THE WANING OF REPUBLICANISM.
THE United States is a republic—the greatest on earth. The dominating party is called a republican party. The second in order of influence is called a democratic party. That all this has become nominal, almost to the last degree, is evident in the czarism of party politics. That the monarchism of political partyism in the United States is second to no monarchy in the world, was illustrated at a recent state convention called for the purpose of nominating the party's candidates for state offices. There were over eight hundred delegates, nominally of the people, but they proved to be delegates of certain “bosses.” That is, the greater part of them were simply led or whipped into line by their masters. Hardly more than half of them knew how they were to vote until the half dozen “bosses” had played their game of tactics and lost or won. Some of the “bosses” were simply lieutenants subject to the higher masters. This was proved when one of them, who “controlled” 159 votes which had been counted one way or another as the game among the “bosses” proceeded, was at last told by a higher in command how he must vote his men. These “delegates” had no choice in the matter, excepting at the peril of future favor. The captain who gave the order above mentioned was not even a delegate in the convention, but gave his order how that delegation should be voted. He said to the sub-boss, who was a delegate, “If you do not vote the — delegation for —, I will go down among the delegates on the floor of the convention and see that they are so voted.” And that settled it. Note that there is nothing about those delegates themselves voting, but the order was as to how they should be voted. Their casting their ballots was sheer formality. Again, the mayor of a certain city, not himself a delegate, called together the delegates that were appointed officials in his city, and “issued to them peremptory orders to vote for —, under pain of his displeasure, and possible removal from the places they held if they failed to do so.” Now all that we have said here about this convention, and the absolute rule of the “bosses,” is taken from the report of the convention in a leading party journal. And the report is not given in any spirit of criticism, but as recognized matter-of-course political procedure. There is not a hint that the game played by the half-dozen real manipulators was not a legitimate game, and that the victors were not justly entitled to the spoil. Yet the delegates, nominally of the people, no doubt walked about with an important air, drank beer, smoked cigars, and looked wise, imagining that they were really independent citizens of a great republic, working in the interest of the “dear people.” We have not selected this particular convention for illustration because it was of a particularly political party. It is just the same in the conventions of any party that has sufficient strength to expect success at the polls. Such is politics in our great republic, and it is through such a medium that many professed Christian reformers are aiming to bring about a union of the church and politics. And with such manipulation of their franchise privilege, the masses of the people imagine they are governing themselves. What reformation can be expected in this world when the best government ever devised by man can become so degenerate in a time even when knowledge is on the increase? Knowledge is not reformation. Knowledge without wisdom only adds to the capacity for doing evil; it adds to the facility with which the enemy of souls can use men as instruments to deceive their fellow-men. “Wisdom is the principal thing,” and “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all they that do His commandments.” It is through wisdom that reformation must come; not through mere knowledge or politics. G.