Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1880-11-26
OLYMPIA. WASHINGTON TER.
FRIDAY EVEN'G, NOV. 26, 1SsO
Some of the Causes.

1t is with regret we observe DIS
position on the part of some Demo-
cratic papers to place the blame OF
defeat upon the National Committee.
Mr.. Barnum, comes in for the major
part of the abuse, from the very pa
pers which, before the election,
thought him the embodiment OF MIS-
dom. They now censure in unmeas-
ured terms the policy which directed
attention to those acts of the Repub-
lican nominees, which, under ordi-
nary circumstances, would have
overwhelmed them with defeat, and
gravely declare that had the contest
been fought solely on broad ma
tiopal questions of public policy,
that the result would have been dif-
ferent. We have no patience with
such arrogant assumptions or their
authors.
The result is attributable, in oul
humble judgment, TO causes for
which the committee are in no man
ner responsible. The first OF these
was the incessant cry waged of a
solid South, and constant enamer-
alton of the horrible things which
would be done if the Southern peo-
ple constituted controlling element
in the administration of the Govern
ment. 1t mattered but little wheth-
ther this view was based upon ade-
quate grounds, so long as the masses
were made to believe that it was;
and to Gen. Grant we owe mainly
the fact that the idea was generally
diss eminated and believed. There
nre many people who neglect to do
their own thinking, and with such, a
man who attains eminence becomes
an oracle of wisdom, whether bis
opinlous are worthy of consideration
or are veriest sophistry.
Another potent agency was the
expectation that, with change Of
administration, low tariff would be
its leading policy, and thousands of
operatives were made to believe that
this meant reduction of wages, and
II not a total at least partial sus-
pension of American manufacturing
Industries. This appeal was to the
pocket, from which leads the most
direct nerve to the whole human
organism.
The election in Maine likewise, we
contend, influenced the result quite
differently from the generally ac-
cepted belief. 1t aroused the Re
publicans to q mighty effort in the
October elections, and they had not
only the means for making an eff
fective canvass, pecuniarily, but the
appliances for drawing support from
other strongholds and concentrating
it. upon narrow battlefield. The
election in Indiana and Ohio had to
be carried at any cost, and the re-
suit showed the effect of that de.
termination.
A conflict in which tho people
must necessarily combat q we'll
trained army of of1ice-holders, sup
piled with unlimited means and
bound together by that most potent
bond of unity, the cohesive power
of public plunder," is forlorn hope
at best, unless they possess the van
tage ground, and this was lost when
the fraud of 1875 was condoned by
the retirement of Mr.. Tilden. He
should have been the nominee, de-
spite the murmurings of John Kelly
and the Tammany crew. His nomi-
nation involved principle overshad-
owing all others in the estimation of
fair. minded people. Much as We
are led to lament the degeneracy of
the times, we do not believe that the
people would have allowed an op-
portunity to have passed to put the
seal Of condemnation upon an act
which was SO completely subversive
of the fundamental idea of free gov
eminent.
The Rev. John Jasper, of Richmond.
Va. raid in sermon: The clergy IS to
blame for preaching contrary to the Bible.
The good book expressly says that the
sun moves, and that settles it,
We are glad that the matter OF
literal Interpretation is thus definite
~ settled. Everything is now clear,
and we shall no more search fol-