Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1876-04-06

An ABSURD LIE rH1 aRxPuBIIcAr'
rHIIS.'

An AU3VkU LIZ TM8 "88fV0kAVA0'
fHIIS'
There 10 noooeouy In the impudenos Of
the STORY vhioh the hspsstlican Of Friday
rsitsratss that the OonnaacAL has been
uufaithful 70 the Republican party, and has
been the n,sans Of weakening that orsAni-
z~tion iu this State. A. mere fslssh0od
th,s il absurd, but ~ m impatient falsshood
it Anks high. II " due to The Rfpsbhc0~
to say that other minds than ID own invsnt-
cd 1t. Since 1865, when for thirty days this
papsr, then Just started, cordially Aidsd The
very earnest canvass which was made In
bsisalf Of Ar. Riddles election - Cover
nor. ard yielded ITSELF entirely to tho dirso-
ton Of the gentlemen who conducted the
kspablioAn campaign, the CounnoiAL hss
earnestly, 1esaAly, AaA consistently repre-
scented Republican views and policy. That
campaign Of 1855, begun and almost ended
before the OonnH1MAL's hrst issus, left
the Republican party Of Delaware fat ON
iss back, under more than twelve hundred
majority. This defeat, 70 sevsrs under the
circumstAncss-for NO means Of success
had been oalitsed, end The Dsmocratic ma
jority In 1854 had bssn but 609-was unsx-
pectsd aud Overwhelming. At such iusc-
turs, under The disooungsnsnt Of
such defeat, the OonnxacIAL began
its career - IN exponent Of nbsr-
al aud progressive views In Delaware,
and At oncs wAs summoned 10 msse nd
act upon the issue Of impartial suGnsA
How unpopular the proposition that No
groes should vote then wasi all can rsmsm-
ber. The Rep,iolioa,s, which nov bows low
to the enfrAnchtsed coloeed men, then stood
with many others, afax Cd from the work
of getting for thAA the ballot, while The
CoAxxac1AI. led The fight, ali through 1857,
and thereafter I'll NJ 18th Amendment BE-
came part Of tbs Constitution, knowing that
the measure was Just, and that then, at the
close Of the war which had destroyed
Slavery, was the opportuns moment to for
ever rmovs from the Republic the stain
and disgrace Of Acknowledgement ON 20.
count OF color. Weak - the party was from
it, defeat Of 1896, il former leaders dis
couraged, its new and hastily rallied organ
izs,s refusing to adopt the Democratic poll
cy Of buying votes, and bearing the odium
and unpopularity, (Which the moral coward
ice Of time-ssrving and short-sishted :. or.
gans' like the Republican greatly increased)
of negro suffrage, without getting ~ yet,
The aid Of single black vote, the majority
against the Republicans. in Delaware, in
Delaware, in 1868, was 1857.
Starting from that year, look for . mo
ment At the vote Of this State, down to the
present time
H. ,sss, Democratic majority. . s9s
~ iolU s........ Z551
In 1872 Republican " .......... 44s
In 1874 Democratic I" ....... .122.
This ia ali instructive collection Of figures
In shows that from 1868 on down to 1877.
and past that year the Republicans gaines
in this St&ts-the CoHHKRCIAL al the Will
presenting facts and arguments upon thei
side. The majority in 1870 would hAv
been At least . thousand lsas, had not tn
Republican effort been chilled 1t the outae
by the failure Of members of the party I
promptly organize in behalf Of Mr.. Ooursey
election ~ Governor, but even wit
that drawback, there was . gain Of owe
nine hu idred, while in 1872 there was
further gain Of nearly twenty-eight huI
drsd, the COMMERCIAL meantime not stant
ing silent, but bearing the heat Of the b.
tie, and contributing to the argument ,
campaign issues with all its force. At tn
moment the Republicans had their fe
npou the mountain. They could have he
the State in 1874. il they had 10 acted -
deserve the public confidence. The pro-
pect for them was bright. But the chAne
OF successor permanent control Of Il
sts.e-wAs recklessly thrown away. I
spite Of all appeals for fair play, grab VI
the game, and the party lash was used I
force the most obnoxious results, with
reckless folly that was amazing. It d
strcyed the party for that year, completed
An TO that sad, disgusting, and most inc
easabls result the Republican Jealous
contributed Always without that NOR
perception Of public duty, corresponding
the quality which in = woman il demon
mated virtue, 1t had always been political
"on the street." eager to be solicited, n
really tn yield 1t once toI the embraces
any who wonld offer the appropriate i
d,tcement. In that campaign, ~ theret
fore aud since, 1t justified the disgracef
reputation which 1t has had .As sheet .
surdly without mental or moral strengt
and only raised above the level OF d
iadicrous by Its disgusting readiness
serve every party end, however imprope
and to advocate personal purposes witho
caring or conlprehending that they injur
the public interests.
What we have concisely said above ~
the how and ebb Of Republican strength
Delaware is capable OF complete proof
every particular. The facts, are know
aud known to be undeniable. Only imp
dsnce like that Of the Whisky Thieves "
invent accusations against Secretary Br
tsw can give expression to the assertio
which tile Republican makes. That par
Is the natural ally and associate Of su
tacticiSns. 1t would have had, il its inf
snces could prevail, BAboock still in t
White House, aud Belknap in the War !
artment. Having no such moral sense
polnts it to the truth that parties, like mi
only deserye to succeed when they are b,
eat, it would willingly join in the sche
Of the greatest rogue, II he had stolen 4
clad himself in, party livery, and Il
the oorruptionists who have been I
esrthsd at Washington, to the Disgrace
the party and Of the country, it would .
nounce and Asssil every honest aud int
pendent man or newspaper who stood
the way OF the rascal to whom for the til
it Lxd prosttuted itself. And hence
present impudent assault ON the CONN
oiAI.-an assault which may indicate Il
the Republican still serves some one v
desires to rend the Republican party, =
again disgust and demorslize . great pi
OF those who appreciate and cherish
principles, but which Of itself could All,
not single intelligent man In the State.