New-York tribune., 1874-11-04
SOME CAUSES OF TIE DEFEATS.

The Republican organs and managers need
not 90 far to seek for the causes of their dis
comfiture Adversty is an unmixed evil. un-
less it brings with it some gain in knowledge
and discipline, and if the people who have
led the Republican party to its disastrous de-
feats do not see the process of their troubles,
they may as well give up all hope of ever
curing them. The very depth of folly was
touched by the Presidents especial mouth
piece the other day when it broke out into
agitated denunciatiOn of few Republicans
like Mr.. Foster, who have opposed and inves-
tigated iniquity within the party ranks. Ac-
cOrding to these unrepentant sufferers it is
not the shining but the disclosure that has
damaged the party; they forget that if there
had been no sin there would have been no
danger in inquiry. But the inquiry was in
evitable. Mr.. Foster could not have prevented
it if he had tried ever so hard. The mer-
chants of New-YOrk were forced to protest
against Jayne. They were getting faint with
his phlebOtOmy. 1t was no politician that
compelled the investigation of SanbOrn. The
press discovered the scandal, and its own
magnitude secured public attention. Every
man except those who shared in the plunder
saw the monstroslty of that shameless rob-
berry. The Administration physicians will
make fatal mistake if they assign these in
vestigations as cause of the party's disease.
They were only symptoms
It cannot be denied, however, that these in
quiries had great effect upon the elections
this Autumn. Some of the Administration
candidates were defeated through their direct
participation in fraud. Others suffered for
their share in the indelicacy of the Salary
theft. But still greater number have been
defeated simply because of o general impress
sion that the party in power is more or less
tainted by the cOrruptions which have been
partly brought to light and that vote against
the whole ticket would be good sort of pro-
test against the recent management of it. In
many cases this has been rash and illogical
conclusion. Sometimes the defeated Repub-
lican was q better man than his successful
opponent. But these incidents are inevitable
in all political revolutions. The party in power
is held responsible for all that goes wrong.
In q certain sense there is justice in this
In the case, for instance, of Shepherds out
rageOus and fragrant administration in Wash
ington. it is useless to say that decent Re-
publican is nowise responsible for it. The
President knew what manner of man he was.
Yet when Congress had turned him out of
Office in obedience to the persistent demand of
the independent press, reiterated necessarily
for years, the President cOntumaciously reap
pointed him, and 30 shocked the moral sense
of men of all parties. 1t is not possible to
prevent the public from holding one party
responsible for such an act of its official chief
Why should not all the dlscredit of Butler fall
upon his political associates, SO long as they
submit to his leadi Why should not the party
be held to Its Endorsement of him and Sim
mons against the unanimous protest of the
decency of New-EnglaDdi Nobody forced the
Republican Senate to side with them.
But there was this year more immediate
| and positive cause of iistruxt and discnnfAnt