San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1883-01-11
A Double Vindication.


II is not uncommon to hear people speal
sneeringlyof the Liberal Republican move
men. of 1872, which nominated Horace
Greeley for president, and which was co
operated with by the great body OF the
Democratic party at that time. Never were
sueers worse applied II was noble move
ment, found ed on tho principles OF immu-
table truth -, grand popular protest against
tho corrup.ions of Grants administration.
Greeley, Samu,r, aud its kindred leaders
were as much superior to Grant and
Morton or any Of their tribe, as the arch
angel Michael is to Lucifer the main
trouble was that they were in advance OF the
time. Their idea of grand pacifcaton OF
tho late warning members of the Union was
a humane, noble and Christian one, and
though the movement was defeated, its in
tllence told powerfully for good In the
direction contemplated, as we'll as in favor
of general reform. The results in 1874
aud 1876 demonstrated this fact The
temporarily rejected measures OF 1879 were
made the foundation of the movement by
which Tilden was elected. So well under
stood was it that the people had ratified
these principles, that although political trad
ors North and South combined in thwarting
the popular verdict as to men, by counting
in Hayes-'the man who was not elected"
foIk 10, trxy In
some of the leading ideas of the movement
of lS72--all that was commendable in his
administration being in that direction.
But 1882 still more potently and slgnifi'
cantly responded to 1879. The elections last
year cannot justly be regarded as the triumph
of any party. but the result is to be taken
as q grand uprising of the sovereign people
in the interest of good government. 1t is a
most triumphant vindication of the long
traduced reformer5 of 1872 We find this so
we'll set forth in late editorial in the Indian
apolis Sentinel, that we cannot refrain from
making an extract. The parallel which the
writer rms between the final catastrophe of
the old Wing and present Republican parties
is particularly significant and suggestive
But a great light has finally dawned upon
the land, and 1882 sends its greeting to 1872
Reform within the party" is as "a tale
that is told" Mr.. Curtis gives it up, and
his fellow -laborers and ellow-bolters are
now numbered by thousands and even humid
reds of thousands. The leaders of these in
dependent masses tell us that their action is
like that of the Conscience Wings" and
Free Soldiers thirty-four years ago, and that
.'reform within the party" can best be ac-
compllshed by its overthrow. They say that
as long as a party succeeds by corrupt meth
DDS aud unprincipled leaders, it will continue
md wax stronger in its evil ways, and that
the first thing to be done is to crush it. This
is exactly what the republican boilers of 1872
told their political brethren, and it was just
a, true then rs it is to-day. But slime
;nakes moro converts than reason" 1t took
the old Wings long while to find out that
the Free Soldiers were right; but at last they
made the discovery, and were glad to be
admitted into the new communion. SO 1t
has taken the Republican boilers of 1882 ten
years to find out that the men they so bitter
iy denounced in 1872 were right, and that
boiling IS divine prerogative, but they have
at last been enlightened, while they have a
bundant reason for following in the foot
steps of their Wing predecessors in their
future political action. The change is won
derful. The elections of this year will be re-
membered as great epoch in American pol.
tiles. They show that the sober second
thought of the people can be trusted, and
strengthen the faith of good men in popular
institutions. What a pity it is that Greeley
and Summer could not have lived to witness
their splendid vindicaton in the political revo-
luton of 1892! II is almost enough to make
them turn over in their graves. They were
hunted to death because they rebelled against
the political buccaneers at the party helm.
They were insolently reminded that the Re
publican party is stronger than any man in
the party" and that they must obey its or
ders or be shot as deserters. They were
branded as apostates, rebels and renegades;
but they were right, after all, and history
has already so made its record, while Gamer
on, Conkling and the other once famous
Re publican bosses have tumbled themselves
and their machine into q common ditch.
Let us rejoice.
This rout Of the Republicans is final
They talk about rallying their forces for an
other engagement but they do not believe
their own words They feel that the bolt
which has shivered their organization is the
bolt Of death. Their defeat is like the de-
feat Of the Wings in 1859, when they carried
only four States and forty-tv electoral votes.
They said il was not much Of q shower. and
that they would again rally. a. they had 30
often done before; but their forces were
never rallied