The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1882-05-31
The Spring Elections.

The Spring Elections.
One of the intrigues of the devil, for
the bad purpose Of keeping the Demo-
cratic party alive, is to delude it occa-
sionally with the idea that It is still in
good health and vigor, and about ready
to carry the next Presidential election.
That party is specially frisky and self
complacent in what are popularity known
as ''of years." that is to say, when Ma
tional politics sink entirely out of sight
for the time being, and some local or
special cause, like the temperance or
labor questions, comes up to turn things
topsy-turvy in certain localities. Then
1t is that the Democracy energies from
its den and shows its weakness by unit
ing with, or playing second-fiddle for,
the popular delusion that is triumphant
for the hour. 1t is the prototype of the
lazy barnacle which fastens itself upon
the bottom of the passing ships, and
gets carried gratuitously into port.
The three notorious tailors of Tooley
street who determined to give voice to
the whole people of England, by express
ing their own opinions, were not more
ridiculous than the Democratic party is
making itself now over the result of the
April elections. 1t is true that the De-
mocracy, or the crowd which it con-
spired with on that occasion, was tri-
umphant at the polls in many places,
but the coalition was successful only for
the good reason that party politics was
kept securely in the background.
Take the case of the city of Mil
waukee as an example. 1t is within
the memory of young men when that
city was good for regular Democratic
majority of 5000 or over, and was
known as one of the banner Democratic
cities of the North, as reliable as Rich
mond or Charleston; but the tidal wave
of reform. aided by Democratic NAL
administration, revolutionized the city
and gave it to the Republicans, who
have controlled it for years. with only
an occasional skip. At the last election
the Democrats felt themselves too in
significant to nominate candidates of
their own for city officers, and so
they adopted the nominees of the
Trades Union and other labor organ
izations, which are just now specially
strong and specially sensitive in that
city. 1t was an adroit movement on the
part of the Democratic managers for
once, to hide their own weakness and
take advantage of q popular winning
movement; but it can no more be
claimed as party success for the De-
mocracy than it could be claimed that a
lot of miserable tramps who steal a ride
on a passing freight train own the train
and control the railroad corporation.
The Democrats of Milwaukee not only
stole their ride, but hid away out of
| sight under the tender to keep from
being put off. But now they are swing
ing their hats and bawling themselves
hoarse over the alleged Democratic vic
tory. .rr
| A similar condition of affairs existed
in other prominent cities in the West,
and with similar result. Whenever
the Democratic party could be sup
pressed and its hideousness kept out of
sight, there was a chance to rout the
Republicans by seizing upon some local
issue which was sensational and ficti-
tious in its character. The Republican
party has the disadvantage of twenty
consecutive years of responsibility in
nearly every considerable city in the
northern portion of the Union, and it is
supposed by some ignorant people to
have caused all the ills that flesh is heir
10, besides the depression of business,
the short crops, when they are short,
|
shape the grievance happens to take.
just now the politicians on both sides
are deluding themselves over the result
of the April elections. The Democrat
is exultant over what he conceives to
be the evidence of a return of the year
of jubilee for his poor old worn-out and
oft-condemned party, and the Repub-
lican is respondent for fear that it is
really so, that his party-that glorious
organization of Lincoln and Garfield,
which saved the Union and abolished
slavery-has really outlived its useful
ness, fallen into disfayor with the peo-
pie. as manifested by these elections,
and is about to disappear forever from
the face of the earth. The alleged
Democratic successes teach no such
lesson. The only moral that is to be
drawn from them is that party politics
have been crowded out of sight by other
temporary and exciting issues. 1t is
seldom that a Democrat has been elect
ed anywhere simply because he is a
Democrat, or because the people are in
love with his principles.
And yet the Republicans should not
be cast down. AS scarecrow, the
Democratic party has its uses, and these
temporary successes serve the good
purpose of frightening timid men into
doing their duty; and at the next Presi-
dental election perhaps even the 40, 000
stay-at homes in Chicago will all go to
the polls and vote. If they do, there
will be no dependency in our ranks
The boot will then be on the other leg.
-Chicdgo Journal.