National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-08-29
4 LIBERAL REPUBLICAN, JOUR-
NALLST.

We cannot withhold certain degree Of
sympathy from journalists like the editor
Of Frank Leslis'S 8, who was 8 star In the
Liberal Republican constellation which
occupied g small space in the political
heavens some two years ago. He was one
Of the gentlemen who came into our poll
tics with q mission to perform. The world
was all wrong, and he and Bowles, and
Murat Halstead and Whitelaw Reid had
setthemselves 70 the task of making it right
Our politicians were wicked and corrupt,
and they came bowling through the
political wilderness with the tidings of
new political evsngel, under whose
blessed dispensation every one and every
thing was 70 be pure, and sweet and sane
tilted. Some Of the queerest reformers the
world ever saw contrived in one way or
another to fasten themselves to that vslorous
phalanX, and the result was that in the
course of few weeks the whole country
was in broad grin Of laughter as they saw
the motley sssemblage gathered together
Like, however, the majority Of people who
are the occasions of fun and ridicule In
others, they were totally insensible to the
merriment they provoked, and marched on
to the end of the chapter as soberly and
solemnly as when they started out. They
seriously believed they had mission, and
made the grave blunder to suppose that the
crowd which followed them was imbued
with the same ideas and purposes, instead of
q mere mob of idle sightseers, VINO came to
be amused, to have some fun, and see the
procession out. Ithas taken these gentlemen
some time to awaken from this pleasant
delusiOn, but that it is at last dispelled is
apparent from the experiences" ,,hich
they have been exchanging during the last
month or so.
For instance, the New York Tribune
about ten days ago frankly admitted that
there was no Liberal Republican party
with the exception of General John Coch-
rane and Reuben E. Fenlon, who will re-
solve themselves into q convention in q
few weeks and endeavor with the utmost
solemnity to make bargain for the sup
port of an unknown quantity of their fol
lowers in different parts of the country.
COChrane and Fenton are as ready and
willing to take up the line of march now
as they were in 1879, but the editorial
6uglers have struck, perhaps for their sala-
ries, and ruthlessly refuse to furnish the
music. We have quoted the Tribune.
Frank LesIis's follows in the same strain,
and declines TO furnish any more trans
parancies and Chinese lanterns and ban
ners. This much, " it says, tbs weeks ''is
certain, that at the present time only two
'parties exist the Republican and the
Democratic, and that the Republican is
''the stronger and more worthy of the two
''The immediate problem for every voter is
"a question between the candidates of two
organized parties in the Autumn elections
'fOr Congressman; and though we have
"tried hard to discover whether or not a
third element will enter into the campaign,
eve are compelled to believe that one must
CHOOSE only Republican or a Democrat. "
This is a frank admission from the paper
which embodied the pictorial spirit OF the
opposition in the last campaign-which
made itself believe that General John CoCh-
rane really led something not wholly
mythical But in this full and free confess
sion our illustrated and, perhaps, illustrious
Contemporary only comes up to the position
maintained by the Republican press two
years ago. The point insisted upon every
where during the last Presidential campaigu
was that there was no Liberal Republican
party whatever. A score or so Of 50. called
leaders and rsbble of 'bummers'' who
had failed Of office or been turned out got
up tremendous row and called themselves
party. The result in November showed
that they did not amount to more than
dozen in every Congressional district. If
they did, where have they gone and where
are they nowH They have not returned TO
the Republican party, 80 far as we can see;
they have not Joined the Democracy as far
as we have heard; their old organs assure
us they are not in existence. The fact is,
they never were. We said II the beginning
that we could not help sympsthizing with
the editorial trumpeters whose blasts were
30 loud and long in other days. In q faint,
hazy sort Of way they are still dreaming of
the old-tims Illusions; Of q new party to be
born which will be all the old party that
was not born promised to be. Says Frank
Lssgis'G yet the third party is ready to
abe called into practical existence. So far
sit has no leader capable Of organizing it