The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1873-09-18

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or more prosperous than il does to-
/ day. Il controls the Federal Govern
ment in all its departments and ma
jority of the State governrR ents. But
this IS very deceptive standard ot
political health, as the Democratic
party has had good reason to know.
In 1850, the Demycr2tic party pcs
sessed every official advantage which
is now held by the Republicans, and
yet it was broken and shattered in the
elections Of that year. 1t IS with pO-
hGcsi parties as with the human body.
When man is. really in sound health,
he can endure hardship, exposure,
hunger, cold, and fatigue, and almost
Immediately Recover from their eff
fects. But if man has the mere show
of health without the reality, if he be
not fat but bloated, if the color on his
face be the effect of strong drink, if
he have disordered liver, and ulcer
ated lungs, he may walk the streets
an apparent picture of health to-day,
and tomorrow be given over by his
physicians. The slightest accident-a
fall, a wound, exposure to a-conta-
gious disease lis almost certain to
carry him of. Similar to this is the
present condition of the Republican
party. With a deceptive flush of
health ITS vital powers are SO tow
that it cannot Withstand the ordinary
causes of disease. Signs of infirmity
and fastening dissolution are becon-
ing apparent to all observers.
The latest of these symptoms is the
State election in California which took
place day before yesterday. Last
year Grant carried the State by be-
tween twelve and thirteen thousand
majority. And now, after short in
terval of ten months, the Administra-
ton party has been decisively beaten
after vigorous contest. To be sure,
the issue was different, but the defeat
of the Grant party is none the less
significant on that account. The fact
that successful new issues can SO easily
be made is one. of the strongest proofs
that the old Republican issues have
lost their vitality. In California it
was railroad issue-the Central Pa
cific Ring against the people. The
Federal oficeholders were on the side
of the Ring. Monopoly and Repub-
lie2pisn were pIostrate together.
Going from one side of the Conti-
nent to the other, we find in Massa-
chusetts. anot11erxsignsa' proof,that the
Republican party is on its last legs.
On the same, day with the, California
election, the principal Republican pa.
per in New England warned the party
that it is on the brink of precipice,
and thata,Very light thing will carry it
it over. | Aud this warning, this pre-
diction of dissolution, comes from
the State in which the Republican
party is stronger than in any other.
If it is broken up in Massachusetts in
what State can it expect to retain its
hold upon the people? Here also the
danger does not come from renewal
of the contest with the Democrats on
the Issues of last year. The features
of the canvass are indeed entirely diff
ferent from those in California. A
man whose system is full of the seeds
OF disease is sure to be taken with
some malady, but its nature will de-
pend on accidental circumstances.
In Massachusetts the ambition of a
bold. bad man supported by the Ad-
is tie source kof Feak7I
ness. It is to be hoped that the Adj
ninistration may be defeated in
Massachusetts, as it was in California
but whether Butler gets the nomina-
ton or not, the Administration will
have received staggering blow. II |
Butler succeeds in getting the nom1- |
nation, half of the Republican party |
will wish. hisy defeat in the election.
II he fails to get the nominotion, his
enemies will enjoy an insolent .tr1-
Imph over abe administrator in tr1- |
lmphing over him. In either event a
majority of the, people of Massachu-
,etts, will hereafter. be opposed to
General Grant. non AGRA, s..e..-L
In that great agricultural West
which lies midway between Califor-
ala and Massachusetts, still other
auses are in eperatione which will
prove fatalto the Republican party.
Che people of the West care more for
)ther questions than for those on
which elections. have turned for the
asst twelve years. The Republican
ssues are dead and the people are
urning their attention to questions
hat more nearly concern them. The
party is everywhere split
ing into fragments. The anti-mo-
lopoly movement has taken SO
Itrong hold on public feeling in the
West, that Republicanism is sloughed
IF like the dead skin of a snake
which can never again be worn.
There is no longer any active Repub-,
icanism in the West except among
he few who are, or wish to be, Fed
,ral office-holders.
In the whole South. from the Po-
omac and Ohio rivers to the Gulf Of
Mexico, there, is no Reppblicanism at
IL except among the negroes, carpet
,aggers, and Federal officers. There
s no Southern State of which the Re-
,ubllcans could keep control after the
lext election if Washington infu-
nee were #itKdfT#nsE Il =
The new courage and strong self
eliance which inspire the Democratic
,arty are not, therefore, an unrehect-
ng boldness, but a firm determina-
ion founded on careful observation
# the signs of the times. Unless the
-reat body of the people have be-
ONE corrupt. which ithe Democratic
Iarty does not believe, it is impossi-
lie that the shocking disclosures OF
he last eight months should not make
deep and Rah full impfes sion ph the
,ublic mind, and cause widespread
evolt against the party that is re-
ponsible for SO much corruption.
The people will soon look on the Re
publican party with the same 1oath1ng
corn as they already do on the dis
faced and infamous Eolfsx, who was
Until recently one of its bright and
Inning lightszRQrld, Sept. 9th.
A DESPATCH from Memphis, Tenn,
lated the 14th,, says: t'There was
excitement here to-day
4 consequence of the address pub
ished this morning by the Board of
Health inregard to)the prevalence of
he yellow fever, and a great many
eft the city. Several. new cases are
epOHted jim, the southern part of the
ity this afternoon, The total num-
er of fntermehtsi reported to the
Ioard to-day were fourteen, eleven
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