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Show a , . thk grand old party. Well, the smoke of battle is lifted and the field discloses the full disaster of the republican party. It is true we were routed, hoisa, foot and cannon, but what of it? The republican party comprises the best brain and brawn of the country and within it throbs the lifeblood of the nation. Every reform, emanates from that source. From tho day of Abraham Abra-ham Lincoln to this the leaders and patriots in the field and council were republicans almost without exception. The center of republican gravity lies in the enlightened north, the center of democratic gravity is in the benighted south. Flushed with victory, who are the men that press forward to lead the democracy? Who are they the opposition puts forth as its possible speakers? Crisp of Georgia, Hatch of Missouri, McCreary of Kentucky, McMillan Mc-Millan of Tennessee, Mills of Texas, Bynum of Indiana, Springer of Illinois. Just think of the mediocrity thus contrasted con-trasted with the powerful individuality of Reed, McKinley or Lodge: And then compare the demagogue Hill who looms up as tho main hope of an exultant exult-ant democracy for presidont in 181)3 with the patriotic chief executive now in office, and with the line of his noble predecessors. Truly, no man with a vein of pride or loyalty in him can hesitate hesi-tate to choose what party he owns fealty feal-ty to. Tuesday's battle was a republican defeat, but not a democratic victory. Just as the greenback craze in the earlier part of the present decade redounded re-dounded to the benefit of the democratic demo-cratic party, so did tho dofection of misguided farmers and fanatics in the west and of kickers in the east operate to the advantage of the enemy this time. It looks like the irony of fate to see a democratic governor in Wisconsin elected on a school issue. Democracy and schools are usually not synonim-ous synonim-ous terms. We have seen a democratic majority of nearly two hundred thousand thous-and in the state of New York wiped out as effectually as the recent congressional majority will be. Incongruous forces may unite in one single onslaught but they cannot remain united for sustained sus-tained action. In the national contest in 181)2 the elements that aided tho democracy de-mocracy to victory will, disgusted with their allies, return to thek' original adherence. ad-herence. Nothing is safer, nothing 1b surer than that. Meantime, in the immortal words of the immortal Garfield, "the government govern-ment in Washington still lives." This is no time for carping and backbiting and fault finding with our party chiefs and friends. Let the command ring out along the line, "close ranks; forward march!" The grand old party has still amission to fulfill and it was never known to surrender under fire. Let cowards and deserters drop to the rear. In this hour of our temporary adversity adver-sity Tub Times nails the standard of republican principles still more securely to the mast head, pressing onward and forward with t he old guard. Its voice will be loud and clear in the advooacy of republican doctrines and its loyalty to the party and its chosen leaders as true and unswerving as in the days of the party's greatest prosperity. That is the way to success. |