Democratic Sentinel, Volume 9, Number 8, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 March 1885 — VANITY OF REPUBLICAN HOPE. [ARTICLE]

VANITY OF REPUBLICAN HOPE.

Far be it from any intention of our hand, in this inclement weather, to throw an iceblanket over the ulterior hopes of that declining invalid, the Republican party. Still, on the eve of its being removed to the political infirmary, we feel that any vain words of cheer would subject us—and very justly —to the charge of false friendship. Better it is to point out its sad disoider, that it may summon patience for its comforter, rather than fallacious hope, in its perpetual retirement An intelligent diagnosis of its case, thirteen years ago, discovered its stomach to be deranged and its muscles withered. Such very able physicians as Horace Greeley, Ch tries Sumner, Carl Sch .rz., Lyman Trumbull and Henry Ward Beecher counseled it to give up business. The only two creditable undertakings which it had assisted —the restoration of the Union and the emancipation of slavery—were long since accomplished. But the Republican party h id grown so fanatical over its participation in those achievements that it appeared to be working to get up a second and bushwhacking war between the sections. It was seen by the abler physicians to be in a bad way. It would have been retired had . not a resort to an electro-metallic battery imported artificial strength to its system. This metallic force furnished fraudulent witnesses, election returns, and the electoral count in 1876, and provided the celebrated Dorsey "soap" in 1880. The party was kept out*Df the political infirmary from 1872 to the present time by that electro-metallic machine. It was used again in 1884, but by the latter year too many had discovered that trickery and manipulation had for twelve years been the Republican recommendation for retention of the Republican party in power. So then the Republican party’s greatest resource of strength, the electro-metallio battery (the forces of which were tithed from office-holders), is lost to it, and with this loss has departed that party's strongest element of hope. But that is not all; the party is divided against itself, and was throughout the late campaign. But since the election the house is even worse divided against itself. Here within a week of its relegation to the infirmary we see half the Republican organs clashing and the Arthur aim Blaine factions against each other because of Arthur’s vengeful treatment of Gen. Swaim in the review of the latter’s court-mart al. Again, only last week, Republican Senators bitterly antagonized President Arthur’s nomination of Emory Speer, of Georgia, for the vacant .lodgeship of the Georgia District. Only a day or two since, Emery A. Storrs, erstwhile B nine's fu.some flatterer.utteringpra ses of Blaine’s successful opponent, btephen A. Dortrey, who wore the guerdon of Republican victory in 1880, has become the caustic critic of his former companions in political turpitude. Mr. Edmunds, the leader of the respectable faction of the par.y, lias, as President of the Senate, nullified the precedent Vice Pres deut Wheeler assumed to set, four years ago, for declaring the election of President end Vice President. The late Republican candidate has assumed the role of social and political Nemesis to pursue and punish all Republicans who cried no “Allah!” to him in his campaign. Tho followers of Si John, of Schurz, of George William Curtis, of Henry Ward Beecher, will not readily forgive the coarse as aults of Republican papers and politicians upon them, while “mugwumpery" is not likely to abate its patriotism or numbers, nor is it likely to gravitate back to the g. o. p. Verily there is “sloth in the mart and schism in the temple” of the Republicans. Much as we regret to throw the ice blanket over the party in this cold’ spell, we must say there appears to be no hope for it— Indianapolis Sentinel.