The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1874-11-09
THls; SITUATION.

'NlHiit ltlblu
TsaE SITUATION.
Our democratic fellow citizens and many
others who are not of that persuasion as
sembled at the town hall on Friday eycn-
ing last to celebrate the national defeat of
the republican party, which the demo
cratic party seems to assume is a victory
for itself.
We have no &c ire T. conceal the cx-
tent of the republica defeats, and wc
hope we do not under, .iimate the lesson ii
conveys. We q" opt the fact that the
nGlDnal house If representatives The
popular branch Of the congress of the
United Stslcs--has irrevocably passed INTO
the hands Of the democrats for the two
years succeeding IT," 4th of March, 1875.
While this is true {, { the house. the politi-
cal character of the senate will remain I'M
changed, except So far as as it may he
modified 10y the introduction Of new demo-
cratic members. The executive depart
ment will of couise remain as now until a
new presidential election. 1t is of this
new aspect of political affairs--of the
future of parties-of politics in its high
est sense, of which we wish to say few
wordsto our readers.
A great deal has been said in the past year
of the virtue of that party, which could
reform the abuses in its own household--of
the example of appointing committees to
look after and dig up the political corrup-
ton charged against men and officials be-
longing to the political party in the ascend
ancy, and this exhibition of a high and
virtuous purpose can but receive the com.
incubation of the press, of all shades of
political opinion. 1t was virtuou', po-
litical heroism, an admirable example to
the nation, when James G. Blaine, speaker
OF the national House of Representatives.
inviting pronounced democrat temper
arily to his chair, came down to the floor
of Congress, and in his own right, and in
the name of the republican party demand
ed the appointment of committee that
should by the most searching investigations
pronounce upon his connection with the
frauds of the Credit Mobilcr. We need
not refer to the appointment of like com
mittees for kindred purposes. In many di-
rections these investigations have been
thorough and have commanded the confid-
ence of the people. In others, there
is no need of Disgusting the fact,
that they have left on the minds of the
candid reader of current events convic-
ton of something dangerous and alarming
that remained untold. The moral power
and political force of even fair investiga.
ton has sometimes been broken by the
persistence of an executive who in adherine
to personal friends, has not only she cket
the sensiblites of the party. but outraged
the moral sense of the people, We neet
only to refer to the presidential nomina
ton of Boss Shepherd and Sanborn as cx
amples of blind and fatal persistency. 81
it has come to be considered by many thai
whatever of Avirtuous reform was inheren
in the the republican party as such, there
plans" like those of "mice and men,
would "gang aft a glee.
We repeat, then, that while the cont
dence of the people was mistaken In ii
representative men in Wilson, Dawes ant
the Iloars, in Hamlin and Blaine and H. "
ley, in Garfield, Morrill, and Edmunds, an,
scores of others VIC might mention thi
confidence was not of that absolute charac
ter that reached out and pervaicd all tn
administrative departments of the govern
ment. Hence the proclamation and prom
ise of reform oithin the party failed t
command the faith of men. They dc
manded that the republican party, organ
lied and founded in public virtue and o
the immutable truths of God, should live
life in harmony with its original purpose
and founded on these truths.
This is the essence and essential elemer
Of the late political protest. 1t means,-
that the people acU have more of politics
honesty-less of the frauds and corruption
that have = stalked abroad at MONDAY
and well nigh made public plumber repu
table accomplishment There are reall
few national questions on which existin
parties are divided. No attempt 10 estal
lish uniform platform, upon which den
ocrats from Maine to Texas, and from ii
Atlantic to the Pacific, could stand, h;
been successful New York and Obi
both successfully democratic fought Il
political battle on widely dssimilar pla
forms, and SO we find in recurring to sta
annuncations of a platform of principle
that on many points which would be co
sidered vital in a national contest, there a
great and apparently irreconcable dis
greements. But there is great uniformi
in the general demand for an administr
ton in all the ramiilcations of government
that shall be pure, upright and economical
We have stated our convictions of Il
cause, effect and situation, as we look at
from our republican standpoint AT anoth
time we shall refer to the future of polit
and parties and the responsibility of tho
whb, for the first time in more than
decade have Unexpectedly to themselv
and the people, been called by .
overwhelming popular verdict to the fl
responsibility of one branch of the la