Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1894-11-14
[ From the Norfolk Landmark of Wednesda
the 18th.
One Battle Over, Another Begun.

To the thoughtful student ofpOlitics
the result of yesterdays election is not
surprise. There is a large element of
ignorance in all parties all
voters. There are thousands of men
everywhere who cannot see intellect
uaily beyond their nose-who cannot
see from effect to cause. They make
wrong conclusions. and are encouraged
to hold them by designing men who
prefer that they should be deceived
1t is thus with the question of RESPONSE
bility for the late hard times-the pre-
sent depressed condition.
Again. there is always reaction fol-
lowing the first year of any admins
tration because of the large number of
unhappy Office seekers who did not get
what they wanted. Many of them
turn around. curse their own party
party as they do a cow-lf it does not
give them milk and butter, why. damn
the cow-they will beef her at once.
Fortunately for the Democracy and
for the country the patient cannot die
from this treatment. The Republicans
cannot undo the laws which have been
passed for the benefit of the people I'm
til their advantages become SO plain
that another reaction will occur in
favor of the party that passed them.
By 1896 the people who are now blind,
like new born kittens, will have gotten
their eyes open. The Democracy look
ed for some such effect as this and is by
no means crushed.
1t will survive the partial defeat and
renew its struggle for commercial free
dom. II will suffer no serious discOur
agement, having in view the history of
politics. 1t will rather profit by the
lessons to be learned and avoid the
errors which have to some extent help
ed to bring about the failure to hold
the majority in Congress. For ex
ample we shall learn better than to
have Democratic dead-locks in a Con
gress which should have had plain
sailing in tariff reform. Which should
have promptly enacted laws wrangled
over for months-and better laws than
were finally passed.
So, the Democrats. with the signif-
can't experience of yesterday and of
the past year, may pick their fiints and
go to the field again, confident that,
with loyalty to their party principles
ard with unselfish devotion to the great
interests of the people, they will recoV
er all lost ground and go on conquer
ing and to conquer. This is really
only a reminder that no party is in
yincible while it has divided councils
and is controlled even partially in its
action by men who think more of
themselves and their own temporary
glory and gain than of the great trust
committed to them by the people.
This is merely little freshet. net a
great deluge; it is warning, not dis
81 N. s.@1a De 4
are immortal. The men upon whom
tile duty is devolved to defend and
propagate them are mortal and often
weak. Profit by the result of yester-
day and come again to the breach.
Mr. Whitelaw Reid prophesied re-
publican victory before his departure
for Europe, but cautioned his friends
against an assumption that such re-
suit necessarily implied success in
1896
He had just seen the demo cracy of
New York begin a great fight under
Hill, against tremendous obstacles
from without and within, and he knew
that the spirit displayed meant some
thing more than the desire for present
victory. 1t meant continuing demo-
cratic organization, with the plain PEG
pie forming its membership. That's
what the organization was originally,
and what it should have been always,
and what it must be to ensure success
hereafter.
MI Reid was wise in his conclusion.
To such party defeat is not annihi
lation; it is not always disaster. The
New York contest, waged against foes
heretofore unknown to the party as
well as those common to every cam
paign is the best positive evidence
that there is future for democracy as
an American party, and it does much
to show that democracy in the still
higher meaning of the term, is strong
in the hearts of the people--IRder-Ap
peal
The world is by no means ended with
this election. The harder the democ-
racv gets whipped the stronger and
madder it gets. Adversely chastens
and revives it. Office-holding and Of
fee seeking weakens it, Norfolk Land
mark.
SHENANDOAH COUNTY.-In the Con-
gressional election in Shenandoah
county the vote for Walker, Republi-