Year: 1874

laVer IL was DOunu TO come, and IL is in
finitely better that it should occur this
year than happen in 1876. The result Of
those elections will prove a blessing in
disguise, like the late fire in Chicago, in
Kidding the Republican party of many
bad and dangerous men who had thrust
themselves into leaderships for purposes
of plunder. Parties in all free Govern.
ments are exposed to betrayal by corrupt
and insolent demagogues who abuse
their opportunities and violate theil
trusts. Like thunderstorm in sultry
weather, the recent elections will purify
the political atmosphere and clear the
way for the tremendous struggle in
1875 for the possession of the Govern
ment and shaping the policy of the ma,
tion as it enters upon the second century
of its existence.


The result of the recent elections. there
fore, may be wisely accepted as lesson
by which the country and the Republi.
can party may largely profit. 1t is well
to understand in the first place what is
the actual result of the vote. OF the
vote polled, the conglomerate Opposi-
tion have a majority; but the vote of the
combined Opposition falls far short of
that polled for Greeley in 1872. The Re
publican vote shows falling off in such
proportion that it is less than the re.
duced Opposition vote. This result of
the voting, then, very clearly indicates
that the country has to no great extent
undergone conversion from Republican
ism to Democracy. The falling off in
the Republican vote is not added to the
Democratic vote; that immense vote,
equal nearly to one-third of the aggre-
gate of the whole country, is still Repub-
lican, and is held in reserve.


The Opposition under all its forms may
be classed as Democratic" and yet the
vote of "a is smaller than that of ~.
Nevertheless, we do not underrate the
magnitude of the Republican discom-
future, nor underrate the Importance of
the Democratic success, temporary as it
unquestionably is. We wish to state the
facts as they stand, and from these facts
show that there is nothing in them indie
ative of disruption or disbandment of
the Republican party, or that that party
is any the less strong in the affections of
the people than it was in previous years
Principles are unchanged. The Repub-
lican and Democratic parties represent
opposing policies and opposing prin-
ciples as distinctly as they have at
any time since the war. All at
tempts to fuse them have failed because





The temporary success of the Demo
cratic party is not due to the adoption of
Democratic principles by Republicans,
but to variety of causes which COM
bined, in the absence of any national
contest as Presidential election, to in
duce Republicans to let the cleo
tions go by default, or to bolt
for this occasion, and thereby relieve
the party of many persons and many
outside issues which had become obi
Gus and offensive. There is not Repub-
lican who cannot name in his district one
or more persons who were riding the
party to its ruin, and the recent election
has substantially rid the party of these
dead-weights and dead beats" and pos
itively injurious "bosses." The party
has also been troubled with number of
isms altogether foreign to the policies of
the Republican party, but which short
sighted and Jealous fanatics have tried
to make that party carry, and notably
among these was the prohibitory liquor
law and kindred measures, seeking a
statutory regulation of the diet and man
ners of the people. These have from
time to time been forced upon the party
in certain States and localities, to the
weakening of it's strength and to the dis
integration of its organization. This
was considered timely season to have
these issues tried at the polls and dis
posed of, and thousands of Republicans
stood by, or so voted as to let the Oppo-
sition settle these sumptuary laws, so
that they are not likely to be heard of
again for some time to come, and certain
ly not to embarrass the Republican party
again very soon.


1t is not to be denied that during the
fourteen or more years of Republican
rule, several of which were during
period of terrible civil war, when direct
responsibility was difficult of enforce
ment, there was a tendency on the part
of several individuals who had forced
themselves into prominence as leaders of
local divisions of the Republican party to
engage in some personal matters of ques-
tionable propriety. The Credit-Mobilier
affair, and a number of other matters,
though grossly exaggerated and by no
means confined to one party, and the
Back.Pay or Salary-Grab bill, furnished
the Opposition with material upon which
to found accusations against individuals,
and by implication against the party and
many conscientious Republicans in all
the States, by emitting to vote, took that
means of having the party purified by





actions to be dropped out of political
life.


In reviewing the causes of this SEEM
ing change in popular sentiment, one of
the most potent unquestionaDly was the
recent collapse of the financial bubbles,
followed by contraction of credit and the
industrial stringency known as "nard
times" Among the less rejecting and
less intelligent classes of people
there was feeling that in some way the
party in power was responsible for last
years panic, the partial suspension of
Industrial labor, and this years COM
parative stagnatiOn of trade. These peo-
pie did not look back to the over-produc-
tion of previous years, and the consequent
speculation and collapse of all insub-
stantial credit; contining themselves to
the present, they assumed that, if the
Republican party had not actually caused
the financial convulsion of last year, it
had not made sufficient effort to restore
"good times" The Democratic leaders
adroitly addressed this class of dissatis-
fed and discontented people, and, though
they had no plan whereby hard times
could be abolished and good times re-
stored, they whispered to the unemployed
and struggling: "Vote with us and we
will give the country policy which will
make money plenty and employment at
high wages abundant" Though this is a
very old game, it is not an unsuccessful
one. 1t is one of the peculiar advan-
tages the "outs" have over their oppo.
nents, whenever there is an interruption
in production, or financial distress, or
business stagnation. This is not by any
means the first occasion when this sense
less appeal has been Successfully made,
to the temporary defeat of the party in
power. To these and various other con-
siderations, and local embarrassments,
and not any radical change of popular
sentiment, may be attributed the seeming
triumph of the Opposition.


There has been no such change as
should induce any Republican to believe
for one moment that the party is IN
minority among the people. The Repub-
lican party is really confronted by but
one foe, and that is the Democratic party,


n.