Year: 1879

Democratic Mistakes.
Those Democratic papers that have


been in the habit Of stigmatizing Presi-
dent Hayes as weak and vascillat'ng,
are beginning to discover their error, h
and now they exhibit considerable sur
prise when they ind themselves con-


fronted with man who is as firm in


the defence of what he deems to bs
right az ever President Grant was. This
opinion OF President Hayes is not sur
prising when We consider how readily
he complied with their requests to
abandon the Southern States to the
mercy of the bull-dozers after his inau-
guration. That this was a great mis-
take Ia now acknowledged by the con-
serv alive men even of the Democratic
party, and yet it seemed that nothing
else would satisfy the popular demand
at hat time, for there were many lead
ing Republicans who began to think
that the South If let alone would govern
herself honestly and wisely. After all,
it is fortunate not only for the country
but for the Republican party that the
latter had to pass through crisis OF
that kind, in order that the people
might fully awake up to where they
stood, and to see that the only
safety for free government was to re-
turn to the party which saved the
country in its hour of gloom and need.
Fair trial having been given to the
Democracy, and when We say Demo
cracy We Of course mean the Southern
Bourbons, for in the north it hardly
deserves the name of party, the coun-
try at large has been enabled to see
that it cannot govern the nation impai-
TALLY on the::broad principles OF justice,
intelligence and honesty, and hence
the solidifying Of the party that saved
the nation and the firmness exhibited
by the President which is not more sur
prisipg to the Democracy as it is graft
flying to the Republicans. This is
not the only mistake the Democrats
have made oflate,i it being admitted tina.
the most astute and sagacious leaders
amongst them are beginning to think
that they have made a mistake in fore :
ing an extra session Of Congress. Mr..
Bayard saw this mistake before Congress
adjourned but under the spur of the
party lash he was powerless to prevent
it. If the Democracy had had
common sense, they might have per.
esived their error before it was too la 9
to remedy it, for it did not require IN.
usual wisdom and sagacity to under
stand that Me country does not, under
anv circumstances, regard the meeting
of rune,roS Il, a boon, and that 1t looks
upon A. extraordinary and partiCu'
larly unn.c ..-ary session OF Congress
with ABSOLUTE GistavOr. If there had
been anything than mere partisan
reason tr forvlng au extra session they
might With great advantage have
avoided it, but as it is they have com
mi,t-d what .ll undoubtedly be t.
them fatal bunder. They may com
Del the repeal of the Federal Election
laws, but that sort OF "a victory would
in the end. prove rather a worse defea
than a complete surrender to the mi
nority. Afer all there is deal 0
common sense in the aggregate vot"
be- he a Democrat or Republican that re
volts at fraud and when election da.
comes around, will insist that the elec
ton shall be honest and not simpl.
something to carry out the tricks Q
politicians. The most that the Demo
crats can hope to win by the repeal
tL. Federal election laws is to carr,
New York city and Cincinnati, will
such heavy majorlties that the state
of New York and Ohio may be mad
safe for the Democratic Presidential
candidate in 1880. 1t is well under
stood that neither of these States name
will vote honestly for a Democrati
President, and without New York es
ipcially, there is not the ghost OF


chance Of Democratic success. Henc
the great anxiety to repeal the Fedora
election laws that an enormous traudu
lent vote may BE- cast in that city whic
will 4warlp the more honest vote !
til. rural districts and carry the Sta,
for Samuel J. Tilden or any otht
D..ptcratie candidate. The peopl


however, very well underst and that tt
Federal election laws were adopted b'
cause of a common demand for the be


ter protection of the ballot box, ar
the Democrats never made more graz


mistake than to suppose that the ma


of voters prefer a dishonest electlc


rather than an honest one. No matt


how specious the arguments may BE- #


the repeal Of laws which are saieguar'


of the ballot, the hard, common al


moral sense of the country will estima


them at their true value, and those fe


to be deceived by them will not elect


single Democratic candidate As Co