LET US HAVE PEACE, NOW A PRESIDENT’S ELECTED.
PUCK, November 3d, 1880.
Puck for November 3d, 1880, went to press, of course, too early to receive the news of the result of the election. Consequently the cartoonist had to content himself with constructing this curious puzzle picture, in which may be found, with a little study, the portraits of the Republican and Democratic candidates, as well as those of many other prominent public men, including Mr. Roscoe Conkling, Mr. J. G. Blaine, Mr. Carl Schurz, Mr. Marshall P. Jewell, Mr. Chester A. Arthur, General U. S. Grant, Mr. R. B. Hayes, Mr. Samuel J. Tilden, Mr. Wm. H. English, General John A. Logan, Mr. John Kelly, (of New York City,) General B. F. Butler, Mr. Thos. F. Bayard, and Mr. Abram S. Hewitt.
“There is, moreover,” Puck goes on to say, “something more in that cartoon. There is a gentle hint of a duty that we have forgotten too long, in the excitement of that wild political fight—the duty of going back to the plain old ideal of friendly federation which our forefathers had constantly in mind. We do not wish to talk any of the cheap cant about clasping hands over the bloody chasm. All the hand-shaking in the world won’t close a crevasse up. But is this nonsense to go on forever? We hope not. The work of the campaign is done. A President is elected. There will be no need of renewing the battle for another four years. Let us see if we can not use those four years in making preparations for a contest on a broader basis—on points less mean, less cheap and malicious. There is time, in these four years, for the honest men, North and South, to come to some understanding with each other; to make up their minds as to what are dead and what are living issues; to build up a new party, or two new parties, if need be, and to make the Presidential election of 1884 a respectable contest, between people who, however they may disagree on matters of principle or opinion, have all but one end in view—a wise and honest government.”
