Martinsburg weekly independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1873-1875, 1874-11-14
THE SITUATION.

OF the TemarkaDle expression OF
public feeling which has been given
in the recent elections will employ
the wits OF our politicians for
months TO come. A diversity Of
causes are given, prominent among
which is that IL is a clear express
sion Of opiaion against a third
term. The New York Tribune
says it "is the end of Grantism--
not The revival Of the rebellion,
nor the definitive rehabilitation Of
the Democratic party" The 7ri-
Dune concludes that tho result
"leaves the two parties confronted
so evenly matched that both
must hereafter be careful to make
NO mistakes. The future belongs
TO the one who shall earn it." This
Is the disinterested opinion OF an
Independent, -partizan ournsl,
and perhaps much nearer the truth
than the partizans of either side
will care to admit.
So far RS the result was deter
mined by questions Of policy, the
people Of different localities were
affected in differest ways. Thus,
the old border STATES, the Civil
Rights Bill doubtless alienated a
large number of votes from the
Republican party, and in Ohio,
Indiana and some 9th n States the
attitude of the President towards
imitation may have had a similar
effect, but neither of these can be
supposed to have exerted any adj
verse influence against the party,
either in New York or Massachu-
sets, and yet in those two States
the revolution in popular senti-
ment has been astonishingly great
The one feeling which seems to
have been general was that the
Republican party had been direlict
in daty,a and TO certain extent un-
faithful TO its trusts. These opin-
ions have prevailed, and the result
seems to be a distinct init
nation from the people that a
"halt" is demanded. That it is an
endorsement of the traditional
views of Bourbon Democracy we
do not believe, and if the liberal
and enlightened leaders of the
democratic party are lead to so
believe, they will make fatal
mistake. The verdict of the people
is against Bourbonism in any par
ty or in any form. The party
which is to win the support of the
American people must be liberal
In its views and have the courage
to cut loose from many of the ira
ditions of the past, and the wisdom
TO frame policy III relation to the
live issues of the present and the
near future. Nor must ii be con-
tent to seek for popularity by ca
Iering to a supposed public opin-
ion, as yet vague and il-defined,
upon this or that great question.
What the people want is results,
and unless these are satisfactory,
the most popular measures, as well
as the party that has advanced
them will quickly fall into disfa-
vor. The Democratic party has
achieved its recent victories by the
aid and help of dissatisfied Repub-
licans. The fact that these dissat-
isfed Republicans voted indepen-
dent of party to correct wrongs
which they had failed to correct
inside the party organization, is
not to be taken as an evidence Of
their having renounced their own
party or permanently Joined that
of the Democracy. They are still
Republicans, and will, in all prob
ability, return to their allegiance
when the proper publication is
gone through with to induce them
to do SO. Their return may be
hastened if the Bourbon leaders
and old fossils of Democracy now
come to the front. 1t now remains
to be seen whether the recent vic