Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-11-06
ExPIaNATIONS IN ORDER.

We feel sorry for the Independents"
those light auxiliaries of the Radical
party, whose self-assrmed mission it is
to make a quietus of the Democracy.
They haven't got through explaining
the October elections yet, and here
come the November elections, clamor-
ing for a bran new set of explanations.
With the Democracy holding the EN-
pre- State of the Union, New York, as
well as the Empire State of the West,
Ohio, it will be uphill business to keep
the people thinking that the Democracy
is dead. 1t also spoils that loyal ar
gument which the Radicals dropped
some years ago, only to be picked up by
pretended friends of the South. If
loyal Ohio, than whom no State was
more loyal, and if loyal New York, that
sent half million soldiers to fight for
the Union-if such loyal States prefer
Democracy to Grantism, we are sure
Tennessee need have no fears Of being
misunderstood by those particular
States at least, if she does precisely the
same thing. And then again, that ia
bel'' business! If the Democratic ''la-
bel' proves so useful up there, where
is the occasion for Southerners abusing
it? For pity sake let us not be so
inconsistent as to deny to Northern
folks the small privilege of choosing
their own name. Isn't it about time that
all Southern journals should quit heap
ing far-fetched abuse on that "label, -
and furnishing ready-made editorials
about secession, fire-eaters, etc, for the
use of lazy Radical editors in the
North?
1t is very easy to say that the Re-
publican party is not spending as much
corruption funds this year as it did in
the Presidential election. And because
it is easy to say, we might expect the
Independents to say it, if they were
not afraid of offending Radicals with
any such insinuations. These "Indf-
ferentials," you know, want to hold the
balance of power" They feel free to
abuse Democrats ad Hbitum, because
they know We are always ready to CO.
operate for the public good, at what
ever expense to our personal feelings.
But these ''balance-of-power" acrobats
dare not offend the Radicals, for fear
they might lose their balance and go
overheard as non-entities.
in view of the tactics of ''honest"
Tom Murphy and the New York Gus
tomhousc, it is difficult to concede the
absence from these elections of the
usual Republican corruption; and this
concession becomes the more difficult
when we remember that Federal Sen
atorships are involved in Ohio, New
York, Wisconsin, Minnesota and other
States But granting for a moment
that the absence of last years bride
moneys explains the different results
this year, then we have Il confession
that the Democratic party has the
honest majority in those States, and
that Republican rule is perpetuated on
ly by its diversion of the peoples mon
ey to corrupt the people themselves.
The truth is, the people are beginning
to perceive this-with what result the
recent elections tell best. The Credit
Mobilicr monstrositics, 50 stoutly de-
MED during the Presidential canvass
that many thought them the partisan
inventions of the Democracy, were af-
forwards proven to the peoples salts
faction in open Congress. One corrup-
ton after another was Unearthed, until
Congress, to save further dispute about
its real character, joined in a promis-
cuoUs salary grab which has received
the universal condemnation Of the
American people. These things have
counted in the late elections. They
have counted but one way-to the i'm
paiIment Of the Republican party and
the reinstatement of its only antago-
nist-the antagonist who has been ex-
posing its rascalities for years, and
whom people blinded by war-passions
would not believe. But these passions
are subsiding; the people begin to see
things as they are; and as their eyes
open, we may expect them to return to
that party which through all these
years Of usurpation and bribery, has
preserved intact the true principles of
simple, honest, pure and cheap govern
ment