Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1873-12-04
'i his Vol. %, NO. u.
The Lesson of the Year in Politics
From the Chicago Evening Journal. !

lS1"W tne Chleago Evening Journal,
The last election of 1878 is over
II must be admitted that the Republi
can party has suffered severe loss, as
compared with last year, and that the
usual explanation -"off year in poll,
1cs"-ls not sufficient explanation.
Inc cause of this decline must be
sought deeper. 1t lies in facts more
fundamental than any party organize.
ton. The Republicans have felt the
shock because it was of nature TO
shake the dominant party, whatever
that might be.
The people are thoroughly dissatis
ned with the class of men who have
had control of politics This is quite
as true IN Democratic localities as in
Republican strongholds, and of the
Two, applies with greater force in the
later. Nearly everywhere the old
wheel-horses, as they are usually
called, have for years persisted in run
ming the machine. They have now
and then taken to their fellowship new
men as a stroke of policy, but the reins
OF power have been tenaciously held
by the old set, fan old official were
dropped, aprotege of his was put in
his place. This "close corporation"
system had at length become intoler.
able. Not that the people sympathise
with the office seekers and want to
'smash things" in order to "give the
boys chance" but they demand new
blood in the political veins.
The especial dissatisfaction of the
public dates from the action of the
last Congress. That body exposed
the sins of preceding Congresses by
laying bare the Credit Mobiiier scan.
dial. That iniquity was a thing of the
past, and had Congress stopped with
ITS exposure, the people would have
liked the old set better than ever
The honest Democrats would have
said, "Our party is all right, for it ex-
poses and condemns its James Brooks.
es." The Republicans would have
said, "Our party is all right, for it ex
poses and censures its Cakes Ameses."
That was the public feeling at the
close of the Credit Mobiier trial in
Congress. But tremendous reaction
was caused when the salary grab bill |
was passed. People then said, "The
politicians of both parties arc a set Of
thieves. Down with them
There is no Disgusting the fact that
the lntamy OF that one measure turned
the scale against the "regulars" of
politics, without distinction of party.
The popular mind was alive to the inn
portance ofhonesty in official affairs,
and consequently a measure which
might have been overlooked in ordi
nary times was keenly Appreciated
1t turned a golden opportunity TO con.
ciliate public favor into an irretrieva-
able forfeiture Of public favor. The
congressm n guilty of that outrage
have brought ruin upon themselves
and the class to which they belong.
The Republican party cannot afford
TO ignore the lesson Of 1873. New
blood is bound to flow 10 the veins OF
the body polite. If our party does
its duty next winter at Washington,
and at the several State capitals, and
then in the nominations of 1874 throws
overheard its putrid dead weights, it |
will achieve glorious victory. Re,
publicanism, under whatever name, is
bound to triumph, and the barnacIes
of politics in both parties will be
scaled off. Not even a regular nom.
ination would be able to save them
The Republican party must heed this |
lesson of the year. fit does, its or
ganization as well as.its principles will |
triumph in 1874. 1t is in the power
of the party to turn the losses Of 1873
into Bull Run or a Waterloo.
Judging from the past, we are conf.
dent that the party will profit by its
"offyear" scourging, and that in the
end the party and the country will be
greatly benefited by what now seems
disastrous.