National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-10-31

from that is not craftsmanship. Com
planning and whining as Mr.. Dawes did
year ago is not leadership. We pointed
out to the party at the time that this course
was blunder-a blunder worse than
crime. Throwing down the barriers to in
quiry into the management of the party
we indicated was simply putting in the
hands of the Opposition the knife to cut
the party's throat. The Daweses and
Garfelds and Fosters have brought the
party to the pass it is in to-day. Still
holding ''the majority of the country, " tits
led to the slaughter by commanders who
ought to be only corporals; by statesmen
who do not possess the first requisite Of
craftsmanship. Our leaders have been led
by three or four newspaper editors who
are in open revolt and rebellion, and who
are to-day doing their utmost to elect the
Democratic ticket. TosaYe themselves from
criticism and condemnation these leaders
have been selfshly sacrificing their follow
ers, exposing the party to the merciless as
saults Of its enemies. One of them has his
reward in the cutting down Of a splendid
majority to a majority which is virtual
reputation. Under such management no
party could live, and all history cannot
show, in a popular Government a par
allel case of imbecility, cowardice and
treachery.
What have we seen during the last three
yearsi A Republican Congress investigat-
ing into alleged frauds in the New York
custom-house upon motion of a man like
Reuben E. Fenton, who was at the time
the declared enemy of the party in power;
the War Department investigated, at the
command of Mr.. Schurz, wasp who was
nursed by the party until he became strong
enough to sting 1t; the Navy Department,
investigated at the instigation of pirate
and an outlaw who is fugitive from justice
in three States of the Union; the Post Office
Department searched and ransacked to graft
ify the mercenary curiosity of demagogue
from California-this the record of the
craftsmanship and leadership of the party
in Congress since 1872. The country
flooded with defamation and SANDER; sus-
picion cast upon every chief of the party,
what wonder that the confidence of the
people is shaken; that the issue of the bat
ties of next Tuesday with the Republican
party still in the majority is matter Of
doubt and uncertainty. No party could
support the burden even if it had ten times
the majority the Republican party has to-
day. We stagger into the campaign under
a load of stupidity for which the party
leaders in Congress and an ignorant imbe-
Gle Congressional campaign committee
management are directly responsible. In
addition to all, we have had treason and
disloyalty to the party in the Departments
of the Government Whatever irforma-
ton calculated to help or to hurt the party
has existed has been at the service of the
party's enemies instead of its friends.
What use in cropping around for causes of
defeat and disaster when they are patent
as the MONDAY sun upon whichever side we
turn The time has come to speak out and
we propose to do it-not that we love the
party leaders less, but that we love the
party more. 1t is impossible to 60 on as
we have been going and win. A house
divided against itself cannot stand, and
party whose leaders and lieutenants are in
the friendship, if not in the service of Its
enemies, cannot last What we need is
the discipline, the organization, the fire
and the faith of other years, when the
party dared to do what was right and dared
to defend itself as it should be defended
when defence was necessary. If we had
had this during the last three years, the
condition of affairs would be far different
from what it is to-day. If the leaders in
Congress had held that body to a strict
discharge of its legislative duties; if they
had so directed legislation as to benefit the
people, to start those idle iron-mills in
Pennsylvania, to give employment to the
hundreds of thousands of mechanics who
are standing at this hour, with their hands
in their pockets on the street-corners of
every manufacturing centre, there would
be no gloom and no shadow hanging over
the Republican party in this November |
struggle. But our leaders were busy in /
graphing with such mighty problems as
killing the country newspapers, reforming
Gas they called iD the civil service, and
cutting off in this or that Department
score or SO of paltry clerkships. It is
hard to be patient when we think of it all
party treason, cowardice, stupidity, i'm
becility, ignorance of the plainest needs of
the country, neglect of the most palpable
duties. What wonder that there are disgust
and dissatisfaction on every side; that the
Republican majority of nearly one hundred
in the elective branch of the Government
seems likely to be blotted out9 In the
contest of Tuesday next we believe that
we shall win, but the victory, if it does
come, will come in spite of the men who
have been leading the party to danger and
disaster.
WHO ARE rHEYr