The Portland daily press., 1880-11-05
Watterson's Opinions.
What the Author of the Revenue Plank
Thinks.

OF the causes which lead to the result of the
election the Louisville Courier-Journal says
We are unwilling to believe that the defeat
which has oyertaken the Democratic party Is q
defeat of the people, but 1t Is the defeat of
politicians The politicians of the Democratic
party, ignoring moral forces, undertook to play
a game of battledore with the Republican pol
iticians. To do this they deserted.a great lead
or and abandoned great principle. This was
an irrevocable blunder, an6 after it series of
accidents and mistakes followed as matter of
course. The revolt of Kelly; the obduracy of
Hendricks; the nomination OF Landers; the
ruling of the Indiana Supreme Court, which
set aside the verdict of the ballot box and re-
stored the October vote; the nomination Of
English; all OF which conspired to belittle the
campaign, i'll planned and i'll managed, and
never big with inspiration. Begun upon a low
tone, it failed to give out from first to close one
breezy, sou-stirring note, in spite Of the capti-
waiting personality of Gen. Hancock. The
early days of the canvass, which were devoted
to foolish work of smirching the character Of
Gen. Garfield, fell stale, flat and Improbable
on the country; the spur Of activity which
seizing upon local complications in Maine to
hammer out a few lurid sparks that dazzled
and misled us, was practically lost by Identify
ing our nominee with Greenback rottenness,
and no sooner was issue taken with the tariff
plank in our national platform than, instead of
maintaining doctrine as old as the Demo
cratic party, Gen. Hancock was induced To
shalt; hesitate and put his foot in it. Then
English proved disappointing, and declined to
come down with the stamps, made the confu-
sion worse confounded in Indiana.
Mr.. Watterson adds of Gen. Garfield, and
on the failure of the party:-The election Of
Garfield over Hancock makes il certain that
as party divisions now stand, the Republicans
can ELECT any ticket they please in the field.
They can as easily elect Grant four wears
hence, an event indeed which this present re-
suit foreshadows; but it is equally clear that
the existing alignment of the parties cannot
endure, and we get away from the misleading
sentimental and sectional politics which has so
long played into the hands of the wicked and
weak. We may fairly hope that the material
well-being OF the country, embracing ques-
tions which appeal to business men, will re-
place our horizontal with perpendicular lines
OF political discussion. With the breakup Of
the South, which can no longer be held solid
will come in time the breakup of the solid
North, yielding to no one in detestation for
elected President OF the United States, we de-
clared early in the canvass what we here take
leave to repeat, that he is a person Of com
manding intellect, voluminous experience in
public affairs, incapable alike OF personal
venality or malignity, and capable Of wishing
to be just chief magistrate That this will
be his purpose and policy we sincerely hope.
He is ambitious withal, and having a mind
and heart which do not want for virtue to
guide him, and, unlike his immediate prede-
cessor. coming in at the front and not at the
back door, it will be crime, which he can see
and whose consequences he can measure, il he
does not rely upon the country at large for
his support and seek the very earliest opportu-
nifty to declare his independence of corrupt
and despotic bosses, who will seek to rule his
administration with an iron rod.