Watertown Republican

$2.00 a Year, in Advance.

NO. 30.

THE CONNECTICUT SENATORSHIP.

Hawley on the Fence—His Great—Warning to Republicans.

From the Hartford Courant (Mr. Hawley's paper.)

Party lines were never in this State more strictly drawn, nor was party discipline ever more relentlessly enforced than in the Democratic caucus that nominated Mr. Ferry. It whipped in every man, willing or unwilling. It was unerring in the swing of the party lash, and unrelenting in its exaction of obedience. The advice of Drs. Bacon and Wooley seems to have been taken by the Democrats in the sense in which it was intended, and not according to the mere letter. We should like to know what sign there is here of the breaking-up of the party lines, or that mysterious something called "independence" which the New York Tribune rejoices to see. The Democratic mass, at the dictation of the party leaders, acted as one man in simple obedience to caucus action. It exhibits in this the drill and vitality which have survived a hundred defeats, and which always enable it to take advantage of any treachery and weakness in the ranks of its opponents. It is only Republicans who may pretend to vote as "conscience dictates," when personal ends are to be gained. If we wanted any evidence that the Democracy is compact in organization and ready for the fight we have it here. Its objects are just two—to keep its own ranks firm and to disintegrate those of the Republicans. Of course the journals whose chief care just now is to divide and scatter the Republican party wish its success in both these attempts. *** We have no complaint to make of the Democrats. They have acted after the manner of their kind. They have not acted blindly in selecting their man. He has himself chosen his own position and demonstrated the wisdom of their party choice. It aids in illustrating the beauty of this new independence to know that the best of Democrats do not hesitate "unofficially," so to speak, to denounce the action of the Republican coalitionists as the meanest partisan trick on record. And while Ferry Republicans, in voting for Hawley, would still be voting for Republicanism, Democrats, in voting for Ferry, gave up not only their individual preferences for any and all their own and trusted party leaders, but all adherence to Democratic principles, and voted for one who, until lately, has professed to be wholly and totally opposed to the Democracy. There never has been in the history of parties a more extraordinary manifestation of the recklessness of partisan trading and the severity of the party caucus.