MISTAKES WILL HAPPEN

The Cortland Democrat, Friday, November 16, 1888.

Mistakes Will Happen.

   A few days before election Mr. James Dougherty gave this office an order for 4,000 Republican county tickets, which were to have his name put in the place of H. L. Bronson's for district attorney. In all other respects it was to be a straight Republican ticket. Four forms were set up so that four tickets could be printed at one impression. The tickets were printed while the proprietor was out of the office and without submitting the proof to him, and after being cut were delivered to Mr. Dougherty's office, where he had a force of young men engaged in enclosing them in envelopes and directing them to Republicans in different towns in the county.

   The next day an order was received for an additional lot, and when the proof was submitted to the proprietor he at once detected an error in one of the four tickets and promptly corrected it. The error was in spelling Mr. Borthwick’s name. It was spelled Rorthwick instead of Borthwick.

   Not knowing that the original order had been printed, nothing was thought of it until our attention was called to one of these tickets on Monday morning, November 5, which had been discovered in the town of Harford. Of course Mr. Dougherty was displeased, because it looked as though he was distributing a ticket calculated to injure Borthwick. The latter put the blame on Mr. Bourne's shoulders. Mr. Bourne did not order the tickets, never had one in his possession, and knew nothing of the matter until Monday, when his attention was called to it.

   In the meantime our foreman had gone to his home to vote the Republican ticket, and we could get no explanation from him until he returned on Wednesday. The only explanation we could give was that when we marked the correction, he had failed to see it and did not correct it, and we therefore made an affidavit laying the blame on ourselves, which was printed and circulated. When our foreman returned he explained the matter by saying that the 4,000 tickets had been printed and distributed before the proof was submitted to us. So out of this lot there were just 1,000 tickets printed incorrectly.

   Mr. Dougherty did not order them printed so, and did not want them incorrectly printed, because it would of course injure his canvass. Mr. Bourne knew nothing of the matter, and his canvass was considerably injured by the accident. No one regrets the mistake more than the proprietor of this paper, because he is certain that the canvass of both Messrs. Bourne and Dougherty was materially injured by it, and because he takes a commendable pride in making as few mistakes of this kind as any one in the same line of business. No one can be more anxious for the success of the Democratic candidates than the editor of this paper, but he has no desire to win through fraud or mistake.

Who and What Defeated Cleveland.

   We answer unhesitatingly, himself. He is no more of a statesman or a politician than he is a poet or an artist. He never made a political speech in his life, and never manifested any interest in the success of the Democratic party except when he was its candidate. His purely nominal democracy contributed to his success when dissensions had disintegrated the Republican party, and to his weakness and defeat when party lines were drawn.

   He was never so much of a Democrat as to be repugnant to disaffected republicans, or to exact loyalty from dissatisfied democrats. Without superior virtue he posed as one better than his party, and became offensive to a large number of democrats for that reason. Equality is a fundamental principle of democracy which he conspicuously violated by this assumption of his mugwump supporters and adherents, and thereby sacrificed party strength for what he apparently assumed would bring him personal strength. He mistakenly assumed the Democratic party must be loyal to him, whether he was loyal to it or not.

   He took a narrow and fragmentary view of the duties of his office. His political opponents took advantage of this characteristic and passed numerous pension bills on purpose to have him veto them to make political capital, by arraying the soldier vote against him. The labor vote was disaffected by similar means.

   His failure to recognize the merits and party zeal of efficient democratic workers, and his complacency towards the opponents of his party, has alienated many of those who would otherwise have been found among his most effective supporters.

   His appointees, with a few notable exceptions, have been weak and ill chosen, while others were bad and some have been disreputable. Taken together they have proven to be a source of weakness rather than strength. His appointments seem to have been made with a view to avoid obligation to party men, rather than to recognize that obligation.

   His only statesman-like act during his administration was his message on the tariff and this was ill-timed. It should have come in the first or second year of his administration. There are localities where the tariff issue resulted in a loss of votes for the democratic candidates which would not have been the case, had time and opportunity for discussion been afforded, while in others the gain was considerable, although we believe the gain was greater than the loss

   The reduction of the surplus and the readjustment of the tariff will prove to be an elephant on the hands of the republican party. The do-nothing policy has been tried until the people are tired. Republicans in Congress have never been able to agree upon any plan or principle for the purpose of diminishing the revenue, which would curtail the bounties given to the protected few and the people will be content with nothing else. Finding they could not agree, the subject was referred to a commission in 1882, whose report was practically repudiated by Congress and the duties which the commission had recommended to be diminished were in many instances increased. The difficulties which then existed have increased with time.

