Omaha daily bee., 1884-11-24

A Lesson Worth Learning.
Philadelphia Call (Rep.)

Philadelphia Call (Rep)
A democratic president will be inaugu
rated on the 4th of March next. The
causes of the change are being rancorous.
ly discussed. Those assigned do not
touch the core of the matter. What are
recent are only the logical sequence OF
the primary causes, which date back to
Giants term of office. And those show
that the republican party is out of office
because it was not faithful to itself or to
it's principles at the crisis period of its
history. 1t lacked, at the critical mo-
ment, the courage of it's convictions. Or,
rather, the ambitions and rivalries of its
leaders, led to the abandonment, through
defeat, of its duty. Let us make this
plain. The lesson involved is worth
learning.
When the negroes were emancipated
and enfranchised the republican party,
their sponsor and protector, was under
the most solemn obligations to see that
they enjoyed the free use of their rights,
and were educated to their proper under.
standing. The southern whites and the
democratic party at the north naturally
and logically opposed all this. The re.
publicans had congress and the executive.
1t was in their wower. as it was clearly
their duty, to see that their wards were
protected and educated. The original
theory of reconstruction included this.
Aud during Grants term the force bill
was designed to secure just this. Mr.
Blaine, the New York Tribune, and those
of like mind, opposed this measure, in.
dulged IN maudlin sentimentalism, and as
speaker of the house, Mr.. Blaine was
credited with using his power effectively
to this end. He was already shaping his
policy for the nomination of 1876. The
defeat of the force bill was part of this
policy. Grant favored it, and its defeat
was a blow at Grant. 1t was the first
move in the series which have since di-
vided the republican party.
Its immediate effect was to create a
solid South. 1t gave the element there
free-sweep, and it very speedily brought
the colored people under control. Itcost
MIR. Blaine the nomination at Cincinnati.
Even In the election that followed, before
the solidifying work was effectively done,
Louisiana and Florida were so doubtful
that their being given to Hayes was de-
clared an act Of fraud. Since then there
has been no doubt as to where the vote
would be cast. Since that date the illit-
eracy OF the colored race has been con.
tinued as a deliberate policy on the score
that in this condition they were more
easily controlled. Thus the illiteracy
stands at 70 per cent. among the blacks.
Abandoned by their natural protectors,
left in iliteracy, they are unable to care
tor themselves, and their full electoral
vote goes to the democracy. They are a
greater political factor, but no moro free
in the use of their p"wer than when
slaves. And all this is because the re.
publican party abandoned them. This
was a large element in its recent defeat.
\ Now the lesson to
be learned is this: That as long as the
republican party was faithful to its own
principles it suoc eded. But when ii
abandoned these for mere expediency II
failed Therefore it has only to come
back to first principles and do right and
it will recover itself. But as a mere pc.
l~itical machine its race is run. Will il
learn its lessonl