The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1868-12-09
Was Congress Endorsed b?

4he question WneCner the people, by
the election Of Grant, have endorsed
Congress, is caHdidly discussed and
candidly answered by the Springfield
Republican, one of the foremost and
most independent of Eastern Radical
organs. In its issue OF November
4th it says '-- q" ;
The result Of the election yesterday.
though it was all the Republicans
could have asked, was not q triumph
of the Republican party as distinct
i've organization. r : go And if
the victory was not achieved by the
Republican party as political organ
ization, in its own strength and by
the prestige of Its name,- no more
does 1T give that party, as an orRaniz-
atlon, a new lease of power. = \
The result Of the election does not
indicate popular approval even OF
the general policy of Congress. The
election was carried in spite of that
policy. Had that simple issue been
presented, we very much fear every
one of the four Middle States would
have pronounced against it,
1t may seem grabbed and cross
grained, in the first rejoicings over
the victory, to thrust forward sneh
considerations. But it was never of
more Importance that the true mean
ing OF the country should be under
stood. Congress may assemble In a
few days under rtheemergeney created
by the carnival Of crime atthe South.
At the longest it will meet in few
weeks. Upon it's temper depends
very much. Representatives have
before this shown a strange facility, or
fatality, in misapprehending the
wishes of the people, They must not
do so now: If they imagine that the
elections are token of particular ad-
miratiOn for them; If they think
that they can begin again where they
left of last April, alarmed at the pop
ular discomfort and the increasing
danger Of losing the election 4; if they
allow themselves to be persuaded
that, now the campaign is over, it
Will do to take the screws off the ex-
penditures, they make a great mistake.
They will not get Off So easily the
next time. < That par
ty is dead and gone, and even its
name IS likely to perish. There is
certain to be Il recast of the political
elements, according to the new and
and managers of the Republican, par
ty--the men who live by 1t and think
they own it---wish to keep it in the
control of the Government, they
must make it attractive for those who
look to honesty, integrity and eff
cheney in administration. 1t is not
difficult to gather the sentiments of
the men who have tuIled the scale,
this time, in favor of the Republican
party, and who must be looked to
hereafter to keep ii in power. In Vo-
ting to sustain the reconstruction acts,
against the mad designs of the reac-
tionists, they have not decided against
a change in those acts, but quite the
contrary. They desire an immediate
amelioration OF them in their most
offensive features. The disfranchise-
ment Of any class, or the exclusion or
any State, for acts done in the rebell-
ion, never wise, has grown to be sim
ply stupid. The limited disenfran-
chisement imposed has done harm,
and only harm. 1t has not assured
the control of a single State in loyal
hands. 1t has lifted the disenfran-
chised into undue and: unsafe Impor-
tance, and given them title of re-
spect among their fellow citizens. To-
wards the General Government it has
simply served to annoy and exasper-
ate all classes, and make violence and \
negro intimidation seem something
like fair reprisal. Unqualified negro
5OAIdSO 10 duOGIiSE 1OdJQEO ILldb VIII
not bear examination, and must be
modified but the circumstances of
the situation are SO difficult and pc
culiar that an immediate change is
not practicable. All that can be done
hereafter, all, indeed, that is desirable
to be done, is introduce throughout
the country an educational test, i'm
partial with respect to color and sex
by which the sugrnge will be limited
to persons of some eintelligence,w ,wheth-
white, black, red or yellow.
But it is in matters of revenue and
expenditure that the sense of the
country is most positive, and its reso-
luton taken. n We cannot go
Oh as we are. The country is losing
strength too fast, and the poor are
becoming too thoroughly impOverish-
ed. Whether rightly or wrongly, the
people will accuse the party in power
of these evils, the causes of which
they may not see, but the effects of
which they can most bitterly feel.
Mr.. Seymour was right-the financial
issue is to be pressed and the Repub-
licen party must meet it with courage.
and intelligence.