Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1876-01-07
PoLIr 'il
p1ssEcrrNe THE REPUBLICAN PARTY.

upon the political situation That wide
ly circulated journal is strongly Republi-
c.n, ard until recently, has been strongly
favorable to Mr.. Grant. but now it as
strongly opposes him. We extract the fol-
lowing;
Assuming that the Republican party
does not mean to destroy itself by the re.
nomination of Gen. Grant, who ould not
even carry Massachusetts, and would GER
tainly lose New York. Pennsylvania, and
Ohio, it is time to look at tie considera-
tons which should determine the selection
of candidate. Notwithstanding he Re
publican SUCCESSES IF tn. last antunn, it
is plain that the Republicans can not elect
IL candidate merely by the party mnmell-
tum, The situation C VI best he 81 ldIed III
Massachusetts,. That is tho typical Repub
lican State. In 1872 the Republican lua
icrity was nearly sevtniy-live thousand
Last year he Democr is etectrt! the Gov
ern,r and several members 1T Culi.'ess.-
During the year Ceie W Is ! party revival.
so to speak "a v.gorOu> II publican pr tes'
throughout the c III ,t'y against rtail
Republican tendencies; and at tie lat
election, although the Republican candi-
date for Governor was entirely unexcel,.
tionable, h. was returned 10y IN jorily If
barely five THOUSAND. This result IN State
like Massachusetts is the conclusive proof
that the sense of party obligation is SO
weakened that it's force is not alone enough
to elect President. The kind of dissatis
faction that was felt in 1872, and which
led to the Cincinnati movement, has i'm
measurably deepened and broadened. 1t
was without result then, because of its
candidate and the alternative it presented
which forced many thousands of Republi
can voters to support General Grant under
protest, and which kept many thousands
of Democratic voters from the polls. But
next year the Democrats will nominate a
candidate who will BIZ sustained by the en-
tire party vot. and an immense number
of dissatisfied Republicans will also sup
port him unless the Republican candidate
should be wholly satisfactory to those who
desire total change in the tone Of admin
iStration.
If we look for the causes which have re
duced the Republican party to its present
doubtful condition, we can easily find
them One, of limited scope, is t .e hard
times: the other, and the efficient cause, is
Impotence with what may best be describ-
ed as low, personal, selfish, intensely par
tisan character of administration, which
fosters such iniquit les as the Credit Mobl-
lier, the moiety system, the salary grab,
the enormc us whisky anu Indian frauds,
questionable transactions OF all kinds in
volving high officers and all apparent dis
regard of them, l despotic party control
by the office-holding interest, and a COLI
templuous violation of solemn party
pledges.
In 1872 the Republicans carried New
York by fifty thousand NJ jority. In 1874,
\, I ba huC Inf or CAVIAR
nor they ever had, they lost the State by
fifty thousand. The secret was Republi.
IN digust. For in the mean time the
third term had been suggested, or practi-
cally indefinite continuance of the lntOle-
rable tendencies which had dissatisfied the
party
The indispensable condition of success
1875, is, therefore, evident. 1t is that the
candidate shall be in himself the proof that
there will be 10 continuation of those
Things which have so radically alienated
immense numbers who would prefer to
vote the Republican ticket. but who will
not vote it merely because it is the Repub-
lican ticket. Republicans ought to see
clearly that as Giant himself could not
possibly be reelected, 81 none of the Grant
group can he cleo ed. 1t is the Admins
tratinn which has endangered and defeat
ed the party. and any candidate who would
represent substantially a continuance OF
the Administration in the general ciarac-
ter and spirit that we have mentioned
would be surely defeated. The signs of the
times upon this point are absolutely un-
Inistakable. The only man whom the Re-
publicans CAN elect is some man whom the
Administration cuterie would strongly OPP
pose, because his career and character
would be the guarantee of total change
in the tone of Administration.
EXPOSURE OF THE MISSISSIPPI ELECTION.
H. R. Revels, the colored ex-United
States Senator from Mississippi, has writ
ten letter in regard to the late election
in that State, which takes the ground that
the Republicans were defeated through
their own corruption. The publication OF
this letter is opportune, as it may mater
ialy assist Senator Morton in arriving ut
the truth should his resolution to investi-
gate that election be adopted by the Sen
ate Tie letter, which is dated Holly
Springs. Miss, November 8, and appeared
first in the Vicks1urg - Herald is address.
ed to President Grant, and reads as fol-
lows:
sMy Dear Sir: In view of the esults of
the recent election III our State, have de-
termined to write you Il letter canvassing
the situation and giving you my views
thereon. I will premise by. saying tina l
am nc politician. thong h having been hon
ored by "a seat in the United States Senate.
never have sought political preference,
nor do | ask 1t now, but am engaged IN my
ict
nest desire for the welfare Ut all the people,
irrespective of race or color. have DEEM
ed it advisable to submit to you, for con-
sideration, d few thoughts in regard to the
political 81, uation in this State. Since re-
construction, the masses of my people have
been, as it were, enslaved in m nd by I'M
PR lcipied adventures, who, caring moth
ing for the county. were willing to stoop
to anything. no matter how infamous, To
secure power to themselves and perpetuate
it. My people are naturally republicans.
but as they grow older in freedom SD do
they in wisdom. A great portion of tn IN
have learned that they were being used as
mere to is, and, as in the late election.
not being able to correct the ex sting evil
among themselves, they determined by
casting their ballots against these uGprin-
cipled adventures to overthrow them.
My people have been told 10y these schemers.
when men were placed upon the ticket who
were VIGOROUSLY corrupt and dishonest,
| that they must vote for them; that the
salvation OF the party Dope ded upon them;
that the man who Scrat ched a ticket was
not Il Republican. This is only one of the
may means these malignant demagognes
nave devised to perpetuate the Intellectual
bondage of my people. To dsfeat this pol
icy at the late election, men, irrespective
of race or party utilization, united and
voted together against men known to tie
Incompetent and dishonest.
II cannot recognize, nor do the masses
of my people who read, recognize the MA
jority OF the officials who have been in
power for the past two years as republi-
cans. We do not believe that Republican,
ism means corruption, theft and embezzle
ment These three offenses have been pre-
valrnt among great portion of our office
holders; to them must be attributed the de-