Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1882-10-12
History Repeating Itself.

hC ICuioSi OWN POI " )" "
years ago went out of power by its own
folly. That folly took the shape Of in
ternal division. That folly alone pre-
served and continued Republican su-
prcmacy for many years. But folly,
like fashion, changes. The Republic
cans have at last come to the very pass
of criminal laundering and quarreling
by which Democratic power was lost
in 1860.
In New York, the first State of the
Union, we see An open rebellion of a
powerful wing of the party against it's
own ticket. Nearly every Republican
organ refuses to support FOlger. Thous-
ands of Garfield or lf-Breed Repub-
licans avow their intention to defeat
him. Tens of thousands more are so
disguised that they will not go to the
polls on election day. The defeat of the
Republican ticket is a foregone conclu-
sion. The most remarkable feature of
this conclusion is that the Overwhelm-
ing triumph of Democracy is cordially
desired, and will be brought about by
divided and Disguised Republicans.
In Pennsylvania we see a spectacle
equally striking. Two Republican tick
cts are in the field. The battleis waged
not 40 much between Democracy and
Republicanism as between two differ
ent, distinct and intensely hostile Re-
publican factions. Each of these Re-
publican factions would infinitely prefer
the triumph of the Democratic ticket to
the election of the rival Republican cam
didates. Here, too, Democratic victory
Is almost assured by Republican folly
and dissention.
In Ohio we see Republican legisla-
ton and agitation which will drive, or
has already actually driven, a cOnspic-
uous and faithful faction of the party
into the ranks of Democracy. In Ohio
the temperance agitation, and conse-
Quent loss of the German vote, will
probably accomplish the same result
that opposition to CamerOnism will &C.
complish i'm Pennsylvania and antag-
onism to Arthur and the Federal Ad-
ministration will bring about in New
York. In Ohio, too, Democratic vic
tory will be due to r publican stupid
ity and disatfection.
In Washington We see such stupen-
dous political blunders, nay. crimes, as
the extravaganza of Republican Con-
tionists like Robson and Bill Chan
dler; the robbery of the public treasury
under the guise of Navy and River and
Harbor bills; the shameless blackmail-
ing of all public officials, regardless of
sex, age, color or condition, for All enor-
NOUS corruption fund to buy elections;
the wholesale plundering OF the Post
Office Department., as shown by the
theft of millions of dollars through the
Star Route Ring; the disgraceful fail
ure of justice in the futile effort to bring
thieves to punishment; the retention of
the head aud front of this ring as Sec
rotary of the Republican National Com
mittee; the alliance of the Federal Adj
ministrat ton with the Repudiationists
in Virginia; the open sympathy of the
party in power with mODopolies, cOrpo-
and organized privileges; the
elevation of venal mediOcrities, like
Keifer and Miller, into high places
once held by Blaine aud Conkling; the
of the ablest leaders, like
Grant, Blaine and Conkling, to private
life; the prostitution of the Supreme
Bench by men like Wood, Bradley and
Stanley Matthews, the tool Of Jay Gould.
Last but not least we see the end of q
Repub lican quarrel in the "removaP
of one President and the making OF an
other by Republican assassination.
In our own State, we see the Repub-
lican party, already in hopeless mi
nority, frantically cutting itself into
still smaller pieces, and surrendering,
not only the State and Congressional
but even the important mu-
DIcipal Offices in this city and many of
the county governments, to the ram
pant bummers of the Bourbon De-
mOcracy.
Nothing but miracle can prevent
an overwhelming Republican defeat
this year. But miracles do not hap
pen in this country. A Democratic
Governor i'm New York and Pennsyl-
vania, a clean Democratic victory in
ohio, and the election of another Dem
ocratic House of Representatives, are
therefore among the probabilities of
this year.
We submit whether it is not time to
change the fashion and speak about
stupidity. 1t would seem
hat III this year, at least, the Republic