New-York tribune., 1891-04-23
WORK FOR THE REPUBLICAN, LEAGUE.


In the campaign of 1888 the National League
of Republican Clubs was in It's infancy 1t was
organized, in fact only few weeks before the
nominating convention assembled. Most OF the
clubs composing it had been formed Tor the
especial purpose of choosing delegates to the
League meeting in this city. AS elements OF a
great campaign, even as social organizations,
they were without experience But they went
into the electoral campaign with marked en-
thusiasm, and it may fairly be said that their
contribution to the success of the Republican
ticket was large and important. They slim
Mated local interest and effort immensely all
over the land, and to-day they constitute by
far the most powerful political machine in the
service OF any party. Their power springs not
merely from the vast number Of their members,
but from their sincerity, diSinterestedness and
pure public spirit
The assembly at Cincinnati this week was the
fourth annual meeting of the League 1t came
together under inspiring circumstances. NoU
only is there much hard and interesting work
TO be done, but there is also much III the eXlSt-
ing political situation to encourage these actlVe
and earnest Republicans. The defeat OF last
fall shows where Republican effort must be dl-
rected. The Democrats have misrepreSented
the character and significance of their victory
just as they misrepresented the facts upon which
the country gave its judgment The returns
tell the true story. They show not that an
extraordinary number of votes were cast Tor the
Democratic ticket, but that hosts OF KepuD-
Leans neglected or refused to go to the polls.
The Democrats nowhere polled so large vote
as they polled in 1888, when they were dlSaa-
trousy routed. They won the greatest Con-
gresSional victory that any party has ever
achieved on total vote IL per cent smaller
than the vote they cast when Harrison and a
Republican Congress were chosen. This means
that the Republicans defeated themselves.
The Republican party will be guilty OF blind
folly if il omit to examine the causes of what
was evidently extended dissatisfaction with
something assumed to be the Republican record
in Congress- If the understanding upon which
the people acted last fall is accurate, there is no
escape from the conclusion that they suddenly
changed their minds since 1888. They declared
then in favor of National Election law, IN
favor of Protective Tariff, an increased cur
rency and larger pensions. When they yoted
again in 1890 each of these demands had been
complied with by the House of Representatives
so that the failure of those who had in 1883
supported them to go to the polls in 1890 and
express approval of the party must have been
due to one of three causes. The legislation
passed was not what the Republican voters in
tended to call for, or they had meanwhile
changed their minds and no longer wished it, or
they were acting under misapprehension Of
its character
1t is becoming palmer every day that the last
| Hba 10 pa1n
paign began at the moment Congress met. 1t
was campaign of ingenious, unScrupulOus, per
sistent falSehoOd. bill to secure full, fair
ballot and a sure honest count was described as
Force bill" A bill to secure and broaden
tho benefits of Free Trade in non-compettive
products and Protection in those that menaced
! Our own industries was bill to create " high
nrices.n Good faith to the men who saved the
| Nation became "penSion steal" and an en-
larged currency was libelled III the East as z" In
Hationo and in the West as an "outrage on Sill
YER" There can be no doubt that these false
hoods seriously affected the minds OF many con-
servative Republicans and influenced them 70
| STAY away from the polls. Others they led into
the Farmers Alliance. But the point is that
| they were falsehOOdS and as such sure to react
pon those who devised and circulated them
The value of the Republican League during
the next fourteen months and before we are
thrust into the heat of another campaign will
be demonstrated in its work all over the land
in choking down these lies into the throats OF
our conscenceess friends, the enemy. They
sbonld not he spared. The Republican record
is indicating itself noby. All that is needed
is to put it before the people everywhere 1hls
the League can do as no other power can II
has the money and the men to keep printing
presses active and mailbags heavy with the
truth. If it will get right to work, and keep
at work steadily and inteligently, the Demo
Gratis can lie themselves hOarSe and purple but
Protection and Reciprocity will be securely
lodged again in the White House and the
Capitol.