National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-11-10
ELECTTON LESSONS.

In an article yesterday we took the
ground that the great duty of the Republi-
can party in the immediate future is to put
the workingmen to work; to inaugurate a
policy which will have the effect of re-
Yiving the indus trial interests of the coun-
try, and again putting in motion the idle
mills and factories that now stand cherries
and desolate in every section of the land.
1t is admitted by every thinking person
that the hard times have, more than all
other causes combined, lost US the recent
elections. The people held the party in
power responsible, and, as far as it could
do so, voted it out of power. An Ohio
paper, commenting upon the subject, says:
Every mill and factory standing idle or
working on half time cost the Republi-
"can party votes. In this State the six
"counties most heavily engaged in iron
manufacture, and which do not contain a
Charge city population, the change was
"much greater than in any of the other
81 groups of counties. While the average
"Republican loss on the full vote through
tout the State was sixteen and three
" fourths per cent, the loss in those coun-
"ties was twenty mine per cent. There
"was an average falling off in the full
Democratic vote of the State of five and
"one-third per cent, while in the six iron
manufacturing counties there was posi-
"tive increase in the Democratic vote.
"In the more prosperous of the agricul-
"tural counties the change was slight in
comparison, the Republican falling off
being much less and accompanied by
Democratic falling of, though not to the
"same extent" The same remarks apply
with equal truth and force to every section
of the country.
But what is the party going to do about
it3 There are only three months in which
to answer the question and provide a
remedy for the evils under which the peo-
pie are now suffering. At the end of that
time it will be too late; the opportunity will
have been lost, and the Republican party,
if it ignores or fails to meet the emergency,
might as we'll prepare itself for inevitable
extinction and reputation at the polls. 1t
is true that the real responsibility for the
present condition of affairs rests primarily
with the men who plotted the destruction
of the Union, who made war to overthrow
it, and compelled US to incur an enormous
debt to preserve Republican principles and
liberty. But what is the use of talking
about all this now? The Republican party
has been in power fourteen years, and the
men whose ballots count the heaviest on
election day do not care much about first
causes. A large number of this American
people are to-day demanding bread for
their families, and it will not do to attempt
to appease them with dissertations on polit-
ical economy and theories of trade and
government. The old appeals, which in
the days of prosperity were so powerful
and convincing, are weak and impotent in
the time of adversely. This was one of the
great mistakes made in the campaign
which has just closed. A similar blunder
cannot be repeated except at the peril OF
utter death to the party.
These are sober, solemn truths and the
question is can the party leaders be made
to see and understand them2 Is there
Craftsmanship enough left in Congress to
meet the emergency and bring the party
and the country out of the difficulties and
dangers that beset it?