The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1874-11-17
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Future Of the Democracy.

From The NuftOn.-N T. Ahepl |
The Democrats have achieved q great
victory. This must be admitted; but it
must also be admitted that it is in no way
due to themselves. The Republican party
has been overthrown because it was bad
and corrupt, and not because there stood
ready to take its place another organiza-
lion possessing superior claims to public
confidence. The Democrats will have in |
December, 1875, a majority in the House
of representatives. This, as one of the
speakers at the Manhattan Club remarked,
will give them the control of the appropri-
atoms and give them Unlimited power OF
investigation, but it will not give them the
complete power of legislation The public
will therefore have to judge them rather
by what they attempt than by what they
achieve--that is, by their speeches and
resolutions and reports, rather than by the
acts they pass, for the acts must have the
concurrence of the President and Senate
If the speeches are wild and violent, full
of reactionary threats with regard to the
South and dishonest threats with regard to
the currency and the public creditor if the
resolutions are visionary or alarming. and
the investigations are iactious or malig.
nant or frivolous, or the voting on the APP
preparations shows tendancy to disorder
or extravaganza, the Republican party will
be once more vigorous aud united in 1876,
and all hope OF Democratic restoration is
at an end.
If, on the contrary, the majority in TIE
House shows itself well diciplined and self
restrained if it brings its ablest men &c
the front and allows them to speak for it
il its talk and actions are sober and reas.
surfing and conservative aud sound touch
ing the finances and the South and the
proper limits of Federal authority, it is
hard to see what is to prevent the party
from seating its candidate in the White
House at the next election. For it must
not be forgotten that the Republican
party has for the present lost its chance o.
recovery. There is now no time for re
peutance. Reform within the partl
lines is no longer possible, because it can
not be carried out in one session by dis
credited majority in moribund con
gress. Nearly all the Republican chief
Will stand before the country this winter i
the position OF convicted culprits, whose e.
forts to amend will Gully excite contemI
and amusement, If the party is to be r,
instated in popular confidence any tim
within FIVE or ten years, it must be throug
the instrumentality Of Democratic fell,
and short eomings.
Now, IN Judging the democrats, we a
willing to make all possible allowance f
them, but we trust that men like Mess
Ti!dcu and Thurman aud Bayard see VIII
and how great these allowances have
be,and how heavy is the task before the
For instance, we do no not think it fair
condemn them irretrievably for what pa.
es 10 the Democratic ranks in this city.
the Republican press usually does. L
1.h all at ahs a4z mi
meu ike Morrissey and O'Bnen. aud d
appearance Of men like jimmy Hay
on its tickets, are great scandals: but tn
are inevitable scandals as long as the "
ing population Of New York remains VII
it is. John Kelly had TO take Hayes
order to Preyeut his whole organizau