   The iron kings who have been most potent in preventing any reduction of the tariff and who have derived the greatest benefit from it, have contributed the money which has elected Harrison, and they will insist that no change be made in the tariff which will deprive them of the bonus they are now receiving from the consumers of iron and steel. Blaine and Quay are both their tools. Blaine was chosen to pitch the key note for the literature and oratory of the campaign, and Quay to have charge of the business and deviltry connected with it. No better selection could have been made for either purpose. Some of Quay's Pennsylvania repeaters voted in Cortland. With a population less than ten thousand we have a vote large enough for a population of fifteen thousand, while there is a falling off in the vote of Pennsylvania, notably in Philadelphia and other large places where Quay's repeaters reside.

   The management of the Democratic campaign both National and State has been greatly inferior to that of the Republicans.

   Cleveland depended upon luck while the republicans relied upon work, money and organization. Every man of destiny has his Waterloo, sooner or later. The last election was Cleveland's Waterloo and as France survived that battle so will the Democratic party survive this. No party was ever more completely right upon the principle issue between them and their antagonists than was the Democratic party in this campaign. But it will be many years before they undertake to elevate another mugwump and man of destiny to the Presidency. One such experience ought to be sufficient for a century.

   INDEPENDENT.

PAGE TWO/EDITORIALS.

   We hope the laboring men of this country, who voted for Harrison, will remember that they were promised an increase in wages and better times generally if Harrison was elected. If they receive higher pay for their labor we shall be glad to know it and will cheerfully acknowledge their superior judgment. If protection does not protect, however, we hope they will have sense enough not to be deluded again by the party that boasts of having all the wealthiest men and monopolists in its ranks.

FROM EVERYWHERE.

   The Romanists have less than 7,000 church edifices in the United States; the Baptists nearly 41,000; the Congregationalists, 4,000; Presbyterians, 13,000; the Protestant Episcopate, 4,500; and the Methodists, 47,000.

   One of the lessons learned from the recent campaign is that a man cannot be a Democrat and a christian, at the same time; and that God will proceed to mete out to the Prohibitionists the punishment they so much deserve. We have this direct from a reliable Republican "christian" source, and there can be no doubt about it.—Moravia Register.

   "Clark," the gray trotting horse owned by J. O. Rezeau, of this village, has a record that can't be beat by any horse in this State. He has won first money in over one hundred races, and has trotted in but five in which he has not received part of the premium. He has trotted with "Reuben," his mate, in five double team races this season, and won all of them. At the late races in VanEttenville, he was winner, where it took three adjournments to complete the race. He is 18 years old, and seems to be just in his prime. Mr. Rezeau has been offered $500 and two other good horses for him by a man from Indiana. "Clark" seems to be one of the most intelligent horses that ever trotted a race.—Waverly Free Press. [Perhaps this item was printed by the Cortland Democrat as a humorous reference to editor William H. Clark of the Cortland Standard—CC editor.]

HERE AND THERE.

   Joseph H. Talmadge, of this village, has taken out letters patent for a two-wheeled vehicle.

   Mrs. Sarah Rockwell celebrated her 103rd birthday at her home on... [faded newsprint--CC editor] Avenue, last week Thursday.

   A large number of Republicans from this place went to Syracuse last Friday night to assist in the Harrison and Morton blow out.

   Wickwire Bros. commenced running their shops night and day on Monday last. They will light the factory with incandescent lights.

   The Cigar Makers' Union No. 156 will give its fourth annual ball at Taylor Opera House, on Wednesday evening, November 28th. Muncey's orchestra will furnish the music.

Paying Election Bets.

   Between 11 and 12 o'clock last Thursday Ollie Ingraham paid [on a bet] because Harrison was elected instead of' Cleveland. Ingraham wheeled H. T. Hollister in a hand cart from the Cortland House to the Messenger House and return, preceded by the Mechanics' band and followed by a large procession of boys with brooms. Hollister held a white Leghorn rooster in his hands and Ingraham carried a banner with a portrait of Governor Hill.

   On Saturday evening A. G. Newton paid his wager, by walking from the Messenger House to the Cortland House and back, dressed [as] Mother Hubbard and preceded by a drum corps. If "A" had won the wager, a young woman in his employ would have been obliged…[can’t read the faded newsprint—CC editor.]

   Last Tuesday evening Miss Lena Fitzgerald gave a game-supper to a party of friends at her residence on Tompkins street. She bet a supper with Mr. A. R. Peck that Cleveland would be elected and as he wasn't, of course, she paid.