Daily Los Angeles herald., 1883-11-11
The Men for the Hour

The Men for the Hour.
In A certain sense, for the sake OF ar
eument, we will admit that the late
elections were q sort of drawn battle.
Such an admission is laughable, how
ever, In view Of the fact that Ohio, not
withstanding the Democratic faction
fights, elected Hoadly by a splendid
plurality, and that New York elected
four Of the five candidates on the Demo-
cratic State ticket by majorities ranging
from fourteen to nine thousand, the de-
feated Democratic candidate for Secre-
tary Of State being heavily scratched
because he voted with the Prohibition
lists while a Senator In the New York
Legislature. 1t Is further laughable be-
cause Of the stress laid upon Repub-
lican snccess in the legislative elections
in the heavily gerrymandered State OF
Connecticut state which voted for
the Republican candidate for President
in the Presidential elections of 1860,
1864, 1868, 1872 and 1880, only de-
flecting from this invariable Repub-
lican course in the tidal wave year of
1874, which gave gave us Eaton for a
Senator, and in 1876, when Connecticut
gave Tilden beggarly majority of some
seventeen hundred.
1t Is still additionally laughable be-
cause the Republican party has only
carried such invincibly Republican
States as Massachusetts,, Minnesota,
Nebraska and Pennsylvania by ridicul-
ously small majorities jorities
which, in most Of these States, threaten
to be submerged next year. In the case
Of Pennsylvania, for instance, the anti
Democratic majority this Fall is very
much less than II was last year, which
was memorable as the second Demo-
cratic tidal wave, although last year the
Republicans ran two candidates for
Governor.
Waving all these aspects of hardly
contested battle, in which the Republi.
can party really made its death strug-
gle, and cannot even claim. with any
sort Of grace, that honors are easy, we
are heartily glad that the elections of
the current year have chronicled no ex'
panded figures in majorities. We hearth
ly desire to see the Democratic House
of Representatives kept down to the
line Of common sense and conservatism.
Even if we had been beaten, instead of
having gloriously triumphed in the Fall
elections. beginning with that of Ohio in
the early October days, and con
tinuing since, it was entirely in
the power of the Democratic
House of Representatives to have re-
trieved all possible disasters The next
House Of Representatives will make his
tory with liglfting-like rapidity. The
late elections, in the light of their moder'
ate but re.assuring Democratic vitality,
will enable the sagacious leaders of the
party to retire extremists of all kinds,
especially the free.trade extremists, to
back seat. There is no call for these
gentry just now, and the HERALD pre-
diets that they are already "winded, !"
and will need at least another four years
to recover their lost ground-which is
probably Just as it should be. The next
House of Representatives will apply
itself to reductions in the national ex-
penditursss to enforcing responsibility in
officials and t0Na just, moderate and ex-
pedient scheme of revenue and tariff re-
form
This intelligent programme quite nat
urally brings that incompatible Demo.
crat, Samuel ]. Randall, to the
front for the Speakership. Those who
place any confidence in the political pre-
visions of the HERALD, and this journal,
although not published in metropoi-
tan city, rarely encounters Badlam's s
"cold day" in its political horoscopes,
may bet dollars to marbles that Samuel
J. Randall, notwithstanding the pipings
about the tremendous strength of Car
Isle and Cox, will be the next Speaker.
Mr.. Henry j. Watterson is splendid
journalist, and he delivers admirable
lectures on journalism, but the prism OF
his influence for bad is very restricted,
notwithstanding.
The second lesson wrought in pro-
nounced relief, by the late elections, ON
the political horizon is, that the Demo
cratic Presidential ticket next year ought
to be Tilden and Hoadly.
If we could only be satisfied that Mr..
Tilden would accept the Democratic
nomination for President, our soul
would experience joy positively bea'
tifc. The history of the Republican
ascendency in this country tthe period
being so brief, can be told in very
brief words. The leaders of that party
first took advantage of the unquestion
able national patriotism of the free sol
Democrats to get firmly in the seat o.
power. Their next movement, with
unlimited power and enormous resources,
was to "bull-doze" everything in a very
brutal way. The only impediment tc
this ull.dozing programme was the in
vineible pluck of the Northern Demo
erats, who did not sympathize with the
South in secession, but who agreed will
their Southern brethren in the essenta
principles OF demoeratic-repubhcar
government Through this glorious ele
ment the iron heel was finally taker
from the Lecks OF those PROSTATE South
ern Commonwealths. Nevertheless
this ruthless scheme, born OF New Eng
land impudence, retained vitality enough,
under that apostate bulldog. Grant, to
achieve one Presidency for the Republi.
cans by fraud, buttresssd by bayonets,
aided by the base compliance oi
Democrats leaders, who ought, forever
thereafter, to be relegated to priyat,
life. OF course we allude to the Hayei
regime.
The military programme having sue
ceeded once, and being impracticable tn
second time, the mercenary followed a
q matter of course, the country hayinl
become impatient Of bayonets an'