New-York tribune., 1874-12-03
VoL.'XXXlV. NO. 0,50G
WASHINGTON.

BEH WADE on THE REPUBLICAN DEFEATS
MINGLED PHILOSOPHY AND REsIGNATloN-rhE lie CIVIL
RIGHTS BILL ONE CAUSE OF THE pEFEAr-A
LATE DECLARATION AGAINST A THltsD TERM
LxsoM ASoccAsIoxAL CORRESPONDENT oBTHE TRIBUNE
W,su1NGroN. Dec The Hon. Ben. Wade
snaks very freely with has friends IN relation TO the
defeat of the party with which he has so long been
identified and says he accounts for the Republican
defeat upon the theory that the people are always
liable to become in the end dissatisfied with polt-
cal parties in this country, however faithful those
parties might be in the discharge of their obllga-
tions u is always the case in free government, he
says that parties long in power create dstrust and
the people grow anxious TO displacC the old rulers
and try the men Of the opposition in their place
The Republican party just at this time had to con-
tend with this prediction of the people. But
besides this it viii not do to disguise the fact. says
Mr Wade, that corruption had crept INTO high Off
cial positions and that the dominant party con-
demned on this account before the tribunal Of the
people If there no great principle to divide
parties the spoilS of Office would be sufficient motive
for the fight of the outs" against the " ms Mr.
Wade saws that he Is firm believer in the principles
and policy Of the Republican party as heretofore
developed. and believes that those principles and
policies are the best for the nation, if thoroughly
carried ont.
be thinks the party has made some very serious
bunders one of which is the attempt TO pass the
Civil Rights bill. While he does not doubt that
shat bill might be right IN principle yetiU was mex
pedent at this time, because it awakened all the
preindices against our c0ored fellOw-citiZens and
would If passed. become imperative or if carried
out would, in is application and partial results, do
more mischief at the present time than good. 1t
was this 20 extent, that excited the Southern
and Western people, and induced them to vote
.f,, Tx~an
schools and 1t was this phase of the
question that excited all their prejudice.
Mr. Wade was in favor of equal school facilities, but
not Of mixed schools. He thought the attempt to
force the question of mixed schools at this time
would be disastrous to Our entire school system.
He said that while the Civil Rights bill pending
in the Senate he to Senators himself and urged
them 10 vote against it, aud this he did on the
ground of expediency, because he believed that true
statcsmanship kept abreast of public opinion, and
not in advance and this all the statesman could
do to watch the current of events and make the
most for human progress that the condition of
human affairs would at the time admit. Statesmen
can rarely contend successfully for unconditional
right. A thing may be right IN the abstract and
yet not expedient, because public sentiment will
not tolerate or accept the full application of the
principle. Mr. Wade said that in free country
there would always be two parties that there would
be a certain class Of men who would believe In and
maintain with a doogad obstinacy certain class
principles and policies Of administration. Then
there would be another class equally determined and
equally pertinaciOus to MAINTAIN principles and
policies entirely antlgonistic to those of the first
class and yet 1t could never be expected that any
considerable inroad could be made into the firm
purpose of each class to maintain its ground. with
ont hInching and without submission TO any argu-
ments which the several opponents on either
side might offer These persons could be
counted upon always TO stand by the parties to
which they were seveTaly allied but there was a
large class Of persons who were nOu-Qartisan, but
were ready to 90 with the party which offered the
prestige Of success for the time being He thought
it was this large floating class of non-partsans who
had determined the results Of tie October and No
Vembor elections.
Mr.. Wade. IN abiding TO the next Presidential
canvass said he was opposed to third term for any
man and that the success of the Republican party
in 1876 would depend largely upon the conduct Of
the present Congress and the action Of the party IN
the interval of time between this and the Preslden-
tial contest. and something not unimportant IN
itself considered would be the character of the Pres
idental aspirant.