The Record Union

A GENERAL SHAKE UP.
Sacramento was not alone on Tuesday in rebuking the impudence of bossism and the domination of the few who assume to appoint for men the candidates for whom they shall vote, and who coolly and premeditatedly, as was the case in this city, hire tools to sit in convention and pose as representatives of the membership of the party.
The revolt against such methods was manifest and triumphant in the State of New York in the defeat of Maynard, the nominee of corruption. There Democratic bossism and machine politics sent the Democratic party to swift defeat, and gave the Republicans a sweeping victory. Brooklyn, a Democratic rampart, was the scene of overthrow for bosses and their methods, and the Republicans, in consequence, won a signal victory.
In Chicago, where the rawest of methods are generally tolerated, the Democratic means became so intolerable that the people flocked to the Republican standard and overthrew in the same rout the bosses, the anarchists and all the cohorts of the criminal legion.
In the city of Buffalo the tidal wave of rebuke swamped the manipulators and their plundering crew. Even in Jersey City party lines were broken down and taxeaters and taskmasters were swept under, and the State, a Democratic stronghold, was given over to the Republican party, simply and solely as a rebuke to corrupt rings and chief ringsters. Evidently Sacramento caught the edge of the tidal wave of protest against bossism.
The fight against Judge Maynard in New York was not wholly a partisan one: it was defiance of corrupt boss domination. The complexion of the committee of fifty chosen at the Cooper Union meeting shows that it was of all politics. The committee contained some of the most noted Democrats in the city, men such as Abram S. Hewitt, Henry R. Beekman, E. P. Wheeler, F. M. Scott, W. H. Peckham, John D. Kernan, F. R. Coudert, Orlando B. Potter and citizens throughout of such character and prominence. Nearly as many leading Republicans also took part, besides promoting their party ticket. The anti-Maynard movement in New York was a clean cut effort to rebuke subserviency and uncleanliness, if not actual corruption on the bench. In estimating the value of the result of the election in New York, therefore, the fact should be kept in mind that it was an anti-ring, anti-boss and anti-indecency struggle by men of decency outside of political lines as well as a political battle between the two great parties.
Some weak-kneed members of the Republican party in Sacramento are weeping and wailing over what they see fit to term the "defeat of the party" and its "total destruction," and what they conceive will be the direful results to befall the Capital City in consequence. Bless their timorous souls the Republican party is stronger, more upright, vigorous and capable to-day in Sacramento than it has been for years. It has simply had a house-cleaning. It has but demonstrated its capacity to rebuke vicious methods within party lines, as well as to cross blades with political parties that take issue with the principles of its faith.
Republicans should take no heed of these whiners. If Republicanism is made of such weak stuff as they would have people believe, it were better that it died. Fortunately for the party everywhere, it gains strength when it voluntarily takes a cathartic.
The Eastern elections have resulted in many large gains for the Republican party. In no quarter where the result was not conceded to the Democracy, has the Republican party met with defeat. On the contrary, it has scored triumphs where it had but small reason to expect them. The simple truth is that there has been a Democratic rout, and that party will in consequence enter next year's campaign handicapped by present defeats.