Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1882-11-10
THE ELECTIONS,

THE ELECTIONS.
A general election always sets the defeated
party up in business for a week or two trying
to explain just why it was beaten and point
ing out the various sins of omission and com
mission which led to its defeat. The task is
proftless and often ludicrous. One party is
defeated simply because the other got more
votes, and the only thing to do is to let the
",lcad past bury its dead" and 'peck your
flints" and get ready for the next battle. But
there are some useful lessons to be derived
from the campaign which closed so ingloll-
ously Tuesday which must be learned by the
Republican party if it expects to live. In
the first place the Republicans entered the
canvass handicapped in every possible way
The managers of the Republican Congress
sional committee appear not only to be
representatives of everything that is bad in
party politics, but to be II set OF dolls, inca
pable of reading the signs of the times. The
campaign literature they sent out was the
mcrest drivel, and its perusal would have the
effect of inducing the reader to vote the
Democratic rather than the Republican ticket
If such stuff could lie presumed to have
any effect at all. The levy made by the
committee upon the salaries of Government
officials had an extremely bad effect and
doubtedly cost the Republican party many
thousands of votes. The result sufficiently
demonstrates that aside from the moral
principles involved, that sort Of thing doesn't
pay, practically. We sincerely trust that the
| party has seen the last of llubbell and the
political methods with which he is Identified
Even more malo1orous than he is Stephen W.
Dorsey, who, in spite of the infamous dlsclos
urcs of the Star route investigat ,stllrcmains
in the honorable position of secretary of the
Republican National Committee When such
men are apparently trusted and honored by The
party and hold the chief places in its conn-
ellis, it can not command the confidence OF
the people. The present is an excellent time
to send the bummers to the rear, and such
men ought to receive marching orders at
once.
Coincident with these scandals came the
trouble in New York In that State was
witnessed the extraor binary spectacle of an
able and successful Governor defeated for
denomination by Jay Gould and Roscoe
Conkling, with the active assistance of the
Federal almnistra,ion--and defeated by
fraud and treachery. The best element o.
the party was alenated from the ticket
nominated at Saratoga, aud the popular YER
dict is well expressed by the enormous mo-
jority for Mr.. Cleveland The Trouble in the
Empire State naturally had u demoralizing
effect on Republicans everywhere, and the
fight on this account alone would have been Il
losing one all the way through But the
ms!ortunes of the party followed it into al
mos every State. In Pennsylvania, Don
Cameron, who hasn't yet learned that boss
needs brains, played the dictator more oifcn-
sircly than ever, and great popular revolt
was the consequence In New Hampshire,
there was Il bitter fight between two guber.
Material aspirants, neither of whom had any
better claim for high Office than the possession
of great wealth.
Similar performances went on all along The
liuc-it is not necessary to review them in dc
tail. AS We have before said, Tuesdays re-
suit is due entirely TO Republican plumbers,
disseasions and incompctency. The AFRO
gancc and self-stcking of some Republican
leaders; the entirely unnecessary quarrcl
within the party the faulty which Ice
to the nomination of unpopular and We
s may add unworthy candidates the in
G reference in State affairs of til,
, National administration 49, thes. are the
= must be removed in short order, or else th,
, obituary of the Republican party must b.
written. There is no thought anywhere o
, giving up the ship. The Republican Graf
has woa,hcred as severe gales as the present
: This is an off year." and all the Democrat
S gain is the control of Congress for the mex
: two years-which is misfortune, to be sure
K but one which our party and the country Ia
s Then, again, the Democrats win vic
l. tories not because they are Demo
J. Gratis or because the people are read
= for Democratic rule in the Nation but becaus
II they are the only available weapons wit
q which TO strike at the men who make Reput
c licanism weak. And finally the expericnc
j. of the past has been that such storm
&c wonderfully efficient as moaus c
D. clearing the air. We have had more tia
one party experience similar to that at tn
present time. In 1862 and again in 1867 i
c 1914 and 1878, we had Republican reversel
~ all Of which were succeeded by health,
ID aud better party management and by sign'
Us victories in the years succeeding 1t will l
ne so again. Our present disastrous reverse
IN will lead to wiser party conduct, and ope
it the way for heathful and vigorous rallyin
mt of the Republicans for the contest of 1888
e- The lessons of the canvass just closed are
hs plain that he who runs may read. TIL,
y, must be taken to heart the evil paths mu
Nv be forsaken and the unworthy counsello
IT. dismissed. Our reverses will have such
OF effect, we are confident, and we look hop
nd fully 10 the great campaign of two yea
he hence.
co SOME LEGISLATIVE MATTERS.
- The Legislature is certainly going too fl
y. and too far in the direction of restrictive