quantities of ashes are known to have fallen, and it is apprehended there has been terrible loss of life. It is supposed that the eruptions originated in the volcano of Cotopaxi.

A copy of the premium list, rules and regulations, of the sixth annual Fair of the Jasper County Agricultural and Mechanical Association, is received. The Fair will be held at IfcbMelier, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday ami Friday, September, 18th, 19th, 20th and 421st, 1877. It ts for the interest of every person in the county, certainly of every one that is engaged in agricultural pursuits and stock raising, to encourage these annual displays in every possible uay. Much good has been ‘done by the Fairs held by the association in past ■years, by stimulating people to improve’the breeds of live stock and to cultivate their larms in such manner as to produce better crops and larger yields. Let all unite it) a determined effort to make the sixth the best Fair ever held in the •county. , Implacable and more implacable .grows the Indianapolis Journal day by day as the wisdom of President Hayes’ administration becomes •more and more apparent. If they •continue to exasperate themselves ■in their present cumulative ratio it will not be such a: very long time •before the journal will supplant the Sentinel and the Chicago Jnter-Ccean the Times in the affections of democracy. It is not well to undertake too many things at once, but when the President‘AaH have finally established his conciliatory measures iu the South and civil service reform throughout the country, perhaps it may be well for him to heal the especial troubles that afflict these Xwo remarkably unhappy newspapers. It is astonishing how unpleasantly disappointed partizan journals are rendered by seeing an officer honestly striving to carry out the pledges eCttee platform on which he was nominated and elected.

A recent financial publication places the total indebtedness in the United States, by rough guess, at $7,375,000,000 —seven billion, three hundred and seventy-five million dollars—which is classified thus: Katiqnal debt, §2,220,000,000; 6tates, f37o,(Kt£),doo; municipal, $!,- 000,000,000; railway, $2,300,000,900; discounts and loans of banks, $1,000,000,000; loans of insurance and other mortgages, $500,000,000; b rom this it is argued that people must not be buoyantly hopeful of ’he* good times that are promised to follow an abundant harvest, That is to say: They ought not to permit any such hop*: s to. lead them into incurring unnecessary expenses for extravagant display and luxurious livmg, or to persuade them into making new debts with the hope that they Will be easier to pay than present ones. With bouxfiful crops there will be an influx of more or money so that each is likely to get some. This should be econoutic&Uy cared for—not hoarded, but spent for tbe payment of debts already contracted and in Hueh manner that it will be unnecessary to contract other debts before the old ones are satisfied.

Gold closed in New York on the 16th at 105£, There is trouble among the management of the state prison at Michigan City. A few days siuce the directors issued on order removing tho Warden and appointing Ins successor. The Warden refuses to be removed and the case has been appealed toHlio courts. The latest reports from Europe are to the effect that the Russian forces in European Turkey on the 7th instant captured. .Nikopolia and its garrison of 0,500 Turkish soldiers, with tkeir commander, and two monitors. This is said to establish tho Russians in an important strategic position ip the Balkan mountains. The personal attacks on Olias. G. Powell, of the La porte JJcrald , by the editor of the Chronicle of tho same place, have at last compelled a reply, and Mr. Powell shows its editor up in a most unenviable light as the president of a bogus insurance company. This will be nuts for the Rensselaer Union to crack. — Wamiw Northern Jndianian. Gen. Packard is in California— Tub Union would strike no creature behind its back; with the present editor of the Chronicle The Union is at peace; Mr. Powell is abundantly able to fight his own battles. Tbe nuts arc cracked.

One who signed himself “Ira W. Yeoman, Sec’y Jasper Co. A..& M. A.,” occupied rather more than half a column in the Sentinel last week abusing a stockholder of tbe Association of which be is secretary, and advertising patent medicines. Two things he seems to be oblivious of. The first is, that half the energy devoted weekly to the duties of his official position would at least relieve the secretary of the charge of inefficiency. And the second, that few prudent people are likely to experiment with mixed beverages while of their effects, nothing more seductive is shown than the hopeless wreck of youth, honor, truth and brilliant possibilities, stranded by the mad waves of a raging sea on the insidious quicksand s of a n tin coil troll able appetil e; or the equally melancholy tottering monument of ruined health* and enfeebled miud which such indulgence so often brings. By an act of the last legislature, which is now in force, it is unlawful for any person to sell, barter or give away, to be drank as a beverage, any spirituous, malt, or other intoxicating liquors on Sunday, tbe Fourth of July, the first day of January, the 25th day of December, Thanksgiving day, or upon the day of any state, county, township or municipal election. The penalty for violating this section is a tine of not less than §lO nor more than §SO, and imprisonment in the county jail. By the same act it is made unlawful for any druggist or druggist’s clerk to sell barter or give away any such liquors on any of the days aforesaid, unless the person to whom the same is sold, bartered or given, has first procured* a written prescription therefor from some regular practicing physician of the county. The penalty for violating this section” is a fine of not less than 85 nor more than 8100, and imprisonment iu the county jail. See acts of regular session, 1877, page 92.

A correspondent of the Chicago Tribune , writing from New Orleans, announces that a leading member of the Louisiana legislature thinks that its not at all improbable that tbe republican members of that body will supuort Gov. Xicholls in tiie event of a rupture between him and Lieutenant-Governor Wiltz, which is deemed imminent. Auotber interesting- feature of the politics of that state is a movement now on foot to revive the old Knownothing or Native American partyin order, if possible, to check the agressions of the Roman Catholic church which is represented by $ strong foreign element—’mostly Irish. In ease this is successful it is thought that the negroes will flock to the Know-nothilig standard, being impelled in this direction by motives of self-interest as well as their well known deep-seated antipathv for Irishmen, growing out of the fact that the latter seldom if ever permit an opportunity to pass without insulting and otherwise tu&ltreating them.

To those who oppose the President’s Southern policy, and to those who do not oppose it, but who are hesitating in their opinion, there should be said, bv all who have the privilege of an editorial pen, a few plain words relating to the past. General Grant, at the beau of tbe Republican party, had the South on his hands for eight years. He had a policy during all this period, nnd the privilege of pursuing ana perfecting it He appointed his own agents wherever that was his prerogative, favored his friends, and, in the lust resort of difficulty, fell back repeatedly upon the military power of the United States. What he could not accomplish by political machinery and iHjrsonal and official influence, be undertook to accomplish by force. So much, we suppose, will be admitted. At the date of this writing, it is not forty-eight hours since the federal soldiery which held the Packard government, in power in Louisiana, marj-hed to its barracks, in the interest of a peaceful revolution, wrought by the policy of President Hayes. It is hardly a week since, in Kouth Carolina, a similar scene was enacted. In those two states Grantism was holding over, and all was disturbance, uncertainty, and bitter feeling. In short, up to the very end of General Grant’s administration, backed by the Republican party, there was such failure in tiie process of reconstruction and the adjustment of political differences, that nothing but the soldiery of the United States could keep the people from tearing each other’s eyes out. If there was not a reign of terror through large districts of the South; if there were not murders by the thousand and bulldozing by the acre; if there were not Rifle-Clubs, and Ku-Klux-Klnns, and White Leagues, and multiplied and multiform organizations of wrongdoing and oppression, then the people have been grossly misinformed by General Grant’s friends, for the plea for his policy has been based upon these facts —real or fabricated. And now the people are called upon to decide whether, on the whole, matters were growing any better under General Grant’s policy—whether, in the light of experience, there was any way through and by means of that policy, into peace. Were not things growing worse rattier than better? The History of several of the states—notably Louisiana, Mississippi and South Carolina —has been a history of the most shocking incompetency in government, and the grossest corruption

and abuse of power; anil when President Hayes took the reins, lie found in two of these states all political affairs blocked by the claims of rival governors and legislatures, with United Stales troops keeping tiie peace on behalf of a government wiiich It was certain the people did not want, and probably that they did not elect. It was time for a change, was it not? Was not the trial of the old policy sufficiently long? Could General Grant, who was thoroughly honest and we4i-4Meanii4g-ij) this policy, or could the party which elected" liTiri, legitimately complain that there had not been time to win the fruits of li is schemes and measures? We think not, and it really seems as if whatever had been (lone toward reconstruction had been done in spite of the policy pursued by the federal government. We have said this that the people may understand what the opposition to President Hayes means whenever and in whatever form it may come. They have made up their minds that President Hayefr is an honest "mail. They see tiiat up to this time lie has shown himself to be a very wise mail. He lias chosen his counselors wisely and well. There is not a demagogue in the cabinet. He is a gentleman himself, and lie has surrounded himself with gentlemen. He has made it impossible to intrigue for a second term of office for himself. He can have hut one motive in all he does—that of ministering to the public good.' Every step that lie has taken thus far has tended to accomplish his object. Where there was discord, there is peace. Where there was violence, there is.good-will. Where there was despair, there is hope. We believe that there has been a more decided return of loyal feeling in the South toward the national government, since President Hayes was inaugurated, than had been realized during the previous twelve years.

This means a great deal to a certain class of petty politicians, who are sure to he carried by it out of power. The men who have lived on Southern outrages must die. The men who are more interested in keeping up party lines than restoring the national peace and prosperity, must die. The men who can only secure political power by making a trade of politics—-who are interested chiefly in maintaining the old doctrine that to the victors belong the spoils—must dir, because President Hayes is practically at work for civil service reform. So, whenever and however tiie onset upon President Hayes may come, it will not lie hard to find out what motives are responsible for it. It will not be a strange thing, or a thing unanticipated, to see men of both the great political parties joining bands, on various pretexts, for the preservation in American politics of the spoils doctrine. That doctrine has lain at the basis of our polities so long, and has been the Jiib-blhod of such masses of demagogical, that it is not likely to be reiinqtiished without a struggle. Now, on behalf of the people of the Union, who do the voting and have no political ambitious, we would like to speak a single word of warning to Lhe marplots and irreeohcHabfes who oppose President Hayes. We are simply anxious that justice shall be done in this country, and that peace and prosperity may follow as consequences. General Grant and his friends have had eight years in which to accomplish the work of pacifying the .South, and have failed. President Hayes has announced and inaugurated another policy, which .promises success; and we propose to stand bv him until lie has had a fair change. He is only to have half the time that was given to General Grant, and he needs the popular support which we propose to give him. Meantime, we propose to fight and politically kill every man of you who tries to throw difficulties in his way. We have no faitli in your motives,'we have lost all confidence in your wisdom, we do

not believe in your candor and disinterestedness; we regard you as void of patriotism. The people are tired of discord. Tltey intend that the policy of the new administration shall have a fair chance. They want peace. They want a reform in the civil service, for they feel tbut mereinary politics have been a curse and a disgrace to them. They are, at least, not ready to join In any crusade against the policy of tlie President, until it has had a fair chance to work out its results. Any politician, therefore, in any position, who undertakes a factious opposition to this* policy in its initiatory stage, they will regard as a public enemy, on whom they will not hesitate to wreak their revenge. It will be a good plan for ail the <k*magogues to take a low seat for the present, and keep their mouths shut, if they have any Jiope of a political life in the years to come.— Scribner ’« Magazine.