The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1867-11-18
SATURDAY MOKNINO. nov. 10.
HnrpsI's weekly ON .'The Political
lehr.0

rear,
The last issue OF this paper bias a
leader upon the results OF the late cleo
tIop,. what they Indicate in regard TO
the past, and what they admonish in
regard TO the future. First, 1t admits
the fact OF Republican losses, and
next, il inquiries into thelrexplanation.
at. II that the Republican party has
not gone far enougb7" Under this
head 1t repudiates Mr.. Stevens opinion
that is has not, and says that his opin-
IONS ''are seldom those OF his party or
his country" Second, 1t asks are the
losses, then, attributable to the RePub-
IIeaps having gone too far. Some peo-
pie will say yes, iu replies, Nothing
ia easier than such an explanation"
ngut auch an answer" says the editor,
.,l. by no means a true and satisfactory
explHpation, merely because IT Is
easy" What, then, is the difficulty
According to the writer, 1t ia that the
marty WINS burdened with side Issues,
such as prohibition, woman suffrage
and other like local issues, and because,
as in California and New York, candi'
dates were nominated who were not
above suspicion as to personal char
acter. THE mere name OF cor
ruption," says the editor, hurts Il
Republican more than the fact a
Democrat" And in making this last
remark he states that he does not "wish
TO DO unjust" but simply to state a
truth. 1t may do, in other words, for
the Democracy to elect a Morrissey or
n Fernando or Bon Wood, but the
masses who compose tho Republican
party show disposition to bolt and
revolt against such nominations. They
are not easily whipped into the support
OF such policy or such candidates
Hence, says the editor:
"The truth is, that probably every
voter knows many Republicans who
even voted against the purity in order
to ndmonish IL. The number OF lie
publicans who did not vote is also very
large. Many voted under protest. And
surely never was so cheerful defeated
marty. 'The best thing that could hap
pAn us:' tJust what We need-wert
very common expressions. The shrewd
er democrats fully understand this
aud they half deprecate their own VIC
tory, foTeseeing lis inevitable results
Harper,s Weekly does not believe that
the Republican policy of reconstruction
is repudiated by the people, and more
over. IL AYERS, that "this policy cannot
be revoked without national dishonol
and danger" But "sIde issues may
and should be dropped" And hence
mleplslation should be calm and saga
cIous, tightening the public burden
and looking 10 immediate harmony
And still further, ga narrow and fierce
leadership should be promptly and
plainly repudiated." The country
needs to avoid two extremes, the one Of
Impeachment and confiscation," and
other of "rebel reconstruction and re-
pudiution." The Republican party
while embracing a large amount OF
Temperance sentiment is not TO become
ga Prohibition party" While many
offs members flavor high tariff the
party, AS such, Is "not Protection
party" There arc times when "politi-
cal PARTIES must deal with paramount
Issues" The paramount issue upon
which all other interests depend is
reconstruction" 1t is 70 that issue
therefore that "the Republican party
must address itself, and not wrangle by
the way upon other questions that may
ormay not hereafter divide the coun-
try." Their policy ais already de-
clared and is in operation" in the rebel
States. tits mot extravagant, nor IA
natIcai nor extreme"
"Iftho country Is not ripe for 1t, II is
a profound misfortune. But our duty
is none the less plain. The country
was not ready for policy OF nOn-eX-
tension in 1856. But the Republican
marty did not feel that II must therefore
reliDuulsh Its faith and its policy. Had
n done so nothing could have saved the
United States from becoming vast
slave empire.
"If in the present situation the party
should abandon Its national policy, II
Yields to What3 To policy which re-
stores the Southern States to the I'M.
qualified control OF the most disatfected
element ofths population, dlsfranOhises
the freedmen, and repudiRtes the debt
The approval OF such a policy by the
country would be the condemn ation of
the war, and OF the American doctrine
oflibeTty and government.
1--WE have the most mistaken conh-
dence In the good sense OF the American
people, and therefore we do not sup
pose that they mean TO write fool upon
The brow OF every supporter OF the war,
and upon the head-stone of every dead
Union soldier"
THE Cincinnati CbmmereiGE notes the