Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1888-03-29
1.HE REPUBLICAN PARTY.
n Mugwunp Papsr's Impartial Survey OF
the Political Situation

knSton recently: g can not discern a
ray of light. Blaine is certainly out of
the question. John Sherman's nomi-
nation does not seem to be POSSIBLE
Atty. There is no movement for ALI
son. or Hawley, or Harrison or Gull
dom, or Hiscock, or anybody else on
the list. any more than there was four
er eight years ago. / doubt if 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 as 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 great party
10 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 a ter
another is considered. ne is barred out
as undesirable because there is that in
his record which will offend certain
--sVotes." 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
an 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 4" labor vote"
These are the party's strongest men,
and with them set aside the field Tor
choice is narrowed to such aspirants
as Foraker. Alger. Oglesby, Cullom,
Hiscpck, Depew. Boutelle. Blair and
Phelps, none of whom woald give as
surance of any thing like 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-
icisely 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:
zt a necessity for evcry candidate fGf an
long time afterwards to have the EaIlGj
magnet If Mr.. Blaine had not r;isoG.
the question to the dignity of .ln
tissue" it would have been forgotten
Dong ago, and the party would not
now be deprived of the leadership of
-four of its most competent men. So
III is with the ''labor vote" If it had
not been persistently coddled and per-
asistently lied to about the effects of
protection in keeping wages high. there
vzr0u!d be no fear of hostility to Judge
Gresham.
But not only have the leaders of the
party been thus disabled by this truck
ling to "votes." but the rising genera
ton of voters has been SO displeased
by the performance that the number of
able men turning towards the Repub-
Hcan party each year has been rapidly
diminishing. The departure of the
Independents, or Mugwumps, however
arrogant and "big-headed" they may
have been, was not the only loss the
party has sustained because of its pet
ty yote-angiing policy. However
earnest the veterans of the party may
have been in urging that policy. in
seeking for the anti-Chinese vote. now
for the labor vote, now for the Irish
ho
first, last and all the time for the igno-
rant and prejudiced vote. the men of
talent in the rising generation could
see nothing attractive, nothing offer
ing a promising field for their ambi-
tons, in party given up to such aims.
They have therefore been going over,
in steadily-increasing numbers during
the past few years. to the Democratic
party. There can be no doubt about
this They belong to a new era and
can not be frightened by mere party
name. They see the Republican party
every day more obstinately opposed to
progress, clinging to war memories for
a quarter of century after the war is
over, and standing in the way of any
attempt to legislate in the interests of
the changed condition of the present
time.
What inducement can there be for
young man of intelligence and ambi-
ton 10 enter party which makes q
great man of such ridiculous person
as Governor Forakerp The mere fact
that n man of that caliber is mentioned
as very probable Presidential candi-
date is striking evidence OF the intel
lectual decadence which has fallen up
on the party. The veteran Senator
whom we have quoted above says the
man that the party is looking for may
vet come to it in its hour of need. as has
hannaned hefnra in its history: but the