New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-11-09
WHAT TT MEANS.

WHAT IT MEANS.
A very strong dose was needed. On tues
dav the Republican voters administered 10
their party a purgative OF extraordinary
| strength. In New-York and Pennsylvania, the
| tremendous maioIites make 1t quite Impossible
for anv rational person to misunderstood the
intention of the voters. 1t is unspeakable
| folly to pretend that the great army of Repuo-
licans, who have helped to make the defeat OF
their leaders and organization Ill those two
States SO overwhelming, had any other aim
| than to punish past and prevent future miscon
duct by their own so-called managers ana
would-be bosses. Not one tenth of those who
so voted. it is safe to say, could have been IN
duced to do so Tor the purpose OF transferring
the National Government to the Democratic
party. Without doing this an opportunity was
| offered to put all end to the dictatlon OF MT
| Arthur to the despotism of Mr.. Cameron ana
| to the indecent and shameless conduct ot many
| local leaders The Governor-elect Mr.. Cleve-
| land In an interview on the night oil the cleo
| ton. and Mr.. Kelly in his speech at Tammany
| Hall, both plainly acknowledged that the ex-
| traordinary majority was due, not to the Dem
ocratic party, but to the Republicans who
"were dsgusted at the way their party has
"been managed.n
But the elections OF Tuesday manifest de-
| termination not confined to the indignant VIC
| tins of Arthursm and Smythism in New York,
or of Cameronism in Pennsylvania. Republi-
cans in many other States have been indignant
and disguised Startling defeats or heavy
losses, all along the line from Boston to San
| Francisco, show that the same purpose and
ocbo yn1
| by Republican voters, though by smaller num-
| Der of them, in many other States. 10 them
! also it seemed necessary to discipline the Re
| publican party 10y defeats and losses, in order
to keep it alive. California Republicans were
not especially exercised account of the
tyranny of Mr.. Cameron, nor Illinois Republic
| cans on account of the conduct of Smyth and
French. These were but ugly warts on the
bark of the tree, and the Republicans of other
| States have set themselves to cut up by the
roots the tree itself. Where the forgery of a
telegram in New-York had never been known
| or considered, where the issue between Stewart
and Beaver was not at all understood, I'D those
| States also there was cause OF Republican IN
dgnation and disgust broad as the Nation it
| self, recognized everywhere by the more In
| teigent and independent members of the
party, and serious enough to make thousands
of them stay at home, and thousands more
| vote for Democratic candidates.
President Arthur knows what that cause is.
| When he Inherited the Presidency, after lead
| inc shameful warfare of faction against the
Executive chosen by the people, he sOlemny
pledged himself to walk in the path and carry
forward the policy of his murdered prcdeces-
| Tbot,D al oil, no hos her kaO nnr pl
to keep. On the contrary, he has reversed the
policy of President Garfield in every important
feature defed the will of the people expressed
in the nomination and election of that noble
leader. used his place and power to wreak the
vengeance of a malignant faction upon the
followers and the friends OF the dead Presl-
dent, outraged public opinion by rewarding
men who had tired to blacken the mare of the
| departed statesman, abused his trust and
| prostituted his power i'll order to place II large
| majority Of Republicans III subsection to a
| small minority, and labOred desperately to
enable small faction to dictate to the whole
party and the country. The result is a polt-
| ical revolution.
| No other cause can be assigned for the
events of Tuesday. Congress had behaved
badly in some things but the voters in almost
| every State gave a stronger support to Republi-
| can candidates for Congress than to candidates
| for other offices. In Indiana and Connecticut,
some opposition was caused by the liquor ques-
ton, but that explanation fails entirely to fit
| the facts elsewhere. As if to remove all DOS
| sible doubt about their meaning, the voteIs
gave the Republican party large gains and a
splendid victory i'll Maine, where President
| Garfield is honored in the conduct of the party,
and in particular localities where close tliends
| of the laEe President were candidates, but adj
ministered an overwhelming defeat where the
leaders were opponents of his policy. and the
| most crushing defeat of all in New-York,
where President Arthur personally dire
| the campaign.
| It is a small matter that this result makes
| President Al thur an absolute impOssblity as a
| future candidate There was no chance of his
nomination ut any time, after lie decided to
| break from association with friends of the
peoples President. Tuesday has shown that
the Republican party cannot live If it tolerates
his leadership or submits 10 the direction of
the faction to which he belongs. BY unloading
that faction, driving it out Of power every
where and burying it out Of sight, the Republi-
can party can command public confidence; not
| otherwise. 1t now has two years in which to