Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1885-06-09
OHIO REPUBLICANS.
Not Much Of Lookout for Them so Far
Apathy.
Sr.eiaI "a fAs Recidr.

Apathy.
Special 10 the RegiHer.
ColuxBUs, O., June SIT matters little
whom the Republican convention may
nominate at Springfield four days hence, be
will not strengthen the party. Some pecaE
lar candidate might weaken it, but there Is
none likely to add to its strength by person
al magnetism.
Gen. Griswald, for instance, relies upon
Democratic apathy for Republican success.
This, he claims, will be an of year" in Ohio
politics, and the Democrats having won IN
the National campaign will be spathehc
and let the election 60 by default.
q This, of course, Is simply Q confession
of the extreme weakness of the Republican
organization in the State, since its hopes to
win, not by its own strength, but BY the neg.
hgence Of its opponents. There may be
apathy in the Democratic party this year,
and there may not. There is nothing IN
the political situation at this time to indi-
cate that the Democratic leaders are going
to carry on negative and spathetic cam
paign in Ohio this year. On the contrary,
all indications point to an aggressive cam
paign in behalf Of wise and thorough re-
form Of the public service.
The apathy, as Gen. Grosvenor will no
doubt discover, will be in :he Republican
camp. What has hitherto constituted the
life Of the Republican campaigns in Ohiof
The 10000 Federal Office holders and en-
ployes of the State. They formed the reg
ular army around which the volunteers raj
lied, and an average contribution OF s.
each enabled the party managers to set up
the machine in all parts of the State.
There has not been time for the past
quarter of q century when the power of the
Federal officials in Ohio was not worth from
twenty-five to fifty thousand votes to the Re-
publican party. This regular army is now
mustered out Of service. Democrats have
been installed in the places Of many OF
them and will be installed in the places OF
many more before the campsi IN is over.
Tbe remainder will be powerless to use
their offices for the benefit Of the Republican
party, and the result will he a remarkable
growth of Republican apathy in this "ott
year." as Gen. Grosvenor styles it.
| discover that the people of both parties
are beginning to take good deal of inter
est in the subject ol reforming the civil ser.
vice of tie government, which Is heightened
by the discoveries of fraud and embezzle'
nents being daily brought TO light. Presl'
Dent Clevelands deliberate method Of doing
hings ia not distasteful TO the people, o'
Ohio a. least whatever it may be to lin
ned number of politicians, and the people
themselves are disposed to give the Presl
| dent fsir show, and the ma ajority OF them
will stand by him, unless he should prove
unworthy their confidence.
You will find that the Springfield con
vention will handle President Cleveland |
administration very gingerly. They viii
stop with denouncing his appointment oi
Rebel Brigadiers' to Office. Concerning
| this the platform will be vociferous and ma
lignant enough to suit even Gen. Beatty Of
Murat Halstead, but it will deceive no one
| A big majority of the voters of this country
it matters not how widely they may differ
on political issues generally, argue on ont
point. That the country is unit; that tht
issues Of the war are finally and ireevocablJ
settled, ard that no distinction is to b'
made among the citizens of common
country in the matter of holding Office
other than that which inevitably attache
to the success Of one political party or tn,
other, There will be plenty Of the blood
shirt in the platform, for there will be moth
ing in the shape of progress in the Repub
lican party in Ohio, until it is reorgsnized
This year it will argue with jeff Davis and
Bob looms that the war is not over, ant
that it is a crime to have united and har
monious country.
But they will find it much more ditii
! cult matter 10 get the party straight on thu
liquor question. This will give the Demo
cratic party no trouble. It's policy L
fixed and well known ard has been 70
years: opposition to sdmptuary legislation
and in favor Of constitutional provision
for the regulation and control Of the liquo
traffic and the prevention of the evils arising
uLder it.
The Republican party has no fixed polio!
on this subject. 1t ponders to all opeE
evils regarding it-promising protection OIL
one hand and free whiskey on the other
The people have grown tired Of this sort o
shp llips, and any attempt at it will be tn
signal lGr formidable vault, and the peopl
will settle the matter finally and lake tht
| 'aror question out OF Ohio politics fol
| cnod