The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1883-05-16
The Political situation.


CARNATIONS of some Democratic papers
over the spring elections, it is apparent |
that the tidal wave which was so ad- !
vantageous to the Democratic party last |
fall has spent its force and Is slowly re- |
ceding. The Democrats have won mu- |
nicipal victories in a number of cities,
but careful investigation shows that
wherever this was the case, local issues
were the causes. In Cleveland, o., for
instance, where the principal Demo
cratic victory in Ohio is reported, a
large number of Republicans supported
the Democratic nominee for Mayor.
In Cincinnati the Sunday law and
Liquor question Influenced the voters.
In Evansville, Ind, the Democrats are
in favor of the reputation of
local Indebtedness, remedy of finan-
cial evils which the majority of the cit
izens eagerly indorsed. In Michigan
the marriage between Greenbackers and
Democrats, from which the two parties
are now eagerly seeking a divorce.
gave the opposition unusual and unex-
pected strength, and the Republicans,
who were careless and negligent, were
beaten. In Kansas and in some cities
in Iowa the Liquor question Influenced
the result of the elections. But in none
of them has there been any feature
which could be explained to indicate a
continued success of Democratic doc
trine. On the contrary, in Ohio there
can be shown strong reaction toward
Republicanism, =. and the defeat of
Sprague in Rhode Island, in spite of the
help of the successful man of last fall,
Ben Butler, shows clearly that Repub-
licanism there has lost none of its infiu-
ence, but has, on the contrary, been
strengthened.
The careful political observer win
have discerned the change in the situa-
tion some time ago. 1t came with an
important change or rather important
progressive step in the Republican
party. There was rupture in its
ranks last fall which has been at least
temporarily, but, as we hope, per-
manently healed. The Republican
President further conducted the party
in the right direction when in his mes
I sage he recommended the reforInatory
measures, which the country desired,
and which the party or its representa-
tives afterwards made reality. The
Administrative appointments helped to
| silence the discontented factions and to
! prevent the malevolent criticisms of the
| opposition. The Republican majority
tory manner; it passed the Civil-Service
Reform bill in spite of strong opposi-
| ton, it lessened taxation by reducing
the tariff and the internal taxes, it re-
jected a River and Harbor bill, and
showed in many other particulars q
| progressive, refermatory and patriotic
| spirit. o.-s.s-.S :. -,s
The Democrats on the other side have
not made good use of the power which
they secured. Governor Buffers Ad-
ministration has not accomplished any
reform. Governor Cleveland has
showed himself the tool of monopolies,
by vetoing some most popular meas
| sures, which Were calculated to affect
! this or that corporation, and wherever
the party was successful it shows now
that Democratic talking and promising
is an altogether different thing from
Democratic acting and fulfilling. The
Democratic party has shown de-
cidedly reactionary tendencies, but
does not show itself anywhere
equal to the situation The Re,
publican party, in the twenty years OF
its power, has had to deal with the great
est questions which ever the Govern
ment of the country was called upon to
solve; these questions have been suc-
cessfully disposed of. During that time
the Nation has prospered as never peo-
pie did before, and the country has de-
veloped in every direction. That the
party made mistakes, and some serious
ones, is admitted. But the people are
becoming convinced that these mis-
takes are light in comparison with the
crimes of the Democratic party, whose
pretensions of having reformed and
wanting to reform everything else are
false and deceiving, and when they are
called upon once more to pass judg.
ment on the two, common sense and
common justice will not let them doub'
how to judge the two.-Burltngtor
HaUkeye.