The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1885-01-14
JUST BEGINNING.

Eis toru Oontest'f " ~ AuAs shwtt
The Democratic party seems to i'm
agine that in gaining control of the
Government 1t is coming to a picnic.
But its trials are just beginning.
The Democratic party was a tyro in
government when it went out of the
business. The war revolutionized all
the affairs Of this Government and peo-
pie. The people were suddenly called
upon to put forth energies and bring
into play resources that they did not
know they possessed. This country is
not the same country 1t was before the
war. Its development and advance
ment since the beginning Of that strug-
gle have been greater than all that went
before.
But while the country has grown and
progressed, the Democratic party has
not kept pace with it. There is no evil
dence that it is any more capable now
of wisely managing "A small govern
mental machine like the one from
which it was unseated for incompetency
twenty-four years ago than 1t was then.
II is pretty certain that it has not de-
veloped in inactivity sufficient breadth
of craftsmanship to successfully con-
duct the great establishment that has
grown up since it was last familiar with
power. 1t seems apparent that the rul-
ing classes of the party will insist on
attempting to run the Nation of 1885
according to the ideas of 1860. At any
rate, there will be struggle within the
party to hold it back to those ideas. The
success Of such an attempt will surely
be fatal to the party.
The Republican party came into pow
er on the eve of the revolution to which
we have referred, inexperienced in the
management of National affairs, and
found confusion everywhere. Besides
the great task Of suppressing rebellion,
to which it was obliged to address it
self, minor problems of state, growing
out of the war and the rapidly changing
condition of affairs, were continually
demanding its attention. These were
! more numerous and intricate than any
series of questions that ever before
taxed the craftsmanship and patriotism
of any party. That perfection should
be attained in dealing with these prob
lens was impossible. But, considering
the magnitude and difficulty of its task,
the manner in which the Republican
party fulfilled it is beyond comparison.
The record of the Republican party is
in the memory Of the people, and their
eyes are upon the Democratic party
now. The Democratic party can not
hope to equal that record. It is not ex-
pected to conduct the affairs of the Gov
ernment even in these peaceful times as
well as the Republican party con-
Quoted them in the trying times of the
past.
In the settling down from the exalta-
ton Of war times the people had grown
restless and tickle. The Republican par
ty having brought the country to a point
where it seemed that any party might
govern it, the people grew careless OF
party ties and let the Democratic party
slip in. Now it is unprepared to face
the responsibility SO suddenly thrust
upon II.
During the past twenty-four years the
Democratic party has shielded itself
with the plea of responsibility. 1t
can not do that now. 1t has left to the
Republican party the task of devising
ways and providing means to keep the
ship of State moving safely and steadily
ahead, while it contented itself with the
part of an objector; and when one OF
the measures of the Republican party
became an accomplished fact. and OBJ
lection to 1t became an absurdity, there
has always beon something else to OBJ
ject to. Now it. must take q positive
stand on every public question, it must
be prepared TO act on its own account
in every emergency, and its acts must
be subjected to the same scrutiny that
the acts of the Republican party have
undergone in the past. Can it endure
this scrutiny as well as the Republican
party has doneP
The campaign writers and orators Of
the opposition Of late years have re-
duced the consideration of the civil SER
vice to n matter of mathematics. They
have dinned into the ears of sthe public
the statement that it is an army OF one
hundred thousand oilice-holders, and
many persons have been impressed with
the idea that this fact represents great
wrong somewhere. Watever wrong
there is in II will attach to the Demo
cratic party after the fourth Of next
March, and it will be Just as fair for the
opposition of the coming time to cry
out against 1t as It was for the opposi-
ton OF the past to do so. One OF the
problems for the Democratic party TO
solve Is, Can 1t run the great machine
with less force and expense and do II as
well as the Republican party has doneP
There are thousands Of persons who
contributed TO the change who do not
now believe that the Democratic party
will show sufficient patriotism and ca
pacity to acquit itself Of the task so un-
expectedly thrust upon il. After four
years Of trial all these will be ready to
turn again to the Republican party for
relief; and that party, more firmly in
trenched in the hearts of the people by
fuller appreciation of its efficiency
and fidelity, will enter again upon u
long lease of power. Huntington Hack
eye.
AN architect thus recommends the
use Of copper as a roof-covering in place