The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1883-11-15
democratic Blundering."
Nothing is more common than Il

assumption tnaG Ino DcmOcraIS Wnen
in sight of victory always commit some
egregious blunder, and thus throw away
or destroy their own chances. This as
sumption is a part of the capital, and
one of the favorite weapons, of the Re-
publicans and their allies. No party
management is perfect. and it will be
confessed without hesitation that the
Democratic party has committed many
errors, but their long series of defeats
may be referred to causes entirely out
side of their own organization. Their
opponents have all the time possessed
the patronage and the powerful want
age ground of the possession and con-
troll of the Federal Government and its
vast army of ioffice-holders. When
danger of defeat and fear of losing the
places and patronage of the immense
Government machine confronted the Re-
publican party and its dependents, they
have generally been able by almost su-
perhuman exertion and the use of near
ly unlimited sums of money one way
or another. drawn from the public
Treasury, to turn the tide and snatch
victory from disaster. In every crisis
the cry is raised of Democratic blum
dering. Such was the case in 1872
when Greeley was nominated. Mr..
Greeley ought not to have been nomi-
mated, but the Whisky Rings and illimit-
able corruptiofis of the Grant Admins
tration, its arbitrary exercise of power
in many States and.the shameless use of
the public Treasury were in that unset
tied and corrupt period far more potent
agencies than any errors of the Demo-
cratic party, In 1876 the people had
been aroused to the gigantic corrup-
tions of the party in power, and the
Federal patronage was less concentrated
than it had been before. There was a
fairer expression of public sentiment
than there had been since 1870. The
result was that the country was swept
by the Democratic party. No alleged
laundering prevented success at the
polls that year. In 1880 the Republican
party had pulled itself together again.
The supple, incapable Hayes was a fa-
cile instrument in the hands of his party.
The Post-office Department, in the
hands Of the Dorseys and Bradys, was
made to furnish the millions which had
before been stolen by the Whisky Ring;
the ballot-box in the doubtful States
was corrupted and success purchased
with the peoples money. Then
we heard again the cry of Democratic
laundering. The stubborn stand made
| in Congress against eXtravagant and
| profligate appropriations and the re-
| fusal to refund the National debt at a
needlessly high and wasteful interest
were paraded as great blunders, and
the country was warned against the
Democrats as obstructionists and de-
structionists The rational and wise
| declarations in the National platform in
favor of reformation in the revenue
system and constitutional tariff were
declared to be blunders added to blum
ders. Whatever the Democrats did,
either in Congress or in Convention,
was ingeniously and adroitly misrepre-
sented and stigmatized as great and
criminal wrongs. In the meantime the
country was dominated, corrupted OF
bought by the aid of the public Treas
ury, and the army of office-holders,
State and Federal. Democratic blunders
have been the least potent of the fac.
| tors in the disastrous Presidential
campaigns in the past. Be
tween 1872 and 1876 the Whisky Rings
were exposed and measurably over
thrown. and through the soured temper
| of Grant concentration of patronage
partially thwarted. The result was s
popular triumph at the polls. Since
| 1880 the post-office frauds, then so ranl
and fruitful of slush, have been exposed
and a partial check put upon the use
and abuse of the office-holding pow.
er. Public sentiment has been quick
ened and enlightened. The result is
the scales are inclining everywhere il
favor of the Democratic party, and the
signs of the times are too plain to be
mistaken that complete triumph in
1884 will crown the efforts of next year
Whatever the Democrats may do, ol
fail to do. on all great questions will be
dacried as great blunders, but tht
strengthening of their own power il
several important States and the decline
in the resources of their opponents tent
to the same end. Events and fact:
such as these are far more significant
than stale partisan assumptions.-G
Louis Repu6ktcan.