The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1891-11-08

leSlS W bc uulb dnu Oh whose A0JeCeUeuLS ana
character he can know little, II anything. A
man may make good record as
a soldier in the regular army aud still be
utterly unfit to discharge with discretion and
intelligence the duties of policeman. II any
thing more were needed to convince Congress
that the Army and Navy clause should be
repealed this deporable occurrence supplies
it. 1t is probable that this law is also ac-
countable In many cases for failure to dis
cipline severely officers who are found trans
crossing the regulations of the force. The
authorities no doubt feel reluctant to dismiss
an officer with even a fair record who may be
found delinquent, as they are aware through
experience that the new man selected to take
his place will require months to learn his
duties and In the end may prove even less
capable than the one who was dismissed.
Thus the Army aud Navy clause not only
prevents the selection of the best men but
interferes with the maintenance of that strict
discipline by which alone The force can be
kept at the highest point OF efficiency.
No REASONABLE Democrat can fail 10 be
grat6cd at the outcome Of last Tuesdays
elections. The victories the candidates Of the
party won in New York, Massachusetts,, and
Iowa were obtained against heavy odds, with
the possible exception of that in New York.
The Republicans felt it was almost death
struggle for them and all the influence OF the
Administration and the money of the great
interests so closely identified with Republican
policies were at their command. Yet, in New
York they suffered an overwhelming defeat,
and in their former stronghods of Massachu-
a1AH l. NJ i ~
cratic Governors were reelected by safe
pluraIities. In the latter States the result
pretty clearly demonstrates that the voters
who last year came into the Democratic ranks
still remain there, and must no longer be re-
garded as mere recruits but are now we'll drilled
soldiers in the army of Democracy. Out of the
result in Ohio Republicans affect to get much
consolation. Yet there is nothing in that result
which should discourage Democrats. When
it is considered what defeat in Ohio this year
would have meant to the Republican party the
wonder is that the Democrats were able to
keep Mckinley's plurality down to what 1t
was. AS was frequently said during the cam
paign, the Republicans had to win. The de-
feat of Mckinley would have practically left
the Republicans without fighting chance of
success in the Presidential contest next year.
Protection would have been utterly discred-
tied, and the party would have been left
without an issue in miserably demorslized
condition. Thus, while the Democrats were
merely playing for an advantage in Ohio, it
was life or death with the Republicans. The
defeat of Campbell, while deeply regretted,
does not affect the prestige of the party in
the nation. Indeed, the fact that Campbell
was forced to stand on free-silver platform
will cat1se-many to regard his defeat as a
fortunate thing for the party. In view of the
success of the Democrats in New York and
Massachusetts, where strong ground was
taken in favor of honest money, it suggests
that free silver contributed not little to
make votes for Mckinley. Generally, the
outcome of the elections indicate that tariff
reform is winning adherents slowly but
surely, and that it should and must be the
issue next year.