The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1883-10-04
Its Time Has Come.

hepuDucan managers anu newspapers
make piteous appeals from time to time
to the voters of their party. They inn
plore them to go to the primaries and
see that proper nominations are made.
They entreat them to turn out on elec-
tion day, and save the dear old party
from destruction. They c6t11p1ain that
Republicans seem so adverse to taking
part in active political work, and so in
different to the general breaking up
which threatens the party.
So far as influence upon the great and
increasing mass of Republican indiffer-
entism is concerned, these appeals are
likely to be wasted. The more intelli-
gent aid thotghtful are sick of going
to primaries where proceedings and
nominations are controlled by a set
of men who make politics their bust
ness, and paying business. They are
ashamed of supporting candidates in
whose selection they had no voice, and
of whose hhfithess, i'll too MANY cases,
they are convinced. They have sacri-
feed not only their prejudices, but their
honest copyicti8ns; at more thai Sne
Election. They have been betrayed by
ia strained sense of party fealty into
casting votes for candidates whom they
knew to be unworthy. More than once,
after show of opposition, they have
Iplayed into the hands of party man
hgers. :,
They have learned by bitter expert
ence to distrust and despise most of
the so-called leaders of their party.
Many of these dissatisfied voters have
become perfectly Indifferent to its fort
unes, and have determined not to vote
at all until Sonic great and now hardly
possible change shall convert it from d
party of plunder into party of prin-
ciples. Many others, on whom party
allegiance sits more lightly, have re-
solved to vote with the Democrats,
either permauently 6t until the Re.
publican party forsakes its evil ways.
The absence of the one class and the
presence of the other at the polls last
fall helped to give the Republican
party severe and deserved punish
ifi1eiit. 1t SHOWS hs yet but the faintest
signs of recovering from the effects Of
that punishment: The Republican
voters. who sttttck it down show no per-
eeptible sigfis. Of repettaree.
The organs and the managers may re-
monstrate and supplicate, but these Re-
publicans will remain deaf to their ap-
peals. The hordes of office-holdcrs and
Of professional politicians are about the
only Republicans who are still deeply
interested in Republican success. 1t is
a matter of bread and butter with them.
A large number of voters, especially in
the country. where political affiliations
are slowly made and slowly cast off, still
cling to Republicatisfi1 from force oi
habit and old associations, trembling as
yet to go to the side whittier their con.
SCIENCES are beginning to point them
| But where are the Republicans who are
Republicans from well-founded convic
ton, and who cleave 20 that party from
| their admiration of what it is and not o.
| what it was?
There would be no need of calling or
Republican voters to do their politica,
| duty if the party still had great prin.
ciples at stake and great public ends il
view, as it once had. In its better day:
it filed its adherents with earnest enthu
| siasm and faith. There was not one indif
ent voter IN it then. Every man in il
thoroughly believed in it because it hao
q definite object and had proposed to it
self noble work. 1t grew into power
because it believed in itself.
| never uiu party SILK lrom great
ness toward more disgraceful end. Il
now has no principles, no convic.
tions, no honesty. 1t advocates
no legislation by which the public
interests may be benefited. 1t stands
for nothing which touches the popu
lar heart. 1t sits shamelessly will
one hand in the public till, and with the
other "points with PRIDE to the rec
ord of the few years in which it was un
dishonored; and upon that record i
asks to be allowed to keep on stealing
Its own voters can find in it, as it ex
lists to-day, nothing to inspire enthusi
asm or even respect. Its work wa.
done long ago. 1t can succeed ne
longer on false pretenses. Its time ha,
| come-N Y SIM