Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1875-06-16
No. 80
The Independent Voters.

The New York Tribune reviews tlx
| general political situation. concludip..
| as follows:
La this condition of affairs the tw,.
parties confront each other for tL.,
elections of the year preceding the.
Presidential struggle of 1876, and I.
larger body of independent Votes
than was ever before known in tla
history of the country is calmnly LOOK
ing on, waiting to see which OF the,
Is most sincere and earnest in its or,
LESSONS of reform. 1t is the policy III
both parties to win this large and III
creaslug number. So far, the Demo
Gratis have only to show, as proof o1
their sincerity, the vigorous and ul-
compromislngly administration OF Gov
Illden; and to that their is the draw
back that his party was, and is, YER
tar from being united in his suppori.
Ihe Republicans are strengthened b,
several considerations, not. least @.
which is the removal of the fhiru-
term issue by President Grants hall
ing, but sufficient, utterance on the
subject Then the later cabinet az
polntments have been III the interest
OF reform, and the action Of some o1
the Cabinet officers, In exposing cor
ruptlon ana prosecuting thieves, has
had a good effect. The defeat of ths
Force bill, though the party deserved
40 credit for 1t, has slmplifed the
Southern question and removed one
cause tor complaint. And, what is
perhaps OF more consequence than any
other one thing, the last two or three
elections have removed from positions
OF prominence aud influence In the
party, some OF the most dlsreputabie
and dangerous OF tie mischief breed
ers In Its ranks. A great many po-
lltlcal spectators and trlcksters, pet
tltoggers and shysters, have gone down
under the popular vote. Their inf1u-
ence Tor evil Is no longer felt WLar
IS better, the party, relieved of their
bad counsels, and apprehendlug the
lessons OF defeat IS less arrogant, and,
IN the CONSCIOUSNESS Of impending per
i, Gore careful OF Its steps and more
sensitive to public opinion.
Taxing ali things together, tn en-, il
seems by no means impossible that the
Republican party should, in the course
OF the next twelve months, turn the
TIDE which sets SO strongly against it
now, reinstate itsslf il pubic conf
dence, and hold the COUNTRY Tor al
least another Presidential term. If II
has lost 1t, l5 has been by its own folly
and not by any wisdom of its oppo-
nents. l1 may retrieve its office even
now by being wise. 1t was the GreaI
silent Man who translated the lesson
of the election in 1S73-'.time to un-
load. His mistake was as to what
should be unIoaded. He has doue
some OF the unloading himself lately.
though perhaps unconsclously; and
more yet remains to be done If. aoY.
the Republican leaders OF the several
States have sagac-ty and foresight
enough to comprehend the present Sit
uatlon and grasp the possibilities il
offers, they can supplement- the WORK
already done IN sucn way as to COZ
vince the country OF their sincerity,
and command the support of the great
mass of independent voters, whose
sympathies are naturally with them,
out who have been absolutely driven
over to the opposition. One of the
very first things for them to do to ac-
complish this, is to leave off pointing
with prida to the record of the past,
and to rise up and look the future
courageously and honestly in the face
The Presidential election of 1876 il
up to this time, 'anybody's race" To
win it are required honestly of pur-
pose, sincerity of conviction and talr
dealing with the people. And the
people are waiting, not to hear which
promises reform the loudest, but to see
which does the work the the best.