Daily Los Angeles herald., 1879-11-07
Republican Tidal Wave. Wiii
Is EbD
yylil

In the Fall elections IS equivalent
to vote of confidence in the Re-
publican party. Nothing can pos
sibly be gained by shutting ones
eyes to this plain truth. If the
Presidential election were to take
place tomorrow Republican
would undoubtedly be elected.
But there is just year between
the elections of Tuesday and that
which shall determine whether the
true passport TO the favor of the
American voter is lavishness of
expenditures and interruptions
methods of administration. Many
observing people are thoroughly
convinced that the average voter
really, in his heart, despises econo-
my in the administration of the
government. He is liable to the
suspicion that he has at bottom q
sneaking admiration for men who
throw other peoples money--the
money of the poor taxpayer
around with a liberality begotten
Of the consciousness that no rigid |
reckoning will be demanded. The
average voter winks at the practice
which has grown up in Washing
ton Of office-holders disbursing |
hundreds of thousands of dollars of |
the public money in continuing |
themselves in power.
Prof. Goodwin Smith, in an in
genious paper in the last number of
the Atlantic Monthly, contends that
the whole world is approaching a
period which he calls "a moral in
terregnum.n He supports his
theory with many plausible argu-
ments, founded upon the decadence
OF q living faith iii Christianity.
However this may be with regard
to the world in general, there can
be no doubt of the fact that the po-
litical world, In the United States,
10 not approaching but is midway
advanced In an interregnum in
which everything like political
morality has disappeared.
The election in New York Tues
day is case in point. The re-
markable spectacle was witnessed
in the metropolis of the United
States of the leaders of the Repub-
lican party In union with John
Kelly to defeat a man who is said
to have been the best Governor
New York ever had. Governor
Robinson has accomplished mir
acles of honest administration
While, of course, the great body of
his opponents were honest and
well meaning men, it is safe to say
that every thief and sympathlzer
with public profiigacy in the State
OF New York voted against Robin
SOD. The party which has been
assumed to be the "party of great
moral ideas" has been seen shak-
ing hands with the mon whom il
has denounced for the past twenty
years, the ignoble motives of plum
der and political success actuating
the unholy alliance.
Though the Republicans seem to
have almost put beyond peradven-
ture their success in the Presiden-
tial election-at least that is the
way Republicans and many time
servers look upon tive decline to
accept that view of the matter. No
permanent party success can spring
from union of Kelly and Conk- |
ling. They both represent the
machine" element In our politics |
--one JUST as Extensively as the
other. The bloody shirt" and
the dominance of the plundering
politicians of the Republican party
will as surely breed disaster to that
organization as rich cheese will
maggots.
A keen and persevering attention
to the movements of our politics for |
the past three or four years would
replace ovsrweeniag confidence by
q certain amount Of distrust IN the
breasts OF Republicans. AS, during
the Democratic tidal wave year of |
1874, the Republicans retained
their control of such States as Kan
sas, Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan,
Vermont, and others, SO in this |
year of Democratic disaster Missis-
sippi and Maryland, aud a great
bank of other States. are still relia-
bly, Democratic. That the tidal |
wave Congress of 1874 did not act |
rs discreetly as it probably would |
have done had its majority been |
less, may be admitted. Is there any |
guarantee that the Republicans
will not be Inflated with success to
the point of disgusting the people.
Will they not flourish the "bloody
Shirt" aud show such an insolence
of.power that reaction will set in,
even in Republican States? The
late election in New York undoubt-
edly leaves Senator Conkling the
caDtral and aantrolIipc- 6nura e.,
New York politics. And who is
Senator Conkling? He is man
whom the Republican ex-United
States Senator Sprague, gallant |
soldier of the war, had to drive cut
Of his domestic circle with q shot
gun, alleging that the curled dar-
ling of New York had debauched |
HIS wife. Ie is q man whose van.