Year: 1874

Political Phiiosophers-How To BE


Happy in Defeat.


The ways of political parties are q study for
the curious. Their workings are guided by
no settled rule, and it would be as difficult to
calculate their action upon any well defined
principle as to square the circle of the moon.
An election takes place one year and the dem
ocrats are successful at the polls Immedi-
ately we learn, on republican authority, that
the popular verdict means nothing that it is
an ''off year" and no significance whatever
attaches to the result From the winning
party, however, we ascertain that the vote is
both important and suggestive, and that it
clearly indicates some sweeping revolution in
public sentiment The republicans recover
their losses next year, and come out of the
contest VIGOROUSLY. We are instantly as
sured by the democracy that the election was
altogether immaterial, that side issues con-
trolled the result, and that it furnishes no sign
to point out the probabilities of The future.
At the same time republicanism teaches
us that the victory satisfactorily settles
the political condition of the country for ten
years to come and that we may as well make
up our minds to the fact In the early State
elections the difference Of opinion is marked
and wide With the winning party they are
clear indications of what will occur in the
later fall contests, while the losing party can
find score Of reasons for q contrary conclu-
sion. This year the issues are local, and as it
is only the election succeeding the Presidential
CIV to1 IL 10
The following year it is two years removed
from the Presidential election, and SO the
party is Indifferent. The next year it is
again an off year, and as the party is reserv-
ing its strength for the Presidential fight it's
apathy can be satisfactorily accounted for.


1t is fortunate that our political parties can
thus find consolation in victory or defeat,
since one or the other must, of necessity, lose,
and it would be distressing to think that so
many patriots must be subjected to misery
during one-half the period of their political
existence. Just now the republican party is
most in need of this political philosophy. For
tune has turned against it. Doubtful
States have cast their fortunes with the demo-
Gratis. Strong republican States have shown
a startling loss of strength. The early cleo
tions have worn democratic complexion, and
in House and Senate the revival in the party
that has lain PROSTATE since the outbreak of
the rebellion is foreshadowed. So we now
hear from sources of republican wisdom that
the early elections this year mean nothing at
all, and that recent democratic victories are
only indications of the coming annihilation Of
that party and OF the continued rule of repub-
icanism. At the same time it is significant
that President Grant, with the figures of the
last election spread out before him like plan
of battle, urges the necessity Of o compromise
with Fenton and q reunion Of the broken ranks
of repubicanism and that the cry is again
raised of Bourbon conspiracies to overthrow
the government, of contemplated democratic
combinations to massacre all the blacks in the
country, and of all those other terrible events
which must follow the defeat OF the republican
party. If the approaching danger is to be
avoided at all it must be by the adoption of
the suggestion originating with President
Grant The republican numbers lust be in
creased by the winning over Of the liberals,
especially in New York State, where they held
the balance Of power last year. But then
Fenton is said to demand the Custom House,
and that is an enormous power to place in the
hands Of a new convert. No wonder that
Senator Conkling and his friends enter an in
dignant protest and resist an arrangement
that would take from them at least one-half
their present perquisites.