Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1900-04-05
"WAkTED-LEADEhS."
(The' Beucvn.)

w Noiis VIVA III tllC iOIhi
elections OF the past few years. Ono
need not go very lar to discover the
fact that the party organization has
been lamentaDly weak for some
time past, and it must be confessed
that this year was no exception.
In the very beginning, there was
little effort to induce good men to
run for the places on the Council
and School Board. These places
nre important and responsible ones,
but they require & great deal of
time without any honest remunera-
ton, and 1t very often takes pres
sure to persuade worthy men to
consent to being nominated. AS Il
consequence though AS a rule strong
men were nominated, yet in an i'm
portant instance or two, a weak
candidate found his way to place
on the ticket because of the fact
that there were no other candidates
ON the ballot at the primaries. The
result was that the party had TO
suffer.
Then in making up the personnel
and perfectlng the organization of
the executive commi;,ee there were
many mistakes. Whine the work Of
the committee was not prosecuted
with the vim and vigor tiiat should
have characterized its methods. AS
a consequence, when election day
came, the vote was not got out.
mat this Is true, the results in the
usually reliable Republican strong
holds amply testify. The Republi-
can candidates for council in the
First ward and In the Fourth were
defeated in the Republican pre-
clncts, and for no other reason than
that the duty Of seeing that the
Republican voters went to the polls
was neglected.
These are stubborn facts, but
they must be faced
On the other hand, the Democratic
organization was strong one and
effective. They have developed n
lot of good political hustlers in the
past few years, and their party or
ganization has double discounted
that Of the Republicans. However,
much the Young-Isbcll crowd may
bo deplored, at the same time due
credit must be given them for be-
Ing active, shrewd and successful,
and who have taught their Repub-
llcan brethren many lessons in
practical politics.
Formerly 1t was not 80. The con-
dltlon was reversed, and the Repub.
leans could give their opponents
cards and spades and then beat
them out But by one reason and
another, the old leaders have drop
ped out. Some of them have been
forced out by the unkind and un-
Just accusations Of ring" Because
they took an active interest and
assumed leadership which, In or
der to achieve success,n party must
have, diGgruntled and disappointed
ones made things so disngreeable
that these men quit politics in dis
z :. Some nsplrcd to offices, and
f. ng to get them, dropped out of
slght. Then there are others, un-
grateful ones, who l!lled lucrative
offices and at the expiration of
their second terms suddenly lost all
Interest In politics, because they
saw nothing ahead for them. Thus
1t went, for ono reason and another,
the old guard has nearly all gone,
and their places have not been fill
cd.
There are some very likely open
ings In Akron and Summit county
Tor u number OF live. active,
shrewd. aggressive, hlstling politi-
clans. The party Is sorely In lack
of leaders. Not bosses" for the
Republican party of this section Is
not one TO be ruled by u machine.
But leaders. Men who will take an
active Interest in the party. and
something besld selfish interest.
Not men who " secure an office
and then lose al. nterost, or who
VIII fall OF II nomination and drop
out of sight, But men VINO Will be
party men through thick and thin,
through fair weather and foul,
through success and defeat, finding
IN success the incentive for still
greater Victories, and In defeat, the
liberalization to wipe It out at the
very next battle. But with such
leaders thore will be no defeat.
The Republican party Is too well
intrenched Ia the hearts of the pco-
pie OF this county and city. Under
such leadership, defeat could not be
possible.
County politics are not in such
had way as nre city politics, ms evi.
denced by the past two fan elec-
tions, when the result was so de-
clslve, but victory In Summit coun.
ty has not always come from party
organization, but some times In
spite of IL. 1t is particularly of the
party affairs in the city that we are
speaking. Thorough party organi-
zation would not have lost a JUS
t!ce and a constable and at least
two councllmen at the recent cleo
tlon. But the mistakes of the past
onght to be a great incentive to
remedy them in the future. Coun.
~ organization ought to he made
strong and enthusastic for the fall
campaign, and then next spring a
perfect city organization should be
the aim OF Akron Republicans.
There are certainly enough hrainy
nrd active men In tn pa ty to make
n tuOrOiiul orranizotIon IL is