National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-10-23
snMF snnNn AnHIrE

NA@-AS-1 y
SOME SOUND ADVICE.
Abiding to the effort Of the interested
politicians, who are endeavoring to account
for the October defeats by throwing the re-
sponsibility upon the President and the
third-term agitation, the New York Graphic,
q bipartisan and independent journal,
prints Just and sensible article upon the
subject, portion of which we transfer to
our columns. 1t is as follows: 'The truth
sis this third-term business had no more to
-'do with the Republican defeats in Ohio
sand Indiana than the purchase of Alaska
sswith the low temperature of last summer
f'or the comet with the breaking ofthe Mill
''River dam. 1t was scarcely discussed in
'political meetings, and when alluded to
''Was simply laughed at. The idea does not
'rbelong to the present canvass. 1t cannot
''possibly take practical shape and become
'ta vital issue in our politics under two years,
sand no one knows what will happen
s,meanwhile. Not one voter in ten has
fever given the subject a sober second
sthought, and not one in hundred i'm
f'agines that General Grant is in any way
irresponsible for the discussion about it, or
&fsanctions it in any way, unless it be by 3
1'discreet and dignifed silence. To sttri-
'ebute the results of these Western cleo
''tions TO suspicion that the Republicans pro-
'1pose to renominate General Grant Is to
''impesch the intelligence of the voters, on
G'the one hand, and show q lamentsble ig-
ignorance of the real condition Of things.
Everybody who knows anything about
s'the state Of the country knows that times
f'are hard, business is depressed, money in
''great interior States is hard to get, and the
tpeople naturally hold the party in power
responsible for the pinch they all feel 1t
Sahas always been so; 1887 defeated Van
fBuren and elected Harrison; 1857 elected
s'Lincoln. Pockets have more to do with
'politics than principles. Other things en-
Htered into the cOntest-the temperance
''questioD, the Granger movement and the
Southern troubles particularly; but back
f'of all, and more than all, was this matter
''of finance. tits a significant fact that in
s'0hio and Indiana the Democrats adopted
platforms favoring imitation and looking
'toward repudiation. This shows the drift
s'of public feeling out on the prairie in
'fhese great debtor States. The people
''want more money, and will catch at
s'printed rags if they cannot have gold.
Had Congress done its duty in December
f1ast, when the panic was upon US, by tax
'fng a wise and bold step toward resump-
''tion when it could have done so to public
advantage, we should have had no West
s'ern gale blowing terrible rebuke to its
H'remissness through these autumn cleo
'ftions. Why not face the facts as they are,
s'instead of chasing bugaboosf"
When the Graphic declares that pockets
have more to do with politics than princi-
pies, it hits the nail square on the head so
far as nine out of every ten voters are con-
cened. The American Republic is no ex-
ception to the rest of tho world, and all his
tory teaches us that the most serious diff
Guilty party in power can encounter in a
popular government is a season of CONNER
cial depression. Such a season we have
been passing through for the last twelve
months, and the wonder is that the result is
not more disastrous than it is. All classes
of the community have been suffering-the
farmer, the mechanic, the merchant and the
day laborer. The wild speculation of the
last ten years, in which almost everybody
INDUCED, suddenly collapsed, and tight
ened circumstances stared every man in the
face. Retrenohment became the order of
the hour mills were closed or run on half
time; railroads defaulted on their interest !;
real estate fell thirty and more per cent. !;
the farmer found the usual markets for his
commodities closed when mortgages and
paper became due there was nothing TO
meet them. Look at Chicago to-day.
Nearly one-half of its real estate is adver-
tised for sale In the tax lists. In addition
TO the natural economic disturbances which
have shaken the country. artificial agencies
have combined to increase the prevailing
distress and incertitude. There was the
anti-railroad agitation in the West, which
has more or less affected the value Of every
railroad bond in the country. Capital has
become frightened, and those who could
easily have obtained bank accommodation
q short time ago now find Il utterly impos-
sible TO borrow on what was considered
hrst-class security before the panic. Men
who find themselves in this condition do
not stop TO reason or to think; they rush
5lindly ahead, sometimes upon their own
destruction. In no other way can the dis
asters in Ohio and Indiana be accounted
for-the financial and commercial suicide
Of two States-one indorsing Reputation
and the other boldly svowing imitation.
When Congress met last December it
was expected to give the country some
relief; but the session was wasted in long
Einded speeches and in investigations the
only result Of which was to make capital
for the Opposition. Republican leaders,
sitting side by side on the same benches,
labored more earnestly and untiredly than
their political opponents to ruin and strike
down one another. All this was pointed
out at the time, and the warning given in
the Republican press that this fall we should
pay the penalty; but the advice was IN
needed. Il win be well for the leaders Of
the party if even nov they viii be taught
by past blundefs and learn some wisdom from
the recent defeats. Republican principles
are the same to-day as they were fourteen
years ago; as true to day as they were then,
and as worthy Of support and confidence
The Issues upon which Indiana and Ohio
have been mainly carried-indation and re-
pudiaton-are almost as dangerous as tres