Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1864-10-20
The October Elections.

In Judging of the bearing of the state
elections of Tuesday on the presidential
election which is to follow after an interval
Of four weeks, it is necessary to carry our
view backward over an equal interval of
time. The points to be determined, as es-
scntial to a Just estimate, are, since we have
satisfactory evidence Of progressive revolu-
ton in public opinion, what is its direction,
and the rate of its progress ? The last Of
these questions cannot receive an Intelligent
answer without going back, for a starting
point, to the nomination and cceptance OF
General Mcclellan, and the September state
elections which Immediately followed. On
the publication of General Mcclellan $ let
ter of acceptance the issue became clearly
defined, in respect to policy and candidates;
and the revolution in the politics of the
country must date from that point There
was indeed, great previous dissatisfaction
with Mr.. Lincoln; but men do not change
their politics until they see what is propos-
ed to be substituted for the administration
they disaprovo.
The Vermont election came too soon af-
ter the meeting Of the Chicago Convention
to be, in any way, influence by its action.
| The returns accordingly showed no change
worth noting in the political complexion Of
| the state.
| The Maine election, occurring a week la
ter, but before General McClellans letter
of acceptance WAS disseminated through the
state gave symptoms ofa Democratic ava
kening. The gains We're considerable over
last year vote, but not sufficient either to
carry the state or to afford any strong en-
couragcmcnt of success in November. The
current had begun to set against the admin
| istration, but its velocity was as yet feeble.
| The chief value of the October elections
which come midway between those OF YER
mont aud Maine and that for President, con-
sists in the decisive evidence they afford of
the accelerated and rapidly increasing We
! locity of the Democratic current. Had we
gained in the great states OF Pennsylvania
and Ohio only in the same ratio that we
gained in Maine we could have had no hope
Of carrying the presidential election; because
! in that case, the Republican losses would
| have to be interpreted as resulting from the
general causes which have been operating
during the past year, without any recent
augmentation of their force. If Tuesday 5
elections had shown an increase of only
twenty or thirty per cent, over the gains OF
