The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1888-03-24
REPUBLICAN, DECAY.
A Mugwump Papers Impartial Survey {
the Political situation.

ray of light. Blaine is certainly out of
the question. John Sherman's nomi-
nation does not seem to be n possibil-
ity. There is no movement for Alli-
son, or Hawley, or Harrison, or Gull
lom, or Hiscock, or anybody else on
the list, any more than there was four
or eight years ago. doubt II the
winning man in our convention has |
been mentioned yet by any one. Yet
the man may come to us in our hour |
of need. Such things have happened
to us before in our political history"
This is an accurate survey of the Re-
publican situation. There are at
present about twenty Republican
leaders who are mentioned rs possible
candidates, yet in the whole lot there
is not one whose availability can not
be seriously questioned. This is a
very curious situation for a great party
TO be in, and it is worth while to in
quire into the causes which have led
up, or rather down. to it.
1t is noticeable that as one man after
| another is considered, he is barred out
as undesirable because there is that in
his record which will offend certain
"votes." Thus Senators Sherman,
Harrison, Hawley and Allison are all
thought TO be excluded because they
voted against the Chinese Restriction
bill, it being part of the party be-
lief that no Republican candidate can
carry the Pacific Coast who has voted
in that way. He would not get the
anti-Chinese vote" Judge Gresham
is believed to be barred out because
of his prompt and fearless decisions
against turbulent strikers. which
would cost him the labor vote"
These are the party's strongest men.
and with them set aside the field Tor
choice is narrowed to suck aspirants
as Foraker. Alger, Oglesby, Cullom,
Hiscock, Depew. Boutelle, Blair and
Phelps, none of whom would give as
surance of any thing like q close con-
test with President Cleveland.
1t is not difficult to see why it is that
this question of "votes has come to
play so important part in the Repub-
lican calculations. The whole policy
of the party for the past few years has
been directed to the creation of pre-
cisely such obstacles. Take, for ex-
ample, the Chinese question. What
gave that lasting Importance was the
conduct of Mr.. Blaine in writing a let
ter on the subject in which he made a
bid for the Pacific Coast vote. That
letter not only gave him the support
of the anti-Chinese element, but made
it u necessity for every candidate for u
long time afterwards to have the same
magnet. If Mr. Blaine had not raised
the question to the dignity of an
tissue" it would have been forgotten
long ago, and the party would not
now be deprived of the leadership of
four of its most competent men. So
it is with the "labor vote" If it had
not been persistently coddled and per-
sistently lied to about the effects of
protection in keeping wages high. there
would be no fear of hostility to Judge
Gresham.
But not only have the leaders of the
h party been thus disabled by this truck.
/ ling to "votes," but the rising genera.
u tion of voters has been so displeased
: by the performance that the number OF
|. able men turning towards the Repub.
y lican party each year has been rapidly
:. diminishing. The departure of the
!. Independents, or Mngwumps, however
g arrogant and "big-headed" they may
e have been, was not the only loss the
9 party has sustained because of it's pet
ty vote-angling policy. However
earnest the veterans of the party may
have been in urging that policy, il
, seeking for the anti-Chinese vote, now
: for the labor vote, now for the Irisl
vote, now for the soldier vote, an(
= first, last and all the time for the igno
) rant and prejudiced vote, the men o
talent in the rising generation coult
see nothing attractive, nothing offer
ing promising field for their ambi
|, tions, in n party given up to such aims
II They have therefore been going over
in steadily-increasing numbers durin.
o the past few years, to the Democratic
party. There can be no doubt abou
y this. They belong to new era ant
i. car not be frightened by mere part.
name. They see the Republican part.
!. every day more obstinately opposed Il
J. progress, clinging to war memories TO
quarter of II century after the war i
5 over, and standing in the way of an,
Q attempt to legislate in the interests Q
the changed condition of the presen
time.
q What inducement can there be for
9 young man of intelligence and ambi
tion to enter party which makes
d great man of such ridiculous perso
II as Governor Forakerp The mere fac
!, that man of that caliber is mentione
= as very probable Presidential cand
- date is striking evidence OF the intel
|. lectual decadence which has fallen up
g on the party. The veteran Senate
4. whom we have quoted above says tn
h man that the party is looking for ma
yet come to it in its hour of need, as ha
q happened before in its history; but tn
- hour of need in the Republican pas
" was very different one from what
t. is now. The party had not only
moral purpose, but moral character
to 1t had men of convictions and brain
rs at the head of it and in the offices {
its newspapers. 1t was not fishing fo
Is anti-Chinese, labor, Irish or any othe
- "votes," but was seeking to do wha
yvoc boSt for tho countrv and uo