The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1875-03-11

But when II died, II dled all over
THuRLow WEED the venerable octa-
genarian editor, next toll GRACE Greeley
the power in the old Wing party, and
for many long years the able editor OF
the Albany Tomuai, has recently
made an examination and report of the
political situation and the status of the
Republican party, The report was pub
lished in the New York 776HHe.
Mr. Weeds report processes to be tex
planatory of the causes that have over
thrown the Republican party" His an
alysis of 'the causes" shows long list
ofhorrible political ills. He tells of the
party being weakened and woundedby
the back pay grab" by Treasury De-
partment imbeciities, Sanborn Contracts
and Washington City frauds" He thinks
worse than a these for the party was
Grants third term and he "refers to it
reluctantly"
Again Mr.. Weed says-"the Repub-
lican administration was beaten in 1874
not by the augmented strength of its op-
ponents, but by the alienation OF and
apathy of its friends. And while the
party was being carried toits grave, 'no
word was spoken, no sign given by the
only person who could by the utterance
of a single sentence have disarmed his
opponents and reassured his friends.
Wonder if Mr.. Weed refers to Pres
ident Grant If so, it is a piteous story.
He refers to and laments "the earlier
and better days of the Republic and
"the statesmen to whose wisdom, in
dustry and patriotism the country was
indebted for wholesome laws" And he
despairs of "happy changes until the
fearful generalization occasioned by
war of unprecedented magnitude has
worked out its evil mission, or until suf-
frage, now cheapened and degraded,
rising tothe intelligence, discrimination
and dignity of earlier and better days,
asserts its prerogative in the elevation of
representatives.. He modestly insin-
yates that reconstruction, from the be-
ginning most difficult problem. has
been embarrassed by a want of wisdom
at Washington, and that Civilization
blushes" at the infamies perpetrated by
"bold and unscrupulous Northern add
venturers" in South Carolina, Florida,
Louisiana, and other Southern States.
'In Louisiana" " he says, there has been
nothing but misrule, disorder, fraud, cor
ruption, anarchy and violence from the
close of the war" Reconstruction |
seems as difficult and as distant as il
was at the close of the war" and, what
Mr., Weed, the Louisiana peo-
pie do not seem content with these in
felicities. but, as he alleges, sometimes
band together to hunt, hound and, if |
needs be, murder the negroes" who |
have been put over them as the brutal
agents of all this "misrule, disorder,
fraud, corruption, anarchy ndviolence."
And Mr.. Weed is not satisfied with the
Presidents special cronies in Louisiana,
Casey, Packard, and that ilk. Indeed,
he inclines to believe that, on the whole,
General Grant was not fortunate in his
early appointments to Federal Offices,
With regard to Kellogg's Government
suggestion is risked thst it is hardly
worthy of the sacrifices required to
maintain it The Civil Rights bill is,
he fears, great inutility on which too
much time has been wasted by Congress.
In a word, the outlook is very gloomy for
patriots whose hearts and fortunes are
bound up with the future of the Repub-
ican party, once thought or done to the
contrary, "honesty is the best policy"
and he makes it plain, too, that herein
consists his unutterable despair for the
.uture salvation of the Republican party.
MIR. Weed is constrained to admit thatin
he next Presidential election "he would
prefer the election of an enlightened and
honest Democrat to the elevation of an
Republican Of equivocal in.
egrity."