The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1880-11-12
OUR GREAT VICTORY.
And Its Grand Meaning.
rErorn the Chicann Trih,,nn1

[From the Chicago Tribune.l
The late splendid Republican victory
shows that the people of the United
States are well poised; that they may
be trusted to vote to let well enough
alone; that they will not exchange a
good certainty for an uncertainty of any
kind they that know hawk from a
hand-saw. The Republican victory of
Tuesday is tribute to the wisdom of
impartial suffrage, to the sterling COM
mon sense of great masses of people ed.
ucated in the common schools. It is q
rebuke to demagogues, liars, and forg-
ers, and warning against political
campaigns of trickery, fraud, and ras-
cality. It is notice to all mankind that
the great republic of the West is
not failure a greeting of strong en-
couragement to the Republicans of
France; hint to the struggling peoples
of monarchical, aristocratic, autocratic
and despotic Governments of the dawn
ing of better day for the oppressed of
all nations. 1t is notice to the disfran-
chised white and black people of the
South that their brethren of the North
have not forgotten their prayers and
cries, and that they propose to redress
their wrongs. A solid North means that
there shall no longer be a solid South,
made solid by terrorism, fraud and
assassination that at the South, as
at the North, there must be, here
after, free vote and a fair count. 1t
is notice to the Democratic party that its
history and methods are alike repulsive
to the patriotism and intelligence of the
county, and that it can never atone for
the evil of all it's record by mere lip
service. 1t negatives the absurd idea
that political organization can exist
only for certain limited term of years
regardless OF its principles or its achieve
ments, and shows that the mission of
the Republican party will not be ended
so long as it shall address itself to the
living issues Of the hour. It is verdict
ofrecreancy against Trumbull and Farms
worth, and Butler, and other once dis
tinguished Republicans, who deserted
their party from interested motives,
impelled by the delusive theory that the
people would demand change of adj
ministration for the sake of change
merely. It shows that the intelligent
citizen can read between the lines of
party platforms, and detect the real
purposes of party leaders and speakers
under the mask Of plausible pledges and
the sophistry of fair words. 1t shows
once more that no man is COOL enough
to 90 bail for the Democratic party. Nc
Clellan, Seymour, Greeley, Tilden, Han
cock-these men have been selected for
one reason or another to serve as mask
for Democratic designs. But in each
instance the people have looked beyond
the standard-bearer at the party whose
standard the candidate bore. Principles,
not men, parties, not cliques, shall control
the administration of this Government,
the people have declared, and they have
made their word and purpose good.
It is a splendid victory-a victory
in the interest of peace and pros
perity, victory in the interest of free
speech, free men, free ballot and fair
count. For now there must be freedom
of speech at the South as well as at the
North. There must be free vote and
fair count there as well as here. Men
must be as free there as here. There
must be no more assassination for opin-
ions sake. The red-shirt clubs must be
disbanded. Their existence is an affront
to the majesty of the nation, and the
people have said, and said with empha-
sis, the nation shall live!
All honor to the prominent figures in
the great campaign, which has ended
SO gloriously, to Grant, and Sherman,
and Blaine, and Conkling, and Ingersol,
and Logan, and thousand others who
have done stalwart service In the fight.
But let us not deceive ourselves. This
victory is no mans spoil. Paul may
plant and Apollos water, but God alone
giveth theincrease. This is aGovernment
of the people. by the people, and for
the people, and the people only can save
and perpetuate it. To the people, then,
be all the praise-to their virtue and in
telligence, and to their righteous resolve
and determined performance, the VIC
tory is due. They have shown them
selves worthy of the generations gone
before and of those to come after;
worthy of the grand destiny of the ma
ton which thev have SO powerfully con-
tributed to mold.