Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1888-12-13
ANNIHlLATED PARTIES.
from, hs Rlc.x RaoanfIx.

4
The recent Presidential election will
pass into history as a remarkable one
in many respects. But the most re-
markable thing about it is the fact
that the Republican party, which was
supposed by many intelligent people
to have fulfilled its mission, and to
have gone out of power forever, sud-
denly bestirred itself, and practically
annihilated the two or three parties
that were opposed to 1.-THE Demo
cratic party, which was in possession
of the Government; the Prohibition
party, which loudly claimed the sue
eession four years hence, and the Labor
| party which, month before, threat
ened to capture three or four large
| States.
1t is difficult matter for any one in
his sober senses to imagine how any
one OF these three defeated parties can
ever take the field again in National
politics. The Prohibition party and
the Labor party have literally COL
lapsed. They developed so little
strength in the contest that no one
knows, and no one has yet cared to
inquire, how many votes they polled.
The Democratic party made gigantic
effort and polled an immense vote, but
was completely overcome in almost
every Northern State, and certainly
in all the centers of population, wealth
and intelligence. If the election were
repeated next Tuesday, it could not
poll as large vote as it did a few
weeks ago; and, four years hence, the
mere loss of prestige and of the emol-
uments of Office would still further
reduce its strength. But these are only
the beginning of its troubles. The Re-
publican party, being in possession of
both houses of Congress, will instant
ly admit three or four new States
into the Union. These prospective
States are Republican by posi-
ton; and as they are angry with the
party which for years has denied them
Statehood, and will be grateful to the
party which is to deliver them from
Territorial tutelage, they will, of
course, be intensely and steadfastly
Republican. Their Representative
will swell the Republican majority in
Congress, and their Presidential
Electors will forever destroy the
pivotal political Importance of the
State of New York. Finally, the
census of 1890 will, to a still greater
extent, increase the representation of
the Republican party, both in Con-
gress and in the Electoral College.
These are the reasons why the
Democratic party must die; but there
are also reasons why it ought to pre-
fer to die. 1t would be bad politics
for it to live any longer. Its history
must always defeat it. A vast major
ity of the people of this country hold
it responsible for secession and the
civil war. Its very name is an insLp-
portable handicap, for it arouses a
multitude of prejudices which have
no logical connection with the issues
of the present day. In this case, a.
rose by some other name would smell |
Democratic party has no mission.
The only distinctive. principles it ever
had are these: A strict construction of |
the constitution, which it has not men
toned for twenty years; State
rights. which it does not dare to,
avow;; a tariff for revenue only, which
the country has a dozen times, with.
increasing vehemence, repudiated;
and Civil-Service reform, by which it.
climbed; into power, but which, six
months later. it abandoned in disgust
Surely this is a beggarly stock in
trade for a. political party. If the
men who are IN such a party now are
ever to be any thing, do any thing or
get any thing, they must first abandon ?
and bury out of sight their present po-
litical name and organization.
In the expression of these candid
views the wish has not been the father
to the thought. 1t is not to the interest
of the Republican party for the Demo
cratic party to go out of existence. Its
efforts simply intensity the Republic
an spirit and correct party lassitude
and Indifference Indeed, the greatest
danger that now eonfronts the Repub
lican party is monopoly of the field.
For, as an air-tight glass bulb, when
the pressure of the surrounding air is
removed, is blown into fragments by
the expansive energy of the air within,
SO any political party which is de-
prived. of the external pressure of
party opposition is liable to explode
from internal dissension. The worst
fate that could ever befall the Repub-
lican party would be the absorption of
the three annihilated parties. CiicG-
20, Journal.