The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1873-11-15
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.

WASHINGTON, ID. c., Nov. Z, 1873.
EDITOR CHIEF:
The battle has been fought
While the result is far from being a
victory for the Democracy it is still
farther from being victory for the
Republican party. It is, in fact, a
drawn battle, in which neither of the
contestants can claim o victory
While the Democrats have scarcely
held their own the Republicans have
certainly met with severe losses.
This result was not altogether I'M
expected. The readers of the CHIEF
have no doubt noticed that / made
very few predictions during the cam
paign just ended; that I furnished
bat little political news; in short,
that I had but little to say on politi-
cal matters. I had my reasons for
this. perceived quite early in the
campaign that there was extreme
luke-warmness in the Republican
ranks. could not feel hopeful of
the results; the information received
here has been meagre and unsatisfac-
tory. l therefore felt that it were
best to say but little. Had l pre-
dicted general defeat my readers
would have concluded that my SYM
paties were on the other side. ] kept
silence because loved the party with
which | had acted ever since reaching
my majority fifteen years ago.
| However, there is no good reason
why truly patriotic citizen should
give himself up to dependency be-
cause of the result of the election this
fall. 1t is not an unmixed evil that
has come upon us. The country will
not go to the dogs. The fact is the
Republican party needed a few whole
some lessons. The so-called leaders
of the Republican party have some of
them forgotten their relations to their
constituency. Some have regarded
themselves as masters rather than
servants of the people. They have
believed themselves leaders of public
opinion when they are naught but
mere followers. They must now learn
that they are only strong while they
truly represent the wishes and the
opinions of the public whom they
serve. The people do not believe in
Credit Mobilier transactions or back
pay laws. Congress failed to repre-
sent them in this respect and large
numbers of the people have staid away
from the polls.
There is scarcely ripple of feeling
in Washington on account of the cleo
tions. President Grant no doubt feels
that it is much more important that
means be devised for the prevention
of the suffering that must ensue un-
less a change for the better can be eff
fected in the financial world than that
mere political intrigues should be
looked after. Success in finance must
hencefoTth be the watcbword of the
present administration. It can not
afford to fail in this field. It is ten
fold more important that it should
succeed in restoring finances to a.
healthy condition than that it should
carry the elections in the States. The
energies of the administration must
be expended in this field. If success
full the people will next year give it
their overwhelming support. If un-
successful little can be hoped for.
The friends of the civil service
reform have reason to congratulate
themselves upon the results of the
experiment. Circumstances which
have transpired within few DAYS
past speak more for the system than
all the theories that can be advanced.
Last spring an examination was
held for admission to the Treasury
Department. Upwards of fifty per-
sons were selected to whom temporary
appointments were issued. Having
served out their six months probation
(after the style of our Methodist
friends) the case of these temporary