National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1875-04-07
DISCRIMINATION AND COWARDICE IN
CONNECTICUT.


Postmaster General Jewell, it is said,
brings back the report from Connecticut
that the Republican party of that State
lacked organization and discipline, and
gives that as the reason of its defeat last
Monday. That it was defeated, and de-
feated most disastrously, no one can deny;
but We are of the opinion cowardice had as
much TO do with it as anything else. The
people are as ready now as they ever have
been TO follow intelligent and courageous
leaders, when those leaders are loyal to
acknowledged principle. No disorganiza-
ton occurred during the war or during the
political contests of the period of recon-
struction, because the leaders of the party
were then imbued with a spirit Of patriot
ism, were not so envious of each other, and
were Joined in a harmonious effort to pro-
cure the success of principle, regardless of
selfish ambitions and personal interests.
We trace the disorganization of the party
back to the beginning of the last session Of
Congress, as we trace all of the political
evils with which we are threatened back to
the same period. The cowardice of the
party leaders at that time, when they quailed
before the insignificant force ofthe criticisms
of the Independent Press, when they re-
fused TO enact laws for the protection of
American citizens at home, and when by
their cowardly inactivity they gave color
TO the reasoning Of the Opposition in sup
port tot the assumption that loyal tranquility
prevails all over the country, had the
effect to demoralize the people, to weaken
their affection for the party and to destroy
all partisan discipline. 1t is not true that
a majority of the people Of Connecticut be-
lieve in State rights, or that they are
willing to hand over the control of the
General Government to traitors. They are
as earnest in their love of freedom, in their
support of the principles for which they
shed their blood during the late war, and
in their admiration for the Republican party
as ever. Yet, if we accept the result of
Mondays vote as final decision, we must
admit in view of the fact that the campaign
was fought squarely and fairly on those
issues that the Democrats have some foun-
dation for the claim that their extreme anti
Republican doctrines have been Endorsed.
The truth, however, is that the people
were disguised with the namby PANTY,
shilly shally work of such of their leaders
as proved recreant to duty when
called upon in the last House to
do something for the preservation of party
and principle. IfMr. Speaker Blaine, with
all his powerful eloquence and convincing
logic, had said as much last January as he
did at New Haven last week, he would
have aroused them to the danger which is
Threatened by this Democratic triumph,
organization would have followed, and the
disciplined hosts Of the Republican party
would have gained an overwhelming vic
tory. As it was, the warning came too
late. They had been deceived by the
quiet demeanor of men who had failed TO
do their duty as sentinels on the political
watch towers of the country. When the
storm approached these sentinels gave no
alarm, but, on the contrary, prompted by
selfish aims and unstatesmanlikc iealousies,
deliberately misrepresented the situation and