The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1881-11-09
Political Probation.

1he MethOQlSt ChurCh has good old
custom which the great political parties
of The country will do well to adopt.
When q proposed new memberis ICON
verted" and wishes to become a MEM
ber of that religious body, he is not adj
mitted to full fellowship at once. but is
taken on probation" the object being
test which time alone can supply. IL,
to use homely, but, expressive phrase
of the western miners, the new con-
vert s religious life "pans out WELL"
and his ''daily life and conversation
give evidence of q godly desire to lead
q correct life, he is then admitted with
in the sacred portals of the Church of
Christ.
This wholesome Methodist example
should not be lost upon the Democratic
party, which, of late years, has shown
a decided tendency to follow strange
leaders, IL not TO worship strange gods.
Since that party was driven from power
twenty years ago, its members have be-
come very much disguised with private
life and have seized upon every ex-
pedient that promised to restore them
again TO public favor. Their own over
whelming defeat in go, '64 and SO was
so disheartening that they took Horace
1Tc6l6y as u ITtSlucutldl lu
1872, which was one of the most remark
able blunders that a political party was
ever known to make. 1t was a mistake
never exceeded in foolishness in this
country, except by poor old Horace
candidate of the party he had fought
against all his life and done so much to
bring into disrepute.
But as great as Mr.. Greeley's defeat
turned out to be, and as disastrously as
it proved for his own reputation--the
elimination ending with his death from
broken heart-the warning seems to
have been lost on the Democratic
party. They have Just had an election
for Governor in Ohio, with a Mr.. Book
walter as the Democratic candidate,
who has been beaten by about 25. 600
votes in light poll, and when there
was little political excitement. Mr..
Bookwalter was recent convert from
the Republicans, and still entertained
many of their views in respect to Ma
tional affairs, which are notoriouslv re-
pugnant to the average Bourbon mind,
and in his own proper person he
represented as much that was antago-
nistic to orthodox Democratic doctrine
as Horace Greeley did when he was
heading the Democratic ticket as q
candidate for the Presidency. The
Ohio candidate had never voted Dem
ocratic ticket but once in his life, and
it was not to be expected that the old
mossbacks of the party could persuade
themselves that q yearling Democrat
was a fit man to represent them, even
in case of his election. Consequently,
his defeat was overwhelming.
This defeat of q renegade Republican
in Ohio ought to be q lesson to both
parties; first to the party that is look
ing for candidate, and next to those
ambitious persons who have fallen
from political grace, been cast out of
the old synagogue and are seeking an
other connection. Mr.. Bookwalter had
better been taken on probation. accord
ing to the Methodist plan, and proved
his sincerity by his works. before being
allowed to become the candidate of the
party for the highest Office in the gift
of the people.
Two other conspicuous warnings are
remembered, that will serve as bad ex-
amples of the practice under consider
alton. The Hon. James r. Doolittle,
of Wisconsin, after serving the State
faithfully and well as Republican in
the Senate of the United States, went
over 10 the DemOcratlc camp, ana
was Immediately made their candi-
date for Governor. 1t is needless to
say that he shared the fate of Book
walter, and was repudiated by the peo.
pie who had so long given him their
confidence and support. The other
case is that of the Hon. Lyman Trum-
bull, whose inglorious defeat as DEM
ocratic candidate for Governor of Illi-
nois will ever remain one of his most
painful political "reminiscences.
These lessons, drawn from the polit-
ical history of the past, ought not to be
disregarded by politicians who are
tempted to barter consistency for sue
cess. New converts to any cause are
apt to be distinguished by too much
zeal on the start to hold out long. and
before they are admitted to full COM
munion in the church, it is well to take
them awhile on trial. So far in the
history of partiesl the deserters from
the good old Republican camp have not
found the promotion which their ambi-
tion coveted by joining the Democracy.
Chicago Journal.