The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1882-11-21
The Germans and the Republican I'nr,y,

THE Germans and the Republican Inrty.
In several States Of the Union, the
Germans have long constituted the
balance Of power between the Repub.
lean and Democratic parties, and they have
rarely failed to give the votes Of their
States to The Republican party at critical
periods In the country's history. This Is
particularly true Of sucl, States rs Ohio,
Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin, aud to
some extent also US 10 Michigan, Iowa and
Kansas. Tho Germans Of the West are
largely Republicans from natural inclina.
ton, because they arc liberty loving
people, and because the Republican party
has from the outset been Il liberty loving
purity. This record Of the party has at.
tracted the Germans 10 It's fold In times
past.
But some will say that the Germans now
stand In n new light 10 political parties.
In one seusc they do. There Isl constant
change going OIL Mi over the country, not
only as regards Germans bnt also rs regards
all classes Of citizens. There Is 10 stand.
still In politics. The procession Of the
ayes" is always on the move. This is
especially true in countries where govern.
ment rests on popular suffrage. The pro.
cession keeps moving and political parties
must move with 1t. Whenever parties
cease 10 move in the direction OF tho pro-
cession, the latter moves away from them
The history Of parties in this country
does no. differ essentially from the history
OF parties in England, where, next TO our
own, the administration Of public affairs
rests OH popular suffrage. In that country
tits no. unusual 10 see party strong IN
one parliament and weak in the next. All
their premers and their cabinets have ex.
perienced violent fluctuations OF public
opinion. Lord Palmerston in his day,
Disracli in his, and Mr.. Gladstone, the
present premier, in his have all known
what it was to 80 in on the flood and 90
out OH the ebb Of public opinion. 1t is
the glory OF England, MS il is OF this coun.
try, and rs it is OF any free country, that
public opinion rules, and makes and TN.
makes administrations OF the government.
American politics partake prceminenlIy
Of this characteristic and this liability.
There are violent and surprising lluctua-
tons OF public opinion. There are years
Of political settlement throughout the
country at large and also in particular
parts OF the country. This present year
was n year Of this kind. There has been
settlement in committee OF the whole
and in sub committees; in the country at
large and in the country us States.
The American people are a practical peo.
pie, and they have keen recognition Of
the eternal fitness Of time and opportu.
nifty. They know the difference between
Presidential election and q State and Con-
sressional election. They are willing 10
make change, for certain ends ut one time
which they are not willing TO make Mt
another time. They do. not vote blindly
and Unfortunately, without reference 10
possible and probable results.
This WAS Il year OF general settlement.
Among others, the Germans appeared Oh
the scene with their account for settlement.
They too had Il grievance in several Of the
States. They were not any less Repub.
licans in 1882 than in 1850. They as class
had not changed their politics. They sill
believed, rs they do to-day, in the political
principles OF the Republican party as
against the political principles OF the Dem.
ocratic party. Make the issue squarely
between the antccedents OF tho two parties,
aud the Germans OF Ohio, Indiana, Michi-
gan, Iowa, and Kansas are overwhelmingly
with the Republican party. They do not
believe in secession or Estates rights" any
more to-day than they did years ago. They
do not believe in bogus money any more
today than they did at later periods in The
history OF the country. They do not be-
lleve in tissue ballots, shot guns or red
shirts nowany more than they did in 1850,
when they elected Garfield.
On the contrary, the Germans, from
their experience in the father land, believe
in that unity which," in the language Of
Washlnston's farewell address, "consti.
tutes us one people" The have had enough
OF petty sosereiynties as governments, and
their dream has been n united Germany,
with n strong government, able to repel
loreign Invasion or suppress domestic in.
surrectlon. Then, too, they believe in
genuine money rs the reward Of labor and
capilal-lhe genuine money OF the world.
VI all people, they are particularly nom
speculative in their instincts, and addicted
TO conservative and established methods in
business and finance. This instinct has