Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-11-12
Iae Meaning of the Late Election.
From he Milwaukee, Sentinel.

other states, have been thought omin-
ous of the fate of the Republican par
ty. The opposition papers, of course,
jump rapturously to that conclusion.
/ A portion of the so-called independent
press is scarcely less positive and iubi-
liant, and even some of the administra-
ton papers seem paralyzed with aston
iislEment or despair.
| We think these evil anguries are
scarcely warranted by the facts. Al
though the first accounts were greatly
exaggerated as exciting topics gener-
/ ally are. yet after careful analysis Of
/ She returns we find that politics have
taken a very unexpected turn IN some
! Of the states, and that some very as
i tonishing conclusions have been drawn
] from rather small basis of facts.
/ These conclusions are that the country
! has been. swept by political hurricane
and that the kneil of the Republican
party, as national party, has been
/ sounded. Do facts warrant these con-
illusions! In how many of these state
elections has Repubicanism per Sc been
/ involved in the issue? In Massachu-
sets we know the contest turned more
/ en men than principles, and that local
issues, as prohibition, greatly lnfuenc-
ed the result Those who claim on the
strength of the late election that Mass
achusetts has ceased to be Republican
state, only prove their own shallowness
or partizan blindness. That Massachu-
sets has rejected Republicanism BE-
cause she rejected Butler, or has gone
over to the Democracy because she pre-
ferred Thompson, is very nlmble but
superficial style of reasoning. The
losses Of the Republicans must not be
set down as gains Of the Democrats +;
there could not be a greater mistake.
The Congressman who will take the
places of defeated Republicans, are so
piebald and various in their politics
that it is difficult to conjecture the pre-
else political complexion Of the Forty
fo1rth Congress,
The assumption Of the opposition
papers that the administration has been
on trial before the nation, and that the
result Of the late election is to be re-
ceiyed as the verdict, is wholly gratui-
tous and gr0Undless. 1t require some
command OF temper to hear papers hav-
ing some pretensions to common sense,
assert that the whole Republican poll
cy since 1861 has at length been pro-
nounced upon and repudiated by the
country and the result In New York
and elsewhere had direct reference to
San1orn, Boss Shepherd, custom house
moieties, carpet-baggery and Grant 5
Southern policy This would be Ike
the absurd fashion of digging up the
bones of political criminals, or those
held to be such, as Cromwell. and at
tempting to inHict further punishment
upon them. The country passed upon
these subjects long ago. The allege |
sins have been punished, paraoned and
atoned for and have no more to do
with the results of the late election
than the events of some antecedent adj
ministration.
If the people are furnishing the Re
publicans at this late day for all their
past sins and mistakes, heaven help all
political parties. as well as peacable
mortals that are liable to be subjected
to discipline so unreasonable and re-
lentless The people OF this country
are not, as body, opposed to the poll
cy and principles of the Republican
party, nor to the salient features of
Grants administration because that
policy is, in the main, wise, and those
principles just; and Grants admins
tretion has been prudent, circumspect
and sensible amid difficulties and en-
| barrassments that might have excused
some slips.
1t is impossible that a majority of
the people should believe that Grant
has been bad President, or has not in
all the emergencies Of his administra-
ton done the very best he could.-per-
haps the best any man could because
the people are not fools, as they would
have to be to question Grants integri-
ty and good intentions. Neither is it
possible for a majority of the people to
believe that the Republican party is not
as pure as patriotic, and as worthy of
confidence as any other party now COM
peting for public favor, and for the
same reason, because they are not fools
Even in those features of Republican
policy most severel y criticised, as inter
ference to protect negroes, and repress
the disorders Of the South, we are per-
fectly sure that the good sense and hu
mainly of the people approve of our
policy in the main, and we would be
quite willing to 90 to the country on
this single issue, so sure are we that
the Republican policy in this regard
would be sustained. For these rea-
sons we cannot admit the differences so
hastily drawn by the partisan press
from the unexpected results of the late
elections They certainly teach that
our politics are becoming very compli-
catcd, that they are possibly in
TRANSITIONAL state. that certain disin-
tegrations, and accretions are going on
that may eventually change the entire
complexion of our national politics, but
these processes by no means involve a
general distrust or reputation OF the
Republican party, or warrant ration
al doubt that that party will carry the
country in 1876.