The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1883-08-08
The Outlook.

-. Considering that number of States
will hold important elections this fall,
the result OF which may enter largely
into the shaping of events next year, it
seems altogether too early to do much
predicting about the action of political
parties in the Presidential contest.
From the tone of certainty that per-
vades the Democratic press, those who
are very credulous by nature might of
course be led to suppose that the coun-
try had already decided to elect a
Democrat, and that the only question
rs, which of the many Democratic ap-
plicants shall be selected. The situ-
alton is somewhat like the ono in 1871,
when the Liberal Republican break oc-
CURED and raised Democratic hopes so
extravagantly high, merely to let the
hopeful ones follow their own funeral in
the year subsequent. A succession of
victories last fall made Democrats
very happy, especially because they
carried several Republican States; yet
these successes were mostly due to Re
publican divisions, which seemed una
Bile of being healed until the party had
suffered in consequence and had had an
opportunity to reflect end come to
comprehension of its own indiscretion
and folly. But it is singular fact, that
these experiences, which on every occa-
sion have proved valuable and whole
some lessons, invariably place the DEM
ocratic party in position where they
are bound to sacrifice and lose the ad-
vantages which they had gained but
short while before, through wrong and
laundering proceedings, which have as
much power to turn the tables on them
again, as all the arguments which Re-
publicans can oppose them with. This,
again, was clearly illustrated in several
States during the past winter. In
Massachusetts very many enthusiastic
Butler men have become disgusted with
him; he will not be reelected and the
State is quite safe in the National cleo
ton. In New York Governor Cleve-
land has lost his hold and will no more
get the nomination than will Governor
Waller in Connecticut, another sc acci-
dent of last fall, and Governor Pattison,
of Pennsylvania, is no better off. Here
are four Democratic leaders, who went
into office with great eclat, whose success
created the greatest hopes, and two or
three of whom were at once declared to
be the right men for 1884, as good as
practically set aside and out of compe-
tition merely on account of their ina
bility to avoid blunders. This is not
encouraging to Democratic statesmen.
The Democratic party will have Sc
we're wrangle over the selection of their
Presidential candidate, and endless
trouble in framing a platform which
will satisfy the different views on the
leading issue of the tariff. AS candi-
! date Tilden is mentioned. but nobody
outside of the circle of his personal
followers and admirers believes this
candidacy to be serious. Mcdonald of
Indiana is mentioned, but the Demo-
crats in that State are so much and Bit
terly divided on the tariff question that
| it will scarcely have the distinction of
furnishing the candidate. Hancock is
entitled to a rehearing, but his views
as candidate in 1880 are against him.
Besides there is growing desire to
| take a Western man. Since 1864 the
Democratic candidates were from New
| York-McClellan, Seymour, Greeley,
| Tilden and Hancock. The question
of the candidacy is therefore an open
one and will be made difficult through
the division of the party on the tariff
question.
Take the Republican party on the
other hand. They appear to be giving
| themselves no uneasiness over the
! prospects for 1884. The Administra-
tion is running smoothly. TIE next
Congress is to be Democratic by sub
stantial majority, but there are no ex-
pressions of fear among Republicans
that the Democrats will make SO good
a record that they will win an easy
victory on account of it. On the con-
trary, there is a very comfortable feel
ing among them. A Republican candi-
date will be found for the Presidency,
who will have the confidence of the
party and its united support. There
will be no trouble about the platform;
the party has a clear and clean record
on all National questions; the people
understand its purposes and aims
Burlington Ha,0keye.