Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1872-11-15
The Press and The Election.
From the New York Tribune.l
THE IMMEDIATE RESULT.

every Northern st ate, with those of South
Carolina, and possibly of two or three other
States below the line. There is scarcely a
parallel to the completeness of the rout
and the triIImph. Democrats have We'd
with Libetal Republicans iu contributing
to it, some of them by voting directly for
Grant electors many more by neglecting
to vote at all. For the present the Liberal
movement seems crushed.
Let no man accuse the able and shrewd
politicians who, as the Republican National
Committee, directed the canvass for Gen.
Grants reelection, with squandering the
unprecedented sums raised and disbursed
by them in this cOntest-with having
played a whole park of artillery to kill a
fly. The Liberal movement was at one
time formidable, and had a prospect of
success. Had not millions been expended
to arrest lis progress in the State elections
of the last three months, it might even
have swept the country, though all the
money raised ill it's behalf would a. best
have been pence to balance pounds. But a
peril anticipated is often a peril averted
Thousands Of the voters of North
Carolina, Vermont and Maine, were
convinced ty money that they might better
vote the Administration than tie Liberal
ticket, and that, if they could not so vote,
it was their interest to stay at home on
election day and not vote at all. Thus the
Liberal Republican strength in those States
was nearly neutralized by Democrats who
wouldn't eat crow" when they could get
s. to $40 each for not eating it. Thus
was secured to the Grant State ticket a
small majority in North Carolina, and
nearly the Republican majorities of 1868
in Vermont and Maine; and thus was en-
cOuragelncnt given to the enormous outlay
by which Pennsylvania was made TO roll
I ,fra aI,ft of har
licau majority. There was nothing pnr-
chasable i'll the Keystone state that was
not bought, whether of voters, electioneer-
erS, or inspectors and Canvassers; and but
one party had the whereHithal to buy
The small yet ample majOrities in Ohio
and Nebraska, with the balanced result in
Indina, assured all who stood aloof watch
ing the struggle as cool spectators that Fen.
Grants reelection was highly probable;
and at once a stampede to the winning
side began which grew day 10y day more
formidable. five, who were in the thick
of the fight, could not see this, it was obvi-
GUS to those who profited by it, and their
hopes were swiftly swelled into certanties.
Thousands who had been perspring With
zeal for the Liberal cause silently dropped
into the swelling torrent. The gallant few
who stood out might as we'll have tried to
stem the torrent of Niagara.
Well, we did our best to stem it, believ-
ing firmly /. That no President should lie
reelected while welding the enormous pa
tronage Of our highest station-holding
that each should he shielded from all temp
tatiCns TO use those powers for personal
ends. 9. That this country was in great
need of a genuine Civil Service Reform
which should restore to her Oflice-holders
that freedom to Think decide and act on
political issues which is their birthright, but
which they cannot enjoy under the present
system, and which should enable them to
give their days to the public duties for
which they are paid, rather than TO patrCll-
ing and electioneeTing in the partisan i'll
terest of their patron and chief. 3. That
the war-wasted, taX-plundered, debt-cov
ered, half bankrupt South should be cheered
with well-grounded hope of honester rule
and brighter days, wherein the carpet
Dagger tshall cease to plumber, as the KUe
KluX klan have long since ceased 10 alarm
and outrage.
1t did seem to us that the time had fully
come for a national reconciliation, whereby
the destinies OF the South should be con-
fded to the better portion of her people of
both races, and the master spirits Of such
travesties of Republican rule as South Car
olina and Arkansas be made to quail under
the frown Of Federal authority, and either
power. And it seemed to us that such
enormous defalcations as Paymaster
Hodges $4,000 ought at least to be eX-
planned before power is returned to the
hands which welded it while such great
frauds went on for years undetected. But
the people have decided otherwise, and we
bow to their decision.
The wealth Of the country, and especially
the incorporated wealth, rallied to the
4 4 q
millions in his behalf. 1t did not generally
deny that his civil career had been faulty !;
it merely insisted that that of his cOmpeti-
tor bad been and would be more so. Theu
our manufacturers, bankers, etc, were
nearly all making money, and they depre-
| Gated any change whatever, and especially
| a change which they feared might prove
radical and fundamental. Mr.. Boutwell,
in the Treasury had satisfied them that he
was trying to keep the discount on green
! backs ranging between 10 and Il per cent,
| so that the devices and StrugglerS Of the
gold and stock gamblers shoull create nC
| stpressure" or "panic." Whether the
means employed were legal or otherwise
was to them quite subordinate considera-
tion-the issue Of millions of new green
backs, or snap sales of millions of gold
troubled them noU-sO long as the end were
attained of making or keeping money easy
and the disparity between gold and lega
tender as neatly uniform as might be.
Genel a. Grant has new four years
lease of power, with Congress of Which
tSo-thirds to three-fourths of either House
" i'll support him zealously. lie has every
facility for effecting the reforms he is saic
| to mediate, especially that OF the ClVi
Service, while the abolition Of the muct
abused franking privilege is so squarely
= promised that its success would seem to bt
assUueI. For whatever reform he may
give us, he shall have the Tribune's cor
dial recognition aid praise; where h'
falls short, he shall have, in the future a
; in the past, frank and fearless criticism
And, while there are dangerous tenden
, cies developed by this CANVASS, which fore
shadow government by tbe rich and abl
,, few, subs:dizing ard controlling such POI
! tion as they may require of the ignorant
penniless, yenai many, let us never despal
of the American Republic! e.
From the New York World, em.)
a The country, in this election, has DC
condemned our principles, but only th
q corruption with which the party was tafut
. ed in the locality where it was stronges
2 and which it failed to remove till too late
, re, iOd, and then only by Republican cC
,I Grafton. The Tamany faint will reced
;. r.tO the past but the principles of til
,mhcrat party, which we're rapid
a 5Io"Ing in public favor until that gre;
d bli, int fell upon our prospects, will OutliI
!. tnis contest and 60 on "from con4uerir
s to conquer" in every future election.
j. "Fruth, crushed to earth, shall rise agai
A. The eternal years OF God are hers;
= But error, wounded, writhes III pain,
L And dies amid her worshippeTs."
+ From the New York Herald, (Ind.)