The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1874-12-17
BEN WADE.
What He Says Of the Republican
Defeats.
washington Correspondence of the New
York Tribunc.l

J
freely with his friends in relation to the
defeat ofthe party with which he has SO
long been identified, and says he &C
counts for the Republican defeat upon
the theory that the people are always
liable to become in the end dissatisfied
with political parties in this country,
however faithful those parties might be
in the discharge of their obligations.
1t IS always the case in free govern
ment, he says, that parties long in
power create distrust, and the peo-
pie grow anxious to displace the old
rulers and try the men Of the opposi-
ton in their place. The Republican
party just at this time had to contend
with this prediction of the people.
But, besides this, il will not do to dis
guise the fact, says Mr.. Wade, that
corruption had crept into high official
positions, and that the dominant party
was condemned on this account before
the tribunal of the people. If there
was no great principle to divide parties.
the spoils of Office would be sufficient.
motive for the fight of the "outs -
against the ''ins.' Mr.. Wade says
that he is firm believer in the prir-
ciples and policy of the Republican
party as heretofore developed, and
believes that those principles and pol
icies are the best for the nation, if
thoroughly carried out.
He thinks the party has made some
very serious blunders, one of which is
the attempt to pass the civil rights bill.
While he does not doubt that the bill
might be right in principle, yet it was
inexpedient at this time, because it
awakened all the prejudices against our
colored fellow-citizens, and would, if
passed, become imperative, or if car
ried out, would. in its application and
partial results, do more mischief at the
present time than good. 1t was this,
to some extent, that excited the South.
ern and Western people, and induced
them to vote against the Republican
party. They feared mixed schools,
and it was this phase of the
question that excited all their
prejudice. Mr.. Wade was
in favor of equal school facilities, but
no. Of mixed schools. He thought the
attempt to force the question of mixed
schools at this time would be disastrous
to our entire school system. He said
that while the civil rights bill was pen
ding IN the Senate, he went to Senators
himself and urged them to vote against
| it, and this he did on the ground of ex-
pediency, because he believed that true
craftsmanship kept abreast of public
opinion, and not in advance, and this
was all the statesman could do, to
watch the current of events and make
! the most for human progress that the
condition Of affairs would at the time
admit. Statesmen can rarely contend
successfully for unconditional right. a
thing may be right in the abstract. and
yet not expedient, because public senti
ment will not tolerate or accept the
full application of the principle. Mr.
Wade said that in free country there
would always be two parties; that there
would be certain class of men who
would believe in and maintain with 8
logged obstlnacy certain class princi
rles and policies of administration
Then there would be another elias:
equally determined and equally pertina
cious 20 maintain principles and poll
cies entirely antagonistic to those of thu
first class, and yet it could never be ex
pected that any considerable inroao
could be made into the firm purpose 0
each class to maintain its ground, with
out flinching and without submission t.
any arguments which the several op
poneHts on either side might offer
These persons could be counted upol
always to stand by the par
ties to which they were several
ly allied, but there was
large class Of persons who were non
partizans, but were ready to 60 Will
the party which offered the prestige o
success for the time being. He though
it was this large floating class Of non
partizans who had determined the re
suits Of the October and Novembe
elections.
Mr.. Wade, in abiding to the mex
Presidential canvass, said he was op
posed to third term for any man. an
that the success of the Republican par
ty in 1876 would depend largely upol
the conduct Of the present Congress ant
the action of the party in the interva
OF time between this and the Prcsidcn
tial consent. and something not uninl
portant in itself to be considered woul
be the character of the Presidential a:
!. pirant.