The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-07-02
thipgg whioh a party Out Of pOwer oannO! at-

things which party out of power cannot at
tempt without ruin.
1t is a very old proverb, but a wise one,
that it is lawful to learn of our enemies. This
Republicans have never gained an election,
from 1860 to the present time, which they
would not have lost, had they proclaimed at
the time all they intended to do in case of
success. They got the power to abolish
slavery by persistently disclaiming an inten-
ton to do anything of the kind. The carried
the last Congressional elections by merely
asking the people to indorse what goes by the
name of the fourteenth Constitutional amend
ment and as soon as they had elected their
congressman, they Immediately undertook to
force negro suffrage on all the Southern States.
In their recent Chicago platform, they ac-
knowledge that the regulation of the suffrage
in the loyal States belongs to the
States themselves; but if they should
carry the election they will extend the suf-
by an act of Congress. Why do we cite these
examples Not, by any means, to Justify the
hypocrisy and bad faith of the Republicans;
but to show how much more will be borne
from political party after success, than is
tolerated in the professions of the same party
when soliciting popular support. AS a lesson
in political tactics it is not without its value.
Some of our Jealous but uncalculating Demo-
cratic friends seem to think that the train
ought to start at a speed of fifty miles an
hour, when there is barely power enough in
the engine to set it slowly in motion. The
same expenditure of steam which scarcely
suflices to move it at first will give it a high
speed when it is well under way. Or to
speak without figure, reactionary as well
as revolutionary movement gains strength
in its progress. People will easily assent to
things in its later stages against which they
would have recoied in the beginning. Those
politicians can have given but a superficial
attention either to the history or the phi
losophy Of great political changes who think
that all should be demanded at the outset
which it may be thought desirable to obtain
in the end. II Milo of Crotona had begun by
attempting to carry the bull, he never would
have become so famous; but by beginning
with the calf he succeeded.
The great duty laid upon the Democratic
party is to start change of policy by carry
ing this Presidential election. In order to do
it, we must induce some citizens to vote with
US who have formerly acted with the Repub-
can party. There is not the slightest danger
that any portion of the Democratic party will
fail to sustain the action of the Convention
Our success depends upon our ability to win
over a few votes from the other side in five or
six States unless we can do this, last years
election returns show that we shall be de-
feated. "There's nothing succeeds like sue
cess" II we can but carry this election, we
shall thereafter have swarms of proselytes and
shall experience no difficulty in establishing
any reasonable policy. Even the Republican
party will look at public questions through
very different eyes after great Democratic
victory. 1t behooves us to have ''gumption'
enough to take hold of things by the right
end.