Litchfield enquirer., 1875-02-11
RadlcaliSm.

There never was a worse time for Radi- calism, apparently, than the present. Verify this is the Winter of our Discon- tent. Everywhere people seem to tire of progress, and to be sick of reform. Glad stone, the man who has done more thorough work in few years than the Palmerstcns and Russells effected in 6 generation, seems to have retired perma nently from the leadership of English Lib. eralism. He is succeeded by a lord, and when did lord ever accomplish anything? Thiers and the Republic have given place to McMahon and the Septenate in France. Poor old Spain has gone back to it's Bour- bons. To be sure. Bismark still leads New Germany and makes 1t hot for the Pope, whose bishops he imprisons, and for the Junkers whose Won Arnim he sends to keep the bishops company.
 In America our Buckinghams are being succeeded by our Eatons. We have elect ed a House of Representatives in which the Confederate are more numerous than the. Federal soldiers. Universal suffrage has brought universal corruption on many States. Good Radicals sympathize with White Leaguers in their efforts to be rid of Republican Carpet-Baggers. Our great est Radical pulpit teacher is on trial for infamous crimes of which he stands ac- cused by one of late our greatest Radical editorial teacher The era of extreme heat is over and the era of extreme cold is upon us. Speaking geologically of ex- isting politics, we have stopped forming coal and have begun piling up glaciers. Woman Suffrage. Minority Representa- ton, Reforms of Civil Service, of Tariffs. of Monopolies,-are all frost bitten i'll this extreme political weather. The party of Reaction is everywhere beating the party of Progress. Hard times are making us all economical, and economical in noth- ing so much as in all forms of generous political work
 Whither then is the real Radical to be- take himself these bitter times? Of course Radicalism and Republication are not ne- cessarily the same thing. Of late years especially there has been very little fire in the Republican volcanco. Are we, there fore, to go over to Democracy and Reac- ti"n? If we lived in State where there was no choice expect between the Carpet BaRger and the Conservative, we should certainly prefer the latter; for, evil as his principles and his practices are, there is nothing quite so evil as dishonesty. In Connecticut, thank heaven, we are not yet brought to any such choice of evils. The Republicanism that fires an hundred guns because its general-in-chief did not make blunder may not be very lively species of Radicalism. Indeed, we have always held that it was Congress, not Grant that has played the Mcclellan in regard to Louisiana. But does Connecticut Dem Ocracy offer us any inducement to forsake the leadership of Hawley and Jewell for the leadership of Eaton and Barnum? The danger to our Republicanisml lies not with in the state but abroad in the nation. There are certain Republican reconstruct. ed State governments that are in nothing better than so many Republican Tam. manies. If our national politics are SC mismanaged as to make the Republican party at large responsible for these rascal ly Southern swindles, Republicanism vii surely he beaten in this as in nearly every other Northern state. It will then be nc longer an issue between Radicalism anG Conservatism, but between Honesty and Dishonesty. We shall not believ that such an issue will forced upon us till VIC see it.
 While, however. these are disastrous days for Radicalism, they are not without their uses. We are being purified of in sincerity and corruption, by defeat. w correct the blunders of nasty administra ton by careful observation of its practica workings We have the time and gather the patience for more thorough. mastery of political problems ourselves before wt undertake to teach them to others. Tc all these good but not very cheerful things it is well that we should be accustomine ourselves. Conservatism rules the world or the average four years out of every five andEwe must be getting ready to accom- plish much in a short time, when tha short time comes again.
 In short article in last weeks Ameri can, Dr. Lewis calls attention to tn large number of old people in proportion to the young in our old towns. The youn have gone to the west and to the cities leaving the aged behind to keep mp tn churches and other local public interests under the Encouragement of dwindlin numbers and resources. Dr. l.. calls o the natives of such towns who have em grated to our cities and made their for unes there. to support the institutions ( their old homes by benefactions and CT dowments. ssThe man of means who neg lects his native place, expending largel perhaps elsewhere, comes in the categor of those who live in splendor and iuxur, and leave aged parents and kin in hovel and squalid poverty" &