The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-10-16
The Lesson of the Election.
ln N. y. OomnlercinL Adn .rkLser.

The Lesson of the Election.
From 0e " Y. Commercial ADJ .rttser
The World says the dispatches 'are less
favorable even than we had hoped, for our
hopes had been of a sweeping and conclusive
triumph, which would have lett the November
contest q matter of mere FORM" The re-
turns" it adds, Establish incontestably a
completely adverse result" This virtually
yields the point, and comedies to the RePubli-
cans q triumph in November; i'd not all the
special pleading of the leaders, or the appeal
to Democrats to "keep their armor on" will
save the party from just that overwhelming
defeat 1t so richly merits. The people of this
country are progressive, not reactonary. They
detest the blind and wicked policy of the
Democratic party. They want peace and not
war. They propose to have universal free
dom and to maintain the equality of all men
before the law. They know what Democracy
means, and they know that this so-oslled De-
mooracy is a lie, that it prates OF equal rights
and denies equality of right whenever it has
the power.
The lesson of the canvass is plain one, and
even the fugitive Democrats may read it as
they run. Their leader, Blair, has proclaimed
q revolution. Their leaders, Wade Hampton,
Wise, Vance, Forrest, Hill, and others, have
welcomed this revolutionary programme.
They have determined to make 1868 in the
likeness Of 1860, and to repeat in the coming
winter the reckless and traitorous conduct Of
eight years ago. Cover up their purposes as
they may, the people penetrate the disguise
and detect the sham. They have had all the
war they want, and they will not yield power to
men whose purposes are as bloodthirsty now
as they were in all the years from Fort
Sumter to Appomattox, and who have not
yelled them, from the time they gave their
parole in 1866 till they appeared in Tammany
Hall in July last. The issue is clear and dis
tinot. Thousands of Democrats have already
hand nnod tha Hartxy nf Dab or1 hon,
sands of voters who have stayed away from
the polls the last ten years, are now up in
arms and eager to give the coup de grdce to the
party which brought on the great civil war,
and which gave aid and comfort to it during
its progress. They see in Grant the presage
OF peace, and know that the calm and mag
unanimous and victorious soldier will prove
himself the capable and efficient Executive.
The True Way to Conduct Canvass.
From tho N. r Evening Post
There has been a tendency for some years
for Democrats t, hold their political meetings
alone, and Republicans to hold theirs by them
selves. This has come to be so customary
that, in the East at least, 1t is not often we
see one party inviting members of the other
to attend its meetings; and it is even true
that in some places Democrat would be
thought an intruder if he appeared in Re-
publican meeting, while in some others a Re-
publican could not, without risking insult,
show himself in Democratic assembage.
Now all This is, of course, absurd; political
meetings are held--or ought to be-political
speeches are made, and political arguments
used, in part at least, with the object of per-
suading and convincing men now outside of
the party, and thus strengthening the party.
But if this custom of isolating parties was
only absurd, we should say nothing; we speak
of it because it is mischievous; because it
threatens constantly more and more the
public peace, and does more than the most
exciting questions to make our elections scenes
of violence, to breed and perpetuate hatred
between members Of parties, and to prepare
the country for revolutionary scenes.
Suppose, for a moment, that our present
method of carrying on political canvass
were abolished. Suppose that when it was
thought desirable to hold public meeting in
a ward, a city, or county, the managers of both
parties united to hire the room and pay for the
lights and other expenses. Suppose each
selected a speaker, and the members of both
were then invited and expected to attend dis
cussion of political questions. by the two able
men selected.
In the first place, we should hear better
arguments, and less mere abuse and misrepre-
sentation of political opponents. A speaker
who knows that if he misstates a fact he will
be exposed by an opponent whose turn it will
presently be TO speak, must be careful. The
rudest speaker would scarcely call his oppo-
nents names if they were present to hear him.
Members of both parties listening together to
such discussions, would soon come to ask for
truth rather than excitement prejudices
would die out which now separate citizens to
the injury and danger Of the country, and in
tolerance of opinion would be impossible where
the first condition Of the canvass was the
friendly assemblage of both parties to discuss
the questions of the hour.
There is growing danger in the present
solitary system; every year the peace is more
imperilled. Every year parties become less
tolerant of opposition; and if We do not re-
form the manner of conducting political can
vass, we may yet, in all the States, fall into
the Georgia habit Of shooting our political op-
ponents, instead Of trying to convince them.
Tuesdays Triumph.
From he ~. Y. Times.
The significance of Tuesdays triumph is
attested by the prodigious efforts put forth by
the Democracy to prevent it. They have
planned and labored from the start under a
conviction that the contest in Pennsylvania
Ohio, and Indiana would, in reality, deter
mine the national issue in November. In
every estimate, two of the three States have
been included as essential to the election OF
Democratic President. The certainty of car
rying all three has been hardly affirmed by the
Democratic press, and the imperative neces-
sity of securing at least two they have not
attempted to conceal. North and West and
South, the supreme Importance of carrying