Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1878-01-02
Nhe RepubHrar.
WEDNESDAY, JAN. 1878.
At the Confessional.

fession is good for the SOUL" Being
great political sinner and feeling the
need of forgiveness, he last week
sought to ease his conscience by frankly
admitting the error of his ways, and by
implication, at least, promising to turn
over new leaf and do better. 1t is a
hopeful sign and encourages us to think
that hereafter the Democrat will be
more reliable as political barometer,
and cultivate the virtue of consistency,
an omission that it has been guilty of
to- remarkable extent. That one so
young as the editor of that sheet should
have shown such an aptness in political
ehicanery and crookedness, has been
somewhat surprising He has dis
played zeal in the advocacy of bad
men and measures, which could not
reasonably be expected in a tyro such
~ he, sometimes suggesting an idea of
the possibility that some old party hack
with no settled convictions of right and
wrong, and with only the "spoils,' in
view, was at the helm. But if this
thought was ever seriously entertained,
it must be abandoned now, for the tone
Of the paper last week indicates that its
editor is not altogether devoid of polit-
ical honesty, but insists that his party
shall hereafter practice that virtue to a
greater extent than formerly. To the
average Democratic politician this will
be all the evidence required that the
eiitor is an unsophisticated youth-a
novice in fact-whose political eye
teeth are not fairly cut-and that he
has much to learn yet of the inside
workings of the organization to which
he belongs, else he would not be howl
ing for impossibilties-in other words
that he would not insist on it's manag-
ers being honest with the people, and
true to the old time convictions and
traditions of the Democratic party
which would be as difficult a task as
extracting blood from a turnip' Butt
the noble stand taken by our young
friend is commendahle, nevertheless,
and We wish him God-speed in his eff
forts at reform alton, and III bis demand
for the elevation Of his party's political
standard to higher and better grade,
which we hope, but do not expect, to
see gratifed That there is great need
of Improvement in the respect named
is evident from the following extract
from the Democrat, which will be re-
cognized as faithful pen picture OF
the Democratic party:
BY counting regulators, hugging
the granger, worshipping dishonest
money, pandering to religious prejudic.
es, making senseless war on corpora
tions, Understanding the intelligence
of the people, abandoning time-honored
principles for the sake of Office, and by
exhibiting its insincerity and hollow
ness of purpose on all possible occasions
the Democracy Eve were about to say)
richly deserves the defeat which usual
ly awaits it. What is the remedy !?
Honesty. Honest platforms and hon
est men upon them-honest officials,
and speedy punishment by the party
if they do not prove to be so-honesty-
toward the govsrnment-honesty to-
ward the public credi tor-honesty to-
ward the people. No double dealing
no soft money platforms and hard
money candidates upon them, or viice
versa-no trading off principles for the
spoils of offlce-no running after tenn
porary expedients-no catering after
isms and demagoguical humbugs-no
disguised repudiation-no good lord
good devil arguments. The mistakes
of the Democratic party since 1860
have been many and aggravatingly stu
pid, and it seems as though experience
had failed to teach it anything. In its
anxiety to gain power it is running
hither and thither-after the green
hacker, after the 'bullionist." after the
repudlator, after the "shylocks," after
the protectionist, after the freetrader.
after the "forei gner," after the native
born, after Tom, Dick and Harry-rag
tag and bobtaiI-anything, everything
so that the Democrats shall hold the
Offices and supplant the barnacle Re-
publicans- principles have no longer
anything to do.
Nothing We can say will add to the
fidelity ofthis vivid sketch. Democrats
will have no trouble In recognizing
themselves in the view presented,
which If must he admitted is nor in