The Sumter watchman. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1855-1881, 1870-11-30

selves, With, tina past effory Of TIL
DSmobfA AtfcP Paity: ON the slavefyqnsstio,
The 'ele1tiob, in Missouri iis tke result q
such ! reorgan aiieps 9Epoi oiiticel parts
and.iS y ssffompk Of tkS dihSthcsisei,
free trade party ;ovor the prdssctt ttopist
though the free suatage qaaskioh aids.
in effectiug. the result. In. IlliS6ia9 IS;
two parties adopted. in conv ention:7nE.
stantifdly the sarns platform; the Repub
lican platform opposing protection, ant
the Democratic demanding free trade
'Yet. in going before & 9 people on thes,
platforms; tho Republican candidate, e,
were met BY the point, that in Congrss,
they world be compelled. by party afilI
iations on other questions. to GONE iusl'
der the lead sof protapti6S t~SaSS 6SSol
to vete for a pr6teotionist Speaker, tt
SEQ their business referred to protec-
Zionist committees, and Q general pro-
tectionist inclination given to thei,
.votos, whatever might be their personal
predictions. This might. have been
met by assurance that the. candidates
would vote aud act with free traders. in
all matters involving this question, ir.
respective of their previous associations.
In the absence Of this assurance, many
Republicans who desired to sustain the
FREQ trade policy, either s:d no: tote, oI
believed their votes could be cast most
effectively for the Democratic candidate
This fact has had its poteacy in chang.
ing the Congressional delegation in Ilii.
nois from eleven Republicans and three
Democrats to seven Republicans and
seven Democrats. The same influences
hayo had an effect in Indianaa, Missouri
Michigan and Wisconsin. Had it been
clearly understood beforehand, that the
next Congress would organib, elect it's
speaker, appoint its committees, and
hold lite caucuses upon a divis ION of par.
ties based on new and living issues, the
people would have voted 10 accordance
with that understanding. But so long
as that is doubtful the party whose
position is uncertain must continue to
give place to the candidates whose posi-
tion is declared. =,
In Schenck's district, D. j. Morrell's
and McCarthy's Of Syracuse, the issue
was made up mainly on the question Of
protection and free trade, the friends oF
free trade voting in somo degree,
without regard to past political. sfilia-
tions, and carrying McCarthy's district
for Republican free trader in the con
vention, and the other two districts for
a free trader at the polls.
The time has now come when the two
real parties of tho country, the free trad
ers aud protectiohists, must cast th cir
votes where they will tell most effective
ly for their principles, both in Congress
and out of it. 1t is impossible that VIC
shall continue voting on dead issues,
and dodging the living and vital ones.
As our New York dispatch intimated
yesterday, the Revenue Reform party
will enter the next Congress prepared to
claim tho Speaker, the organization ol
the House, and tho appointment of com
mittees, SO that the business before Con.
'gress may be presented in manner to
carry out the views of the minority Of
the people, as indicated in tho recent
elections. If tho proteotionists of the
country desire to curry tins issue to a
general election, or to form u national
party on thcir own basis, we shall, at
all times, stand ready to meet them.--
If not, it is pretty clear that, so long as
the Democratic party elects none but
free traders, aud the free trade Repub.
lioans vote for mono but free traders,
while the protectionists rcly on the
prestige Of the Republican oranization
aud shirk the issue, the complexion Of
Congress will rapidly change into one
for revenue reform, aud, possibly, Dem
ooratic. On the whole, in the recent
elections, tho Democracy have made
gains. But their gains have been vory
slight compared with tho heavy gain
over the high tariff party in the prestige
of success in organization, confidence,
and power. All these will make them
selves felt.at the oitsot in tho meeting
of the next Congress.
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