Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1880-11-05
THE NATIONAL ELECTION.

Inc democracy Was uoIoaGeu Oh lueS-
day last by the tight waist bands of the
country. The four big crops Of the last
five years did the business for our candi-
date. It is q hard matter to change an
administration when the stomachs Of the
people have just been filled after long
fast, and when they feel SO contented as
want to 'slet we'll enough alone" A dis
contented people are a thinking and often
captious population, but when plenty fills
the land your well-fed man does not stop
to draw the distinction between the four
crops and the Republican party, and he
mistakes the door-knob for the man of the
house. 1t is very difficult to ex-
plain the difference to full stomachs.
They do not care great deal about taking
the trouble to make the distinction; to
them the sound currency is the work OF
John Sherman, and the four. great crops
are due to the Republican party. Had
there been a failure of the wheat crop last
year the Republican party would have
gone out of power this. ,fro
Subordinate causes Of the Democratic
defeat may be summed up in brief. The
failure in Indiana, no matter how caused,
was the lynch pin of the campaign. 1t
affected irrevocably the mind of that great
hesitating, unixed vote that is so uncertain
and yet so powerful in deciding elections.
Again. our antagonists showed extraordi-
nary cleverness in dropping the bloody
shirt and Solid South and picking up late
in the campaign the protective tariff as an
issue. too late for the Democracy to meet
them successfully on it. The old washed
out sectional questions were only chung to
by such thick heads as Gen. Grant, while
the cleverest and brightest of their speak
ers were stirring up the working people on
apprehensions of foreign competition in
labor and deprecated currency in pay for
that labor. A local cause too was among
the leaks in the boat--the New York De-
mocracy while presenting well yeneered
surface was not solidly united beneath it,
and the efforts for union while partially
had not been wholly successful. -.
The solace to Democrat when his party
fails is that it is merely matter OF to.
day. The principles Of that party remain
and, will remain as long as liberty and
good government are deemed. worth hav-
ing.l The people of the Union will see that
for the next four years the existence OF the
Democratic party as a watchful patriotic
minority is to be the balance wheel of the
Republican party. No party that has ever
sprung up IN this nation needed more an
opposition which has for its central
thought the rights of the people, for nc
party has more rapidly drifted Tito the
hands of the few. Its political system isbuilt
up upon the idea of Capitalization and the
mortar is hardening every year. But it. is
system made by mere rulers not by states
men and cannot stand when the founda-
ton is made on the free will of a free PEG
Pile. Looking to the future there is moth
ing but the passing disappointment of the
day to discourage any Democrat. His il
party Of veterans used to fifty years 5o1
victories and twenty years Of defeats. 1t
is no dress parade, no holiday show; De
mocracy is not garment to be changed a.
will, uniform to be discarded exceptb,
deserters- it is principle and as such can
not die until the history of men ceases tt
furnish events to apply it's pr nclples to
In the meantime let our people return
to their avocaJions in comfortable fran,
of mind. The country is not going to tht
bad because of four years of party admin
istration, however differently from us thu
leaders Of that party may view great polit
ical questions. The American Union i
too young and lusty and sturdy for that
Instead of dwelling on disappointment .ol
cherishing gloomy forebodings let us lool
out over the bright picture of the prosper
Gus times, the full bearing fields, the bus,
workshops of the land and take heart oi
grace for our daily work and our country
future.
Bldckaoood's Magazine for October ha
been republished by the Leonard Scot
Publishing Co., Al Barclay Street, New
York. The number is we'll worth spend
ing an hour or two over, both for its owl
merits and as relief from the exciting
topics of the election.