, 1874-02-27
TIE WISCONSIN REPUBLICANS.


party in wisconain, the party which for eighteen
years had guided the destinies Of the State, was
by an overwhelming majority, il not BY an over
whelning vote, driven from power. It's defeat
was not expected by the Republicans, nor antici-
pated, although deyoutly hoped fol, by the Re-
formers. 1t the head Of the Republican ticket
stood one Of Wisconsin's very best men.-the
Hon. @. @. Washburn. There we're on 1t the
names Of some less distinguished and less
ahlo men, it is true. The selection Of can
didates might, in couple OF instances have
been better. But the character Of the nominees
OF the Republican party cannot account for its
defeat. Neither can that OF the Reform cand1-
dates account for their election. although tho
ticket WIS very good one. Taken all in IL,
it may be doubted whether the personnel
of tho Reform ticket WAS any better
than that Of the Republican. The Re-
publicana OF Wisconsin, themselves, recognize
that it was not, to any extent, the personal un-
popularity Of the candidates that caused their
defeat. The Reforme1s recognize that, respect
able as we're their candidates, it was neither
their popularity nor ability that insured their
SUCCESS Tho Republicans endeaVor to explain
their loss By the apathy OF the rank and file OF
tho party. They forget, however, that an apa-
thetio party man is no party man at all; that he
cannot bo relied upon, and should not
be counted as belonging to the organtza-
tion. When they grant that the men OF their
party we're too lazy or too Indifferent to go to
the polls, they grant that the party had lost all
hold upon them, or we'll nigh lost it. It mat
tors little, when the batt1e comes, whether the
soldier throws down his arms and runs away, OF
whether he remains at d distance, careless
spectator OF the conflict. OF political parties it
may DO said, with entire truth, that he who is
not for them is against them The Repub-
hcan party OF. Wisconsin need, there
fore, take no comfort from the apathy
of those who once belonged to it.
It had bettor mourn over them as deaerters OF
tho flag. The party whose members act as II it
did not exist is, Ii not dead, certainly very sick.
Again, the Republican party OF Wisconsin have
tried to explain their defeat BY the reaction OF
the people from political. excitement after the
Presidential election. But thus can no more ac-
count for it than can the apathy theory. Reac-
ton always follons action, it is granted. It Is
granted, too, that reaction is equal and in oppo-
oito dlrect:one- But raaction from political az
element does not imply Indifference to the Re-
publican party only The Presidential election
had taken place year before, and the reaction
from political zeal into political lukowarmness
had ample time to wear away. Before our Wis
consin friends 60 to sleep over this e1plana-
ton Of the Republican rout last fall, they had
better inquire why they were not beaten pe1iodi-
cally for the last eighteen years after each
Presidential election. No; the causes of the
Republican defeat lie deeper than all this. The
passage Of an irrational Temperance Law had
something to do with it. But this, although 1t
contributed to, does not explain, their defeat.
The defeat Of the Republican party Was incident
ally the SUCCESS OF those opposed to well-inten-
toned but unreasonable temperance legislation.
Still, Beer could neyer have alone effected the
change in the politics OF the State OF WISCONSIN.
Another Cause that contributed to the over
throw OF the party was the ignoring on the ticket
OF the German element. No party in Wisconsin
that values SUCCEEDS can afford to ignore the Ger
man population Of the State. Theirs is good
portion Of the wealth OF the community. They
are good citizons. They have numbers, and are
conscious Of their power. They have in the past
ci7en the State Government some Of its most
efficient officers. It has been generally conced-
ed that they entitled to representation On the
State ticket. The Republicans snubbed them
ut the Last election, and left them
without representative. OF this the RefoEmera
took advantage. But not even the alliance OF
Beer and Germany are sufficient OF themselves
to account for the change It can DO explained
only by the corruption which had cropt into the
party, tho corrupt ceucus and convention-system,
the Credit Mobi1ier and back-pay grab; the de-
fense Of that steal in the Janesvile speech made
BY Senator Carpenter, in which, as somebody has
said, with Mephistophelean acu1uen and sublime
ef1rontery, be told the honest people Of Wiscon-
ain that it would be unconstitutional not to take
that salary, for, did not the Constitution pro-
vide that "6enato1s and Representatives ahau
receive compensation for their services to be
ascertained by law and paid out Of the Treasury
OF the United States ?" This pethfogging, tho
farmers have seen through. They can discover
no provision IN the Constitution making it oblig
atory on Congress to pass back-pay SALARY
law, or even to take the pay when it has been
voted.
These, We think, are the real causes OF the
Republican defeat in Wisconsin. From what We
learn, however, ne are disposed to believe that
the party will die hard. Il mAnifests no dispoai-
tion to be undone. It is down, and knows itself
to be down. But at the Same time, it wants to
get up. Only the other day, come Of the tried,
true, arl trusted met in secret conclave at Mil
waukee to discuss the prospects Tor the future
| Among the few were some whose names have
been historic in the State, leaders
| Of the party. They discussed whether they
could not recover what they had lost-hke Luci-
ter, ne suppose, when he was hunted from Para-
disc. They recognized that they were down, and