The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-10-11
The State Elections OF This Day-The
Presidential Issues Involved.

Presidential Issues Involved.
Five different States hold their periodical
local elections to-day, to wit:-the great central
State of Pennsylvania, and the important West
ern States of Ohio, Indiana, Iowa and Mime
sofa. The only one of this schedule which
comprehends Congressional delegation is
Minnesota, and there, in view of the probable
contingency of the election of our next Presi-
dent by the House Of Representatives, and Of
the Importance of every vote in the House or
ganization Of December next, most desperate
struggle between the democracy and the repub-
licans, of several months duration, will this day
be decided. The same election will also COM
prehend United States Senator, in the place
of Gen. Shields, democrat, whose term has
expired; and thus the contest for the State
Legislature will contribute immensely to bring
out every available vote on both sides.
In Pennsylvania coalition of republicans,
Know Nothings and anti-Lecompton democrats,
under the name of the peoples party, swept
the State last year like tornado. This or
ganization still exists, and is confident of sue
cess to-day, although, considering the purely
local character of this election, it is supposed
that the vote on both sides will be light and
inconclusive. In any event, it is, and must be,
apparent that the republican party, pure and
simple, is too weak, with its zone idea" of hos
tility to Southern slavery, to command the vote
of the indispensable central State of Pennsyl-
vania.
Ohio will, doubtless, as usual, be carried by
the republicans, and Indiana by the democrats.
We have no means of estimating the strength of
Gen. Dodge in Iowa, as the democratic candi-
date for Governor; but as he is there regarded
as Northern democrat with Southern princi-
Piles of the most decided complexion, and, as
upon those principles he and his party were
borne down in his State elections of 1885, the
odds, we apprehend, are now pretty heavily
against him. 1t is possible, too, that not only
in Iowa and the other Western States indicated,
the peculiar Presidential aspirations of Mr..
Douglas may operate to distract and weaken
the democracy, but that the same cause may
still somewhat embarrass the party in Pennsyl-
vania.
Looking, however, to the recent elections in
Kentucky, Tennessee, Texas, Georgia and Cali
fornia, it is manifest that an extensive reaction
has been at work during the last twelve months
among the people in favor of Mr.. Buchanan's
administration. We thus perceive that where
the regular democracy, as in California, have
stood boldly and manfully by the administra-
ton, they have succeeded by overwhelming
majOrities against all the odds and ends of the
opposition and Douglas democratic deserters
cratic organization, as in Texas, have endeavor-
ed to cut the administration, the opposition, in
standing upon the platform of Mr.. Buchanan's
general policy, have revolutionized the State.
In the general results of this days elections,
therefore, we look for some additional evil
dences in support of the reconstruction of the
national democracy, upon the common basis of
the administration, and for some evidences,
too, on the opposition side, of the impractical
bility of W. 81. Seward and his "irrepressible
conflict" for Presidential purposes In the
early part of November the State elections of
New York, New jersey Louisiana, Maryland,
Massachusetts and Wisconsin will come off, and
these will close up the calendar for 1885, The
elections of this day, in connection with those
of the last three months, North and South, will
enable us very nearly to estimate the results of
those of November, including New York. With
the November returns all in, we may be com
petent to determine substantially the divisions
and combinations Of parties in the House Or
ganization, and whether we are to have an ire
sistible opposition coalition in 1860, or an in
decisive scrub race between three or four
parties and factions.
The long line of the five States which vote
to-day, from Pennsylvania in the East to Min
nesota in the West, will do much to indicate
the real strength or weakness Of Seward
throughout the North; and we trust that the
general effect will operate to bring upon him a
finishing blow from New York in our Novem-
Der election.