The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1882-06-28
A Very 4ORn Year.


There are signs that the current po-
litical year viii not only be an ''off"
but an uncommonly "off" year. The
,'' OF" " year. as it has come to be under
stood since Mr.. Greeley gave that name
TO the year following the Presidential
election, is one in which public interest
in political questions languishes, partly
because there are no members of Con-
gress to be elected, consequently no
National issues under discussion, and
partly because the people have only
Just gone through the strain of Presi-
Dental campaign, are tired of the din
and uproar of politics, and have sort
of longing for rest. Moreover, they
like to indulge the belief that Presi-
dental election does settle something
for a little while at least The present
is not strictly speaking an ''off !" year,
because we have IN addition to State
officers in the biennial States full Con-
gress to elect, and in several States
Legislatures which will choose United
States Senators. But in the sense of
there being very little in politics upon
which the great parties can squarely
draw their lines and make party fight
of the old-fashioned sort, the year is, as
has been said, uncommonly "off."
The ''off'' year is always at the ex-
pense of the Republicans. 1t is when
men are fairly contented. with the rule
of the party in power, but not suffi-
GENTLY interested to come out and vote to
keep it in, that the party out of power,
eager for the spoils of Office and always
lurking in ambush for such opportuni-
ties, seizes its chance. Dull politics are
the hope of the Democracy. And it
may be said also as set-off, that tenn
porary Democratic success is the hope
of Republicans; since the use the Demo-
Gratis make of power is always sure to
arouse the whole country to the ne
cessity of putting them out as soon as
possible. So if it should happen at the
approaching fall elections that the
Democrats should, taking their usual
advantage of a political lull, secure q
msjority in the next Congress, there
would be nothing disheartening in it for
Republicans Indeed, though we are
very far from advising any such heroic
treatment, we are not clear but that the
surest way to put Republican success in
1884 beyond question would be to let
the country have taste of Democratic
rule in the next Congress. A Demo-
cratic majority, with all its liability to
do mischievous things, can always be
trusted to accomplish one good end,
and that is so TO expose and disclose it,
self that the people will not Immediately
trust it again. The one good thing a
Democratic majority invariably does is
to diminish itself and disappear.
1t is too early, of course, at this mo-
ment to venture prediction upon the
course of politics for the present year.
The most that can be said is that the
lack of any definite issue, and conse-
quent public apathy, are to the advan-
tage of the Democrats. Republican di-
vision in Pennsylvania, and similar in
harmonious conditions in this State, will
serve to aid them still more, But it may
be said, on the other hand, that the
Democrats themselves are torn by dis
sensions in this State that just now seem
irreconcilable; that the fusion move
ment in Maine, by which alone they
could hope for any success in that State,
has been seriously weakened by the ac-
ton of the Independent Greenback-
ers; and that the union of the
Democrats and Greenbackers else
where, particularly throughout the
South, seems on the point of dissolu-
ton. To this may be added that they
have no "burning issue" upon which
they can keep up the form of union
among themselves, unless indeed it be
the one presented by the Southern con-
tested election cases, upon whichever
though it "keeps alive the animosities
engendered by the war" which our
| Democratic friends so deprecate-the
| Republicans will be very glad to meet
them. They have split upon the tariff
and upon the. National Banks. There
is no practical question upon which they
can make the semblance of fight, and
they do not dare to make an arraignment
of the present Congress upon the record
of the session. Still, it is an '.of7'
year, a very ''of7' year. and that gives
them hope.-M r. Tribune.