Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1873-11-28
Congress and the Republican Party.

We have seen many good reasons
stated for the decrease in the vote of the
Republican party ills fall, but nothing
that more fully txprsscd our views in
regard to it than the following from HAR.
PER's WEEKLY
The events If the autumn show that
there will be no new party. We, indeed,
have never supposed that there would b.
fIr parties grow, they are not made
and as long as there are no ne y issues be-
fore the country, there is no fresh nucleus
for party The Democratic success is
purely gative. 1t is protest, and
nothing more and this fact Is universal
ly recognized, except by the Democratic
organs, which think, or affect to think,
that something which they call Demo
cratic principles has "swept the country"
Let us clear our minds of cant. There
are no such principles. When the u, m
ocrais last controlled Congress and the
Administration they supported slavery
and the policy that it demanded. UroI
that the party WAS a unit, and upon moth
ing else. Bat its policy and It's measures
have been stigmatiZ ID as inhuman and
Off tally a. atqIiesced, and declared at its
last Convention that as party it had no
free trade principles. It's State Convcn-
tions this year have denounced extrava-
gance and corrup ion, and have declared
certain political doctrines which the par
ty practice has utterly cOntemned, and
have expressed val ious opinions upon the
financial stu ton. In Ohio the platform
limited taxation Of bonds, and Mr.. Thur.
man opposed resumption. In New York
nothing was said OF bonds, and immedi-
ate res umption was demanded. No new
issue has been presented TO the country.
The elections are wholly negative so far
| as th- Dlmocratic party is concerned.
But they are very positive for the Re-
publicans. Whether the Democrats have
| principles or not, they have votes, and if
Rrpubiicans stay at home, those votes
viii carry the election. 1t II, however,
doubtful whether that apprehension alone
would draw out the Republican strength,
even in a general election. The national
ascendancy of the Democratic party
would be serious misfortune, not only
| because 1t is in 10 sense more honest and
economical than the Rep blican, but be-
cause it contains all the political heresies
and perils which have survived the wJr,
and the real brce If which, when warm
ed into activity by opportunity, is n cal
culable. The charlc er and personnel and
tendency Of the party are unchanged.
But the passive consciousness of this fact
becomes yearly less persuasive with Re.
puolicans ia the presence of active disc n
tent with Republican errors. That dis
content Is not an issue upon which new
party can be formed, and the only meth.
cd of arousiug Republican enthusiasm
and energy Is to show that reform, econ
omy, and progress are the sincere pur.
pose and policy of administration.
In doing this the responsibility Of Con.
gress is immense. There are many ga
gacious politicians who feel that the mes
sage of the President and the action o.
Congress will either restore or destroy
the party. Should the President r. Im
mend the most absolute and searching
economy, inf xibly oppose imitation a
the drst and fatal step toward the French
assi2na.s and the Continental currency
and exhort Congress to reduce the appro
priations and refuse subsidies OF everI
kind, and should Congress, In the SAM
spirit, shut up the by-ways Of swlndlinl
the omnibus bill s am the deficiency
bills and the land-grdnt bills and with
stand the pressure for the imitation of th,
currency, and both the executive and leg
islative branches combine to remove tn
abuses of the civil service, not here ant
there, but general Y aud upon a detinet
= principle, and If such acts are but sign
of mature policy, the country, whicI
does Mt t trust he Democratic party, will
bec me as positively r publican "a it ha
) ever been. Ii is indeed, a calamity fo
the party tha' certain OF its conspicuou
members in Congress have neither tn
respect nor the conf ience Of the bes
, Republicans. The conscience and sell
resp CT OF the party, for instance, rejec
leaders of the Butler scho,l as peremp
tOrily and cOntemp' 'uOusly as Massachu
, setts Republicans rejected the G, nera
himself. And If that school shall plainl,
, appear to be the leaders OF Congress, tn
feeling OF the party will be still more pro
found, and its doom imminent.
To the sneer whether we think that re
ducing the party is the road to success
We reply that it is such leaders and tn
policy and measur S with which they ar
identified that reduce the party, and 1t |
e. them and their adership h It the po
: li,lcal situation il largely due. Wiscon
sin is r. publicin State, and Srnato
Carpenter OF that ! ate is conspicuous il
the Senate. Now q party is estimateC
in crest degree by its prominent chiefs
aud w s"onsin natural Y contemplate
. Senator Carpenter. The Prrsi lent pro
poses scheme for reform of the ciyi
SCI NlCt' uDuseeF 41E. CdI lcllJtI CONtTS l
with ridicule, ard the Senate elects bin
its temporary Pre- ident, The salary
grab bin comes up. MIR. Carpenter lust
lily advocates it. He goes home, and find
ing the country aroused, vehemently de
fends it. There are extraYagance ant
corruption on every hand. There are
gre So political recklessness and immoral
ity, and Senator Carpenter Is not trou9
led, and laughs literally. General Butlel
does the same ia sachusetts, and, aus
tanned by leading officers of the civil ser.
vice, offers himtelf as candidate for tn,
! GOvernorship. 1t Is an off year. we allow
and there are oranges in Wisconsin anC
an excited prohibition feeling il
Massachusetts,, but Wisconsin elects the
Democratic candidates, and Massachu
sctts gives sixty thousand less Rtpubli
Can majority than lat year.
These are illustrations. Who, then
have wounded the REPUBLICAN party
Those who defend exrravagance and dis
honesty, or tht sc who demand honor and
economy? Forbearance and acquiescence
are excellent virtues. But what SANE
passenger fJrbears and acquiesces when
he sees officers scutillng the ship? Poll