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Show FOR WAR. Indications are that Bome of the Democratic Demo-cratic party are for war on the Administration. Adminis-tration. If the war comes, it will come on account of the theories which are now contending for supremacy in the matter of appointment to office. Those who are said- to be for war fight for the spoils system, sys-tem, while the President and those who support him are for reform. That reform in the matter of appointments to office will win the victory there can be noi doubt. It will win the victory because it has right and the true interests of the people on its side, and the people as distinct dis-tinct from the office-seekers desire it. The spoils theory of government is the theory of the pirate and brigand applied to civil government, and the lives of the spoilsmen spoils-men should be written by Esquemaling. Is the cry that "to the victors belong the spoils" anything else than the war cry of a victorious army? Spoils means that some one is to be despoiled, and all that that means is but too well known. Are the two great fundamental ideas as to this Government, the ideas of centralization centraliza-tion and decentralization, merely a campaign cam-paign cry for the purpose of getting into office, or are they great principles, the triumph tri-umph of the one eventually leading to the absorption of the rights of the people and of the States in the General Gen-eral Government, while the triumph of the other means the preservation of the rights of the people, of the States and of J the General Government, guaranteeing guaran-teeing peace and liberty to untold generations? genera-tions? The great political parties of this country were founded for the sake of principle, and not for the purpose of spoils. For near a century the Democratic party has maintained its identity and its principles, while its opponent oppo-nent to-day is the party of an hour, whose hour and usefulness are gone. That party is but another form and name for the mistrust and doubt of the people which have ever attended the theories of the Federalists, that party which ever preferred precedent to principle. But the people have again declared their alle-allegiance alle-allegiance to the party of freedom and the rights of man, but this allegiance will largely depend upon a fulfillment of the promises of reform . given by that party. The Administration is fighting gallantly the good fight of reform, and it will win. Those who fight against this reform fight against that which has been decreed and will be. Let the war come, for the sooner it comes the sooner will right and reform triumph. ' - |