The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1881-08-13
| GLANCE AT THE SITUATION.

A GLANCE AT THE SITUATION.
The fall campaign promises to be of
deep and absorbing interest. Never be-
fore has the Democratic party had such
. magnificent opportunity. to utterly
destroy the power of the party whose
leaders have cast Daught but shame and
disgrace upon the escutcheons of States
wheEe they have had absolute and uncon-
trolled sway, by reason of bribery and
corruption, which no honest man can
contemplate without blush of shame.
We knew that the beginning of the end
had come, when the Senators from New
York, resigned their seats, and the fu-
tnre will prove the correctness Of our
Judgment. The defeat OF the third
termers--ths imperialists, more proper
ly speaking--at Chicago sounded the
death knell of the Republican party
After that notable struggle, Senator
Conkling. who represented all that was
honest, politically, in the party, retired
disgusted. He realized that the nomi-
nation of Garfield, was but another name
for bis old enemy Blaine, whose plum
age he had clipped in many a hard
fought senatorial contest, and be was the
last man to bow the head or bend the
knee TO an adversary. Consequently
his powerful influence and magnetic
eloqunce were wanting in the early part
OF the campaign of 1880. The Demo-
cratic party, armed and equipped with
tie vital elements of Truth were sweep
ing the country with an irresistible force
and the result seemed assured. Demoe-
racy must triumph by an overwhelming
majority. Garfield knew, Blaine knew,
every bigoted Republican leader from
the ward politician to the national po-
ltical magnate, felt that concessions
must be made, ard that warning factions
must be couciliated, else the party must
10 down forever under weight of dis
honesty, that would ostracise for all time
those who had participated in its in
iquitous profits. 1t was then that the
superior finesse of Garfield beamed
forth in all its magnificent proportions.
Overtures were made and Copkling was
induced to visit Mentor, Ohio, and talk
over the situation. From pure love of
the party, whose success had monopo-
lised his superb abilities, and most earn
est thought during the best years of his
active life. he consented to the confer
ence. The result we oil know, Garfield,
Blaine, the entire coterie, who have since
turned their backs upon the pledges
then made, were profuse in promises, and
r, lying on their honor, as men, he ac-
cepted their professions of friendship.
entered the canvass heart and soul and
with his immense following won the day
for the Republican party. But the
Fourth of March had scarcely dawned,
when Garfield and Elaine, blissfully ig-
n"ring the past, began that system of
petty warfare on Conkling and his
friends, which led to the bitter fight at
Albany, There weIe discussions in the
party before but they were trifing COM
pared with the present feud of the
''Stalwarts" and "Half-breeds," which is
bitter and irroconcilable. There can be
no peace since the defeat of Conkling, for
the beaten and disgusted ex-senator is
not man to lower his lance in weak
submission to his victorious enemies.
This detection in the Republican par
ty, should stimulate the most thorough
union in the Democratic ranks. In view
of the future results, momentous in their
consequences, the Democratic party
should refuse its countenance to LOCAL
,JEALoUsIEs AND chickering's, and regard
any member as o traitor, who SHALL
THRUST HIS PETTY AMBITION between it
and triumph.
In the various States the Fall CAM
paign will be particularly lively. In
Virginia the contest just begun will be
very hot 1t is battle between honesty
and dishonest patriotism and dema-
goguery. The Democratic, party will,
beyond question. swept the Old Domin-
ion like tornado, for their is too much
honor in the State to allow it to in
cur the everlasting odium of repudia-
tien. Kentucky has gone overwbt I'm
ingly Democratic, and the party in Missis-
sippi, will have walk over the political
track in the coming election. And so it
will be all around the circle, if Demo-
erats will stand shoulder to shoulder, for
the eternal principle of their party.