Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1874-05-02
DIED IN ITS YOUTH.

/
Whar Is de Liberal E1ePubliean Partyq
| -Ihe Ans - er Is an AgOnlZed Appeal.
From the Cincinnati Commercial Of I1th inst.
We saw at one of the ward polls
on the 10th inst. cOlored citizen 90
ing about, wide-mouthed, inqulring,
"Whar is de Liberal Republican
party ?" Whether he was an old-line
Republican, or one of those black
swans who affiliated with the Liber-
ais, we are unable to find out, but he
seemed sadly puzzled by the mystic
rIous disappearance of party that,
In his ward, had been a significant
political force.
So far as this city is concerned,
the Liberal Republican party is no
where in particular. 1t has vanish
ed-mizzled-gone out. There is no
trace of it in the result of yesterdays
election as an entity, and Individual
ty. And yet it was promising child
of robust constitution and healthy
growth, and fair future before it.
We helped to foster that infant,
and mourn its early departure-cut
off, as it seems, in the flower of its
youth. The taking away of child
Is always a sad event. We know
not what possibilities were wrapped
III the future of its existence. There
might have been a great orator,
great statesman, great poet, or a
great soldier. Who can tell? The
saddest of all words are, says the po-
ct, sit might have been"
And so the early demise of the
Liberal Republican party becomes
regretable. Had its existence been
prolonged, had it lived until its mus
Gle was developed and its faculties of
mind matured, it might have worked
valuable reform in American poll
tics; it might have introduced hon.
esty into office, economy into admin
lstation, purity into politics, and ge-
mus and culture into high places.
There is no saying how great a revo-
luton it might have wrought in pub
lie affairs. -aat..
1t was a lovely child as far as it
got, but it did not get far enough.
1t died-died in the city that may be
said to have given it birth, certainly
where it received the kindest and
most tender nourishing. So singular
and sudden a taking off of so prom
ising an infant is what distracted the
brain and gave pathos to the tones
of the inquiring cOlOred citizen.
Our readers have all heard of the
man who made bet that he could
eat six dozen hard-boiled eggs. He
won the bet, but he died of the per-
formance. The eggs were too much
for him. This was pretty much the
disease of which the Liberal Repub-
ican child died. 1t was a case of
indigestion. 1t undertook the feat
of devouring hard-boiled Democrats
the entire party in fact, and an in
sufficiency of gastric juice led to fa-
tai consequences.
The Democratic party survived
this effort to bolt and digest it. 1t
lived as miraculously as Jonah in the
whales belly; and in its turn it swal=
lowed the Liberal infant. There IS
where the child is now-in the belly
of the Democratic party, helping to
protrude its abdomen, and give it
pursy and prosperous appearance,
Our colored citizen, who was in search
of the infant yesterday, viii find the
returns of the election this morning
the only evidence we now have that
there ever was such q thing as the
Liberal Republican party in Cinein-
natl. And so passes away the glory
of the world, and it may be said of
it, with slight paraphrase, as was
said of one of old: 'tHe hath flown
away as a dream and cannot be
found; yea, he hath been chased
away as a vision of the night. The
eve also which saw him shall see him
no more, neither shall his place any
more behold him."