Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1871-1872, 1871-12-05
TIE PRESIDENTIAL CONTEST
For 1879.
Hxisting Status Of the Dsmoerstie
yarty-xts Opportunity ana
Duty.

rudely josiied there Is commonly an oui .
burst Of anger or contempt, aud . general g
.xscra,ion Of the offender. Fortunately in '
mos, instances the Ct Of indignation soon r
spends lie fury, and ia oal@er moments
their slowly awaksnss perception that the {
most cherished forms and beliefs may be q
.dvan,ageously superseded BY others better q
adapted to existing circumstances. With i
greater experience and wider observation, l
We better appreciate the fact that some q
respect Is due to the realities ofihe living q
present, 90 well 90 to the memory of the
departed past. The change indicated
varies somewhat among men according to
their intelligence, the pressure ofsocisl or
party influence, and innate love OF truth.
In some il extends no further than com
parativs acquisscencs or forced coDtent-
ment with arrangements under which theJ
chance TO live in Others, who admit the
logical sequence Of events and consistently
Act upon their deliberate convictions, IL
essentially modi6ss not only their previous
opinions but also their subsequent acts. IL
becomes apparent TO such that names,
forms, organizations, and modes OF policy
which have served . Useful purpose in the
past, may in the manifold changes Of con
dition mankind are subject to, outlive their
usefulness aud become eHete aud worth
less; that the progress Of public opinion,
like she growth Of nations or the diversities
Of political action, 10 almost exclusively de-
termined and moulded into such forms and
expression as existing conditions require
The leading ideas and measures Of q ms-
jority for the time being are not necessarily
right, nor those Of the minority necessarily
wrong, and both may ultimately 6nd their
relative positions reversed. Could We
divest our minds OF all unreasonable
prejudice aud be willing to follow the light
OF truth however and by whOusOever shown
to Us, undoubtedly much sooner aud Of.eper
than commonly occurs we should be will
ing and an xious 10 be shown what il 10
which has induced others 70 propose "new
departure, or urge alliances which at frat
tbooght seem unwise aud repulsive. Al
the very least, when men, Of probity and
sagaeity forevArn danger and destruction On.
less We defect from our present direction and
assume another, there is substantial reason
for ihirkipg their advice comes from per-
ceptiOn Of something we have not ourselves
clearly perceived, or having undue conf
=. IL 10
Applying these observations in . general
and not iuVidOus sense TO the present con
dlion Of the democratic party, let Us fair!
and honestly consider its existing status and
future prospects.
large and influential number, if not O
msiority, of democratic voters still firmly
believe in the potency and efficiency Of the
democratic party simply as such. They re.
call with pride the glorieS Of the past, and
the party achievements in the pAlmy days
Of Jefferson, Jackson and their successors
and are 10th 10 believe that the name and
fame Of such q party has fallen into decad
euce and is about TO become a thing Of the
past. Nothing daunted by ten years Of ad
versisy, aud consciously holding to the name
and organization of the party as in its days
Of supremacy, they still look forward fol
some reaction Of public opinion and revul
sion Of fortune to their opponents which
shall again give the party ascendency, ant
restore the administration Of the genera
government to their hands. Can IL be posi-
Bile, they say, that party which only thre
years ago, aud under adverse circumstance
cast 643,6l2 votes to their opponent
2,97s, 55l, is so bopelessly devoid OF vitslit
q, 70 be on the verge Of 6nAl dissolution
Where is the evidence that the party is no
o. strong now a. il Was 1868, when it wage
the con,os, against cbieftain whose mil
tary lsurels we're then fresh and blooming
and whose friends claimed his election
the Chief Msgi.trscy as but the just ,ribu'
Of q nations gratitude. Admitting oil 'hu
let US inquire whether or not there has sine
been or 10 likely TO be any such increase
dsmooratic votes as will materially Jesse
the numerical strength by which they We
then defeated. II there is, As all demoera
have srdsntly hoped, and many
them really believed, the lat. fall eleetio
fail 10 show 1t. Undoubtedly there is
this time, and there was then and previousl
considerable di,aHsction in the republic'
ranks, and II 10 not improbable If sol
vote could be given against the present
- kn COFll
supporters. that Gen. Grant could not be
elected. This problem Of footing up m
jority 10 uuqusstionAbIy one OF vital int
est to the democracy, but to
cure q majority 1t is equally Il
portant to determine whether or =
under its present name aud organization
10 possible to gain the desirable sccreii
Of voters, and whether after all II can OF
be surely and successfully accomplished
the abandonment Of name and organic
tion which, Justly or not, by reason OF
oumstaaces past recall, We know is unpal
able and offensive to the element sought
DO Influenced and brought over. In sho
the essential query Of all others when loo
iug around for sources Of increase, mario
down to the simple question whether Ct
ssrvasivs and disadsctsd republicans, n
vithstanding their differences with the "a
ieAls, would not still prefer memberst
with the rspublicaD party, juss as IL ia, to
operating With democrats under the TO sh'
distastoful same Of democracy. 1t is u
less TO complacen,ly ask "wbat's in
nsms,"-Prids and obssnacy on the part o
ROundhead are as much pride and OBJ,
macy as the same obnoxious qualities
In the person of . Cavalier. The rose
itself has no Significance beyond it's vepe
growth and beauty, bot symbolized in