Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1882-11-17
EDITORS AND rKoPRrEToRs.
The November elections have gon

Nc NONtiuUcl clcSeioIe nav Soiic
SO overwhelmingly democratic that
even democrats themselves are sur
prised at the result. In almost all
the states electing state officers the
democratic candidates have been
successful, and in majority OF
states by tremendous majorities;
notably in the Empire state, by the
largest majority ever given by any
state since the formation of the
American Union. And besides this,
there is a majority of about eighty
in the next national house of repre-
sentatives; and by reason Of the
carrying by that party of legislatures
in states which were considered re-
liably republican, the republican
majority has been abolished in the
United States Senate-that great
conservative body in which changes
are usually effected so slowly.
Everybody is astonished at this
wonderful result, and everybody is
trying to point out the causes which
brought it about. 1t is only neces-
sary to recall the circumstances con-
nected with the gaining of power in
the present House and Senate by the
republicans, and the use made of
that power when gained, to see
sufficient reason for the defeat Of that
party at the hands of the people;
and Of course other reasons contrib
uted toward swelling the democratic
majority. The republican majority
Of members of congress elected in
the fall of 1880 was so small that it
was only after the organization
of the forty-seventh congress that it
was determined that there was n
republican majority at all, and it was
only by deciding every contested
scat case in favor of the republican
contestant that good working ma
jority was obtained. The capturing
of the Senate, by making a compact
with Malone, re-adjusting democrat
from Virginia, was disgraceful in the
extreme. These methods of grasp
ing power would of course initiate
against the party employing them;
but the action Of the bodies thus
organized was undoubtedly the prin-
cipal cause which brought about the
great revolution in public sentiment
which we have just witnessed. The
past session of congress was an I'M
usually long one, and the proceed
ings Of that session were so mon
strously cXtravagant, SO fla
GRAVITY unjust, SO squarely in
opposition to public sentiment, so
rcclilcssly in defiance of that SEN
tmcnt as expressed by the public
press, that the reports of those pro-
cccdings sent out daily over the
land by the associated press proved
stronger arguments against the party
IN power than under ordinary cir
cumstanccs the ablest democratic
speeches could have been. And
the people seeing these things, have
acted according to their best instinct
and rebukcd the party which was
responsible for the recent actions
of congress. Members of the re-
publican party who had for years
entertained the hope of reform of
that party from within became con-
WINGED by the action of their party
in congress, and by the sight..of old
party bosses again trying to ride
into power upon their shoulders,
that their hopes would never be
realized, and acted like patriotic
men, and voted with the dem
ocrahc party, which purified by
adversely, had in almost every in
stance presented acceptable and
worthy candidates, fairly chosen
by representative conventions, for
the sutlragcs of the people. And
SO II great democratic victory has
been brought about. And great
victory it is, and democrats can truly
feel proud Of their action in the con-
test, but let us accord great honor
to those true republicans who
stepped outside their own party line
to act for their Country's good.
In another column II Is mentioned |