The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1878-11-14
ELEMENTS OF WEAKNESS.

IL fraud of the electoral commission. |
Hal the leaders pursued wise policy
there can be no doubt that their majority
# tbe late election would be SO over
vheImine as to definitely settle the pres
iaanfial election of 1880. As it Is, the
democratic party has lost prestige, and
its chances for success in 1850 are less
encouraging than they were in 1876. The
detection Of New York, Connecticut ana
New Jersey adds an element OF dlscour-
agement to the campaign Of 1880. The re-
publican party, in the contest Immediately
following the presidential election, Tor
feited the respect and confidence OF
vast majority Of the people Of the United
States. It was a struggle on Their part
for the immediate profits. They knew
that the course they pursued would prove
fatal to all further expectations OF tayorS
from the people The republican party
sa.I l,,o its own crave. 1t parted with
the hopes Of the future to secure the
power of the present. After It's success,
II was torn by internal discussions.
Blaine. Howe and Conkling led revolt
which shook the party to its foundations.
1t was house divided against itself, ITS
chosen leader repudiated and denounced.
The democratic party threw away every
ADVANTAGE which these warning factions
in the camp Of the enemy gave 1t. Ii
deliberately proceeded to d,stroy the
fleuce Of the people which turned to
it when disguised by the corruption OF
the republican party. After the electoral
commission the democratic party was
giant in power compared with the repub-
Ecan party weakened by its excuses. 1t
had no occasion to seek the alliance OF
any third party to enable it to cope with
4 partv which had shown its willingness
10 grossly abuse the power with which Ii
was invested. BY its coquctting with
greeubackers it furnished the republican
party with war cry more potent to at
tract followers than the tattered folds OF
the bloody shirt. Honest money" CLOSED
NJ the broken ranks Of the republican
party. animated the faltering and threw
the mantle OF forgetfulness over frauds
which were a stencil in the nostrils OF
every friend Of 4 Yirtuous government.
1t was not not opposition to National
banks, nor doubts of the feasibility OF
---r,,nption on the first of January next,
that caused tuo raoplp to distrust the
democratic party. 1t was the tear el.s.
democrats had become too intimate witt
ffatists, to be safely trusted with power
Republicans made the fight squreIy on
honest money. Democrats were PLACED
III opposition to it, and Of course to the
ordinary mind, appeared to be ''fiatists.
The AID which was expected from the
greenbackers made them chary Of vigor-
TneunsCunu VIEWS Tn IrllaIIcg 81 9gJ,f1..
ocrats, but their apparent friendship for
those who rcrc unsound, that constituted
tie element Of weakness this fall To
people who did not choose to see thu
government surrendered to a class with
the most extrayagant and outragoOas
opinions on finance, the greenback party
is the most odious that ever the tide Of
times brought to the surface. 1t is ut
terly ruinous to any party to be on term
Of intimacy or to be in apparent sym
pathy with party based on the wildes
yagaries There is much in the manag, :
ment Of the finances of the country b,
the republican party which the greenbacl
party very properly denounced Buj
those errors are 50 yenial in comparison
with the evils which would result from.
putting IN practice the theories of green
hackers that ii COZ tomplating the create
we lose sight of tie less The knowledcs
Of this fact was the source of the poweG
displayed by the republican party thi.
fall.
Had the democratic party not been
hampcred 10y its sam:-alliauce with the
greenbaekers it could have directed til,
attention q the people to the many er
rors il tie administration Of the govern
mept by the republicans. But these
defects were deemed insignificant con-
pared with the dangers of fatism anG
the people were busted with the question
rs to how much the democratic party wa,
tinct,red with this hercsy. The dem
oeratic party had to stand on the defan
slye. Its attacks on the republican party
seemed to the people simply to be q
diversion. The republican party preferred
by the errors Of the democratic part
without suffering from its own.
The republican party came to poweI
en- ~ issue which was animate with life
1t served good purpose and grew no
corrupt 1t was never the part, |
81 the people. 1t was always aristocrati,
IN ITS leaninGs. For the last six wear |
it hasretained power through the blund,a
sngs OF the democracy. As the Democrat, |
party abandons principle, the republican |
- Guns 40 81 SiAS III anu III 2GG&CiLN. |
i i stronger 70 day than it has been foI |
he last six years, not through its own |
merits but through the wavoring and |
Rretehed policy Of the democracy. Tie
people are tired Of republican rule but
hey want the democratic party to lie
more steadfasi for principles before they
consent to change. If democrats hop, |
or success III 1880, let them cut endrel,
Dose from greenbackism, and not hop. |
Q gam power by yielding one particle Of
to secure the support Of an,
action. Republicans have come out # |
ms campaign with increased strength. |
go because OF their success but because
hey appear to be the conseryators of the
atlon's honor. We use the word cap
'ear advisedly, for it IS well known that |