Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1894-05-17
REPUBLICAN MATTERS.
A REPUBLICAN, YEAR.
And the Responsibilities OF victory Must
Not he Forgotten.

Not he Forgotten.
II the responsibilities of political
success were remembered in time of
victory, there would be fewer occas-
ions to lament defeat. 1t is time
now for every Republican to be labor
ing, rs he would not labor even in
the hour Of reverse, for the holding
aloft OF right principles and the Sc
lection of true men for Office. For it
is within the next year, in all prob
ability, mayhap within the next six
months, that the fate of parties two
or three years from now will be de-
cided There is no contest this year
at all. 1t is the future to which
mems eyes must be set, and it is the
selection OF the right candidates and
the holding aloft of correct party
principles now which will bring vic
tory then.
We do not recall n time since 1912
when it seemed so useless to go to
the trouble of holding elections.
Perhaps there was never u time
when determination to eXtirpate
political party, root and branch, had
reached down as far and penetrated
as thoroughly the entire mass of the
people. The popular rage against
Democratic government is some
thing phenomenal. Every state cleo
ton has shown it. Every little viii
lage contest bears its testimony. A
candidate has but to be u Republican
this year in order to win. The tre-
mendous waves by which Ohio and
Pennsylvania were carried are no
more striking in their way than tho
thousand rills of local sentiment, as
shown by the spring elections in
wherever there is "a call for men to
the polls. AS a rule these cleo
tions are without particular signifi-
cancc, being determined largely by
local issues and hence showing di-
vided result. This year there is an
ominous sameness in the declarations
of the people which tells that their
mind is made up.
1t is and is to be q Republican
year. The people have determined
upon ousting from power every
where. except in some of the South
ern strongholds, the party that has
proved itself so unfit for the respon-
sibilities of government, and that
has brought upon them misfortunes
so dire. Now let Republicans look
| to it that they meet the issue wor-
thily. says the Pioneer Press. For
| if they do, it will be final. That
they will regain control Of the lower
house of congress and of the state
government in every Northern state
where an election is to be held, with
little regard to the personality of
candidates or the language Of plat
forms, we hold to be assured. There
in lies the only danger of the situa-
ton. The platforms must be
bold and true. The men
must be honest and fit For
this is only the intermediate time
between two national verdicts. And
if, betrayed by the unanimity of pub
lie opinion now, Republicans should
make mistakes, there would be time
for backward swing of the pendu-
lum before two more years had
passed. This constitutes the grave
duty Of Republicans everywhere. AS
far as the result of this years fight
ing Is concerned, they need take no
heed. 1t is as well ascertained as il
the votes were already cast and
counted. But that makes it only the
more imperative that they should
show themselves fully worthy OF the
confidence about to be reposed in
them so Internationally as rebuke
to the Democracy by which the coun-
try has been betrayed almost to its
ruin.