Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1876-11-04
TUESDAYS GLORIOUS VICTORY.

On Tuesday next the most important
election m off that has been witness
ed in this country since Lincoln was
made president. On that day the peo-
pie are once more going to place Il DEM
ocratic president at the head OF affairs.
Hereafter, yes, many years hence, 1t
will be customary to look back to this
election as a landmark, dividing the
most unhappy period this country has
ever experienced from the new era of
democratic supremacy, which, we fond
ly believe. will prove n of uninterrupt-
ed prosperity. In years to come it will
be common to refer to mems political
record during this, the critical period,
and attach more Importance to them than
to any other time. The want of concert
at action has, in years past, been the
bane of the democratic party, and staunch
consistency has come to be valued. by
the wise men of the party, accordingly.
Sixteen years ago, democrats allowed
their feelings to get the better of their
judgment, so that no candidate could be
agreed on to oppose Lincoln. Their
folly then lost them the control of the
government from that time to this, and
vas the indirect of all the terrible
evils that have accompanied a republic
a administration. At that time there
were important questions to divide them.
and there was a show of reason for their
suicidal conduct. Now they have moth
ing. The principles advocated by the
party are to-day the same, north, south,
east, west, and men have no SEM
blance of a plausible xcu for creating
schisms and divisions in it. Yet, with
all the experience of by-gone years, we
find men, and clever men too, ready to
split the party into smithereens, it may
be. on account of most unimportant local
differences.
We have deplored the ~unconsidered
action of men in our own county-the
Fulkerson movement, for instance-and
have endeavored, in various ways, to
show those engaged in it the irrepar-
able injury they were likely to do them
selves and the party. We have argued
the case with them, and we have ex-
tracted freely from Jul exchanges, to
show them how their bolt is regarded
by democrats at a distance from the
scene. Our efforts have not been alto
gether unfruitful, and the gentlemen
engaged in this movement have been
gradually dropping back into line, more
and more as election day approaches,
so that now we can safely affirm that
the bolt will not affect the success of the
democratic ticket in any important par
.ticular. 1t will reduce, somewhat, the
majority of the democratic nominee for
county collector, and that is all. Even
this is bad enough; for there will re-
main men, heretofore straight-out dem
ocrats, who, after the election is over
while all of those they are accustomed
to consider political associates are re-
in overwhelming democratic
victories-will feel themselves defeated.
Some of them are clever men, and we
are sorry, but feel that we have done
our duty, andnow wash u hands of all
responsibility for any future bitterness
or unhappiness on their part. They
will remember this boiling faction in
years. when others are showing
clean democratic record, and they
will deplore their part in it. But the
bed is of their W making, and they
lie in it. Bad as 1t is now, much
more de%plorable would have been the
result if Fulkerson had been successful.
The defeat of Captain Lesueur, or any
other individual, would have been of
small consideration; but then there
would have been a permanent split in
party, instead of one, which, we
hope. will soon be healed over; and this
we would have looked upon as calami-
tous indeed.
From the time of Fulkerson's success,
had such a calamity befallen the county,
none except very conscientious men
have felt themselves bound by
any pledges given, or by proceedings in
convention. Fulkerson would have
been pointed to as a bolter worthy of
imitation. 1t would have been said by
aspirants: "He bolted and
elected; why may we not bolt too?'
But, fortunately, the people have their
eyes open in time, and this trouble has
been averted. The lesson will not soon
be forgotten, for Fulkerson was an ex-
popular man. Meantime. as
all has turned out well, 1t will be mag
unanimous in democrats not to remember
this bolt against Doctor Fulkerson. or
those who so with him next Tuesday.
Let them be forgiven in this, the Year
of Jubilee. The act itself will carry
it its OWL punishment. The boilers
will feel on Wednesday, when demo-
Gratis are wild with delight, much like a
deserter from the English to the French
might have felt the day after Waterloo.