The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1883-01-11
National Americana
Was il Victory of the PeODle?

The Spectator of last week says the
late political "bull run" defeat was
not victory for Democracy or Re
publicanism, but victory Of the peo-
pie over party and corruption. Indeed.
How many Republicans voted the
Democratic ticket in Pennsylvania,
New York, Ohio, Indiana and Kansas?
How did the people gain victory
over. party, by refusing to vote? In
Pennsylvania there was a Reform
Peoples party. How many Of the
people, regardless of party, supporte d
it? $4,000, or one out Of every tweE-
ty-fve Of the people. Does the Spec
tator see any "hope for bright fu-
ture'' in the fact that 10000 Of the
best men Of Pennsylvania remained at
home on election day when there was
reform party in the field? Is this
the way to ''push down the bulwarks
that partyism has been building?"
The Spectator says 'the better ele-
ments Of our political life" came for
ward and made itself felt in day"
Now what are the facts? Who came
forward and voted at the last election,
the hoodlums or the "better ele-
ments?" Were the 10000 Repub-
licans of Pennsylvania, who remained
at home, hoodlums? This is the log
ical conclusion Of the Spectators ar
ticle, and the mere statement Of it
proves its absurdity
The hoodlum was out in force, as he
always is, and not i'll twenty-five years
have so many Of the best men of the
country remained at home on election
day as at the last election. If the
"better elements" of Pennsylvania
wanted to put down 'bossism and
corruption" why did they not vote for
Senator Mitchell's candidates? If the
late election was a triumph of the
people over party, over bossism and
corruption, if the result was really a
desirable one, as the Spectator says it
was, then the best thing that can
happen this country is to let the hood
lums run it.
Any theory based on the assump-
tion that our politics are worse than
the people, cannot be maintained, and
leads necessarily into the absurdities
which have filled so many Of our pa
pers since the election. The leaders in
American politics are now and always
have been better, and more honest
than the average of the people. Conk-
ling, Cameron, Logan and Filley are
much better men than the average
American. The candidates before the
late election in this city are first-class
men, very far above the average busi-
ness man Of St. Louis. The ''bosses"
who have been so nercilesSly abused
of late have every one of them had
opportunities to become millionaires
at the expense Of the people. On the
contrary Don Cameron has given over
100000 to the Republican party, and
not one of the others has made any,
thing out of politics.
Let any one compare the honesty
and economy in the management Of
our government by the Republican
party for the last twenty-five years,
with the honesty and economy of st.
Louis Insurance Companies, railroad
companies, banks and other corpora
tions which are intrusted with the
peoples money. We venture to assert
that the latter have squandered and
stolen, in the last twenty-five years,
thousand fold more than the Repub-
lican party. Compare our govern
ment officials with the merchants of
St. Louis, and see which have swim
died the people most in twenty-five
years. Compare the government at
torneys with our "Silk Stocking" at
torneys. and see which are the more
honest and economical in winding up
broken banks.
The Republican party has made
mistakes. 1t has been extravagant,
but any attempt to prove that the late
victory of the Democracy was a victory
of the people over party, or victory
of the better" over 1.-The baser ele-
ments of our political life" will be a
failure, because it is not true. The
trut h is, the hoodlum was out in full
force and the ''better element" stayed
at home.
The cry of ''Bossism, Corruption
and Extravaganza" is kept up by dis
appointed office-seekers and Reformers
who never go to the polls and know
nothing about politics, to frighten the
people. Like "Cesarism" and Third
termism,' it does frighten some pee
pie, but the only effect it has is to turn
over the offices to the Democrats. If
this is reform the Reformers ou ght to
be satisfied. Any editor who attributes
a Democratic victory to an uprising OF
the "better elements of our political
life" has not had his eyes open during
the last 25 years. Whenever the bet
ter elements have come to the ballot
box the Democracy party has taken 4
back seat. 1t has only won when the
better elements have stayed at home
or run after false gods.