The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1894-11-17
Warming to NIissouri's Republicans.

~ dEIiitis 10 I.ISSouI1 = IGeEuDtscaES
The exuberance of the Republicans
ioyovertheir victory inMissourihavine
pretty nearly passed awayby this time,
they are beginning to realize that this
victory carries with it certain important
duties and responsibilities. 1t was nat.
ural, of course, that they should rejoice
over their triumph. for it is much more
extensive and brilliant than they had
looked for. OntheC ongressionalticket
for State officers and for members OF
the Legislature they have beaten the
Democrats by considerable majorities.
Theyhave secured ten out of the States
fifteen congressman. have rolled up a
plurality of about10 900 for their State
ticket. and have gained a substantial
leadin both branches of the Legislature.
In each of these fields the Democrats
had enjoyed an uninterrupted ~careerof
victory for more than twenty years.
But if the Republicans are to retain
the power which theyhave secured they
must prove that they deserve it. The
Democrats We're overthrow because of
their plumbers. shiftlessness and retro
gressiveness. and unless the Republi-
cans demonstrate by their policy that
they would give the State a better gov
eminent if they should be put in full
control of all its departments they are
exceedingly likely to be turned out at
the next election. This lisa truth which
the Republican Legislature should bear
constantly in mind. The Democratic
regime which has had unbroken sway
for more than a of years has
damaged the State materially and
morally more than words can readily
tell. Its political notions were rem
dered obsolete half a century ago or
over by the march of events. While
there has been a steady progress in
the States social and business life, so
that the people have kept we'll abreast
of the calendar, the States rulers have
all along imagined that the date was
1880.
When the country saw Missouri keep
ing such a regime incontrol year after
year and decade after decade it nat
urally presumed that a condition of
mental and moral darkness existed
here. like in Florida and Mississippi.
Thus the State has been seriously dis
credited anddamaged, and settlers and
capital which otherwise would have
flowed here on account of the wealth
and variety of the States natural re-
sources have gone elsewhere. The op-
portunity, therefore, for the Republi-
can Legislature to remove this i'm
preston and to re-establish the States
credit and prestige presents itself. But
the Republicans should remember that
all change, even from the harmful and
neutrality-suspicious. created by Dem
ocratic rule. is not necessarily prog
ress. New departures in government,
even NLClC thCy diC oSiIldHuCu do IL
gently as they are here, are wise or
unwise according to their character or
direction. Innovation for the sake of
innovation should be systematically
and sc~rupulously avoided. While the
aim of the Republicans should be to
legislate according to the conditions
and necessities of the present day and
not of those of forty or fifty years ago,
the considerations of moderation and
conservatism should be rigidly OBJ
served. There is no royal road to
power for any party in these days
when intelligence swidelydiffused and
when the floating vote often decides
elections. If the Republicans show by
the discreet use they make of their
power that they are in~telligently alive
to the duties and responsibilities of
their position they will gain complete
control of the State in 1896, but if, for
any reason, they fail to meet this re-
quirement, they will stand a chance of
being overthrow by the very elements
and forces whichhave just placed them
| at the frOnt.-Globe- Democrat.