The Cairo daily bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1870-1872, 1872-11-09
THE LIBERAL ROCT.

THE LIBERAL ROUT.
The defeat of the Liberals is com.
plete. They have been routed in every
part of the field The whole army is now
flying before the victorious legions of the
Radicals, led by the victorious general of
Of the late war who seems to be in politics
the same calm, self.possessed and lucky, if
not skil,fhi, man he wss amid the con-
fusion sad. turmoil Of shs battles of tho
rsbeiliop. Itisa possibility that the dis
organised forces Of the opposition may
again rally, but 1t is probability that
thoy WI, asa the political Appomattox
and surrender at discretion.
However ,hat may DO, the fact remains
thss the late coalition of Democrats and
Rspub,,cans was distinguished failure;
"A thss the men who brought about that
cosljdoa have ruined themselves polit.
ically, IL so pslpable that the suggestion
Of the fact will be received with general
assent.
Let us, in this connection, briefly poiEt
to certain mistakes made by the honorable,
very wise but too ambitious men Of the
Republican party who lately revolted
against the administration of President
Grant and assumed the role of leaders of
the Liberal Republicans.
Trumbull, Schurz, Upton, Sumner, AN d
the others, declared at first that they could
not endure the administration Of Grant,
asserting at the same time that he would
not listen to their advice and follow where
they desired to lead that, therefore, they
could no longer support him and would
be compelled to leave their party. Instead,
however, of leaving the party boldly they
fingered just inside of its threshnold whin.
ing like hayward children because their
will had been crossed. When advised to
join the Democratic party which had
bravely opposed the presidential policy
and was then applauding the revolt of the
Liberals, Messrs. Sumner X Co. said
"No; we will not 10 SO. The Democratic
party is q reasonable organization, COM
posed Of men disloyal to the genius of
the Republic They absolutely refused
to be contaminated by the Democratic
record But still they were not happy.
They could not be contented in the
Republican party; they had lost the
power TO command and had not the moral
courage to throw away office, go out into
. new party, promulgate their platform
and appeal to the people.
II they had done this, little band of
Republicans and a smaller band of the
Democrats who had become disguised
with the Bourbonlsm Of their party would
have gathered about them. They would
have been defeated this year, of course /;
but the whole country would have admired
the patriotic Liberals who, for the good Of
the republic, had placed themselves in u
hopeless minority. The Democratic party
would also have been defeated; it would
have been disbanded; and its members
would have aocked to the Liberal stand.
ard. The Liberal party thus reinforced
having all the strength Of the Democratic
party without the odor of its war and late
record, would have been . powerful army
of opposition, and in 1876 would have
been able to sweep Radicslism out o,
Washington.
But the Liberal leaders could not Civ
up the hope of continuing to hold office
and therefore, before they deserted tn
Republicans they sought the Democrat
and said to them you cannot elect any
body without aid from US. We csnno
'stultify ourselves by joining such part
as yours. But we can concede to you III
platform, and will, you will give us you
votes The Democrats, demoralized b.
the Tweed exposures and repeated de
feats said "Well, give US the platform
and name the candidates. This the Lib
erals made haste to do, and soon were de
handing the nominees for all tn
Offices from president down to constable
The coalition was, in short, an otfice-seek
ers coslition-s coalition formed TO kee
In Office men like Mr.. Fenton. Tn
people could not be deceived. They ss,
through the rather shabby trick
Why did we and other Democra,
support this coalition is the ques,io
these remarks suggest 1t is difficult ,oa
ways act ~ We wish to act, and the III,
a.