National Republican., 1882-11-10
The Swing of the Pendulum.

together at this time for the accomplish
ment of the same end. And the opera
ton has been a curious one, as may be
seen by one or two examples. For in
stance, the question of Temperance.
Within two or three years, we are told,
there has been great progress in the
cause of temperance-a grand revival
and we suppose it may be so. From the
well-known attitude of the large ma
jority Of Democrats toward the temper
ance reformation it would be supposed
that an extended reformation would tend
to injure the Democratic party and assist
the Republicans, but it has proved the
reverse. The threatening aspect of pro-
hibition alarmed the liquor interest, and
manufacturers dealers, and drinkers
pulled of their coats and went to work 10
strengthen their old ally and well-tried
friend, the Democratic party; and many
Germans and some Americans in all large
cities and towns who usually do not vote,
or vote the Republican ticket, have this
year voted the Democratic ticket, and so
the Temperance revival has hurt the Re-
publican party and strengt hened the
party most hostile to temperance.
The temperance question is not the
only representative evil calling for at
tention. There are Il good many per-
sons in the country whose philanthropy
is not exercised by the evil of drunken
ness-some of them even enjoy little
toddy themselves-but who have q hor-
ror of the "spois SYSTEM" greatly sur
passing any that is excited in temperance
men by the appalling features of dram
drinking, smoking, and drunkenness, and
they have done all that was in their
power to destroy the Republican party.
As the spois system was the invention
of the Democratic party, and as Tom
Corwin wittily and truthfully remarked
forty years ago, they are governed by the
seven principles of " five loaves and two
fishes" it would be natural to conclude
that Il revival in Civil-Service Reform
would be exceedingly damaging to the
party whose practice when i'll power has
invariably been much worse than their
seven governing principles, and inure to
the benefit of the Republicans who, on
the whole, have very sparingly used the
guillotne in their practice, and not then
without reasons Of non-partisan char
acter.
The saints of temperance having bolted
from the Republicans to the direct end
of strengthening the dram-drinking sec
ton of the people, and the apostles Of
Reform having to large extent voted to
reinstate the ancient weather-hardened
and wcather-beaten spoilers in the seats
OF power, for which they have been hun
gering these twenty years, there was
seemingly nothing more in the way of
paradox that could surprise us or be ac-
counted improbable But amazing things
did, nevertheless, happen. In Massachu-
sets Ben Butler, the most eXeCrated of all
Democrats for political treachery, and de-
nounced by the Civil-Service Reformers
with beingt the engineer of back-pay swim
dies, Sanborn moiety grabs, and the
staunch friend of many aggravating
abuses, received more Democratic votes
than any Democratic candidate ever OBJ
tained in that State, and more encourage
ment than the saints ever gave to any
body-even of their own number.
In New York the great evil of in
temperance did not excite much atten-
ton. That sublime moralist, Beecher,
was not reported as preaching any SER
mons against it, and it is presumed that
temperance in Brooklyn no longer needs
the eoquence of the distinguished pulpit
orator and divine. But in the State of
New York there was machine" loose
among the people, and, there being q
| great demand in that State for candidates
of high standing, pure lives, and well
tried in the public service, the Hon.
| Charles j. Folger, the most eminent jurist
in the State, one Of the best known of
any of her citizens, of great ability and
conceded purity, was nominated for
governor. There was absolutely nc
fault to be found with him, but
Mr.. Beecher wrestled with the prob.
lem aud discovered that the machine
nominated Mr. Folger, and in order to
save the liberties of the people of New
York the votes must be given to Grover
| Cleveland, the unknown product of Tam
many Hall, the ancient disciples of Will.
lam l.. Marcy, of William S. Tweed, and
the present abettors and admirers OF
Henry Genet, whose recent graduation
from Sing Sing, where he had involun.
tarily boarded some years on account oi
dad methods "as public officer, proved
no obstacle to nomination now. The
happy combination of forces led by John
Kelly seemed to strike the erratic Beecher
as peculiarly fitting, and afforded him
the opportunity of his life to show his dis.
gust for a machine which could grind out
nothing better in the way of a candidate
for governor than the man Garfield
wanted rs the New York representative
in his Cabinet, and whom he would have
secured could he have given him such {
position MS the great State demanded fol
so eminent son. 1t is not necessary tc
pursue this line of thought. The illus
trations given are ample. An epidemic
of craze has been upon the people ano
taken off their feet all the population
with cranky tendencies. Old Ben But
Ter called it the "swing of the pendu
lum." The pendulum has swung and
reached its extreme point of the arc il
will now swing the other way. No mere
craze can last.
MACHINE MErHoD-Don Cameron re-
fusing to dictate Wilkes Barre post-oflicC
over the advice Of the Republican