Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1882-11-17
THE LESSONS.

f -
country, the New York Examiner,
comments on the results of last
weeks elections in the following
strong language:
The last weeks elections must be
classed not as party victory, but
political upheaval The forbidden
and abhorrent" forces that had so
long been working in the Etna of
Republication were met by the
counter-forces of morality and hon
esty, and Tuesday was the day of
eruption. 1t is in it's broadcast sig
nifcance, therefore, and not as an
ordinary struggle of party with
party, that this lesson must be con-
sidered by those who would so mas
ter its teaching as to turn them to
good account for the future welfare
of the country.
For one thing, no machine In
two great States conspicuously the
machine has been broken into pieces
so fine that it is hard to see any of
them toSday with the naked eye.
The wreck is happily complete be~
yond power of reconstruction or re-
pair out of the original element, and
new material will not soon be found
after the warning of such a crush.
In the other States, too, the machine
was everywhere shivered and shatter
ed, and the machine managers are
men without anything to manage,
with occupation gone. Great and
good is the downfall of such men
from power.
For another thing, no fraud or
forgery. These are new features III
convention and campaign--may they
rever become familiar ones. In New
York they have been buried beneath
the condemning weight OF nedrl y
two hundred thousand mojorlty-
such majority as was never before
given any man for Governor in this
or any State; such as never could
have been given had not Republicans
who prefer principle to party and
right to rule joined TO make it, as an
unmistakable proof of their reiec-
ton in politics of the methods and
means of the criminal. Never was
there more reason to be proud of the
Empire State than in this utter ard
overwhelming condemnation of evil
methods and INSCRIPTIONS leaders.
For third thing, no illegitimate
Federal interference. It must re
main matter of profoundest regret
that President Arthur, with his
grand opportunities, his good quail
ties, and his unquestioned desire to
acquit himself well in the high place
to which he was called, not chosen,
persistently put himself in position
to receive rebuke of so remarkable
kind as has been administered. Of
all men who have occupied the White
House he has most need to pray to
be delivered from his friends. They
are the millstoae around his neck
that will sink him he pelessly unless
he cast it off. To him the lesson of
these elections is of the deepest sig,
nificance. 80 wad some power the
giftie gle him to see that the peo-
pie are ready and eager to rally
around and sustain Chester A. Ar
thur, if he will only make himself
known as the President OF the peo-
pie rather than as the friend of
French and of the political faction
and forces he represents. The voice
of the votes from one end of the
land to the other rings out in notes
not to be mistaken or unheard
against the use of Federal influence
In matters with which the Federal
government and its head have no
rightful concern.
For fourth thing, no money.
That is, no money wrung from pubs
lie employees, and wrongfully used to
bride and corrupG-no more Jay
Hubbellism. This year patronage
and poverty were made to pay po-
litical fees; and Golfers of the Com
gressional committee and of local as
sessment mills were we'll filed, and
the hundreds of thousands of dollars
were poured out into the innumera-
BILE greedy political pockets but the
voters rose in their might and showed
that there are results in politics that
money is powerless to purchase or
prevent. The victory is wholly in
the line of civil service reform, In so
far as it is victory from within the
Republican party over itself-and
that III large measure it must be ac-
counted
These are some of the larger les
sons. Experience teaches the wise,
enrages fools After the experience
of this revolution-w what? That is
the question for wise Republicans to
ask themselves. Shall the lessons
be needed? 1t is necessary and best
that there should be in a government
like ours two great parties. Shall
the Republican party continne to be
one of them? That will depend
upon the spirit with which its self
imposed punishment is received.
The defeat is one that may be turned
into a satisfactory that shall make
the Republican party again worthy
of its early history, before successes
had bred within it arrogance and
corruption, and sowed the seed of de-
cay. Let wise and good leaders re-
place the party 'bosses," let states
manship shine forth where partisan|
ship has plundered, and after this
uprising of the masses in behalf Of
honesty and reform and right, we
foresee only good for all the parties
and all the people. 1t will not bs
the first time that men and nations
have been brought to duty by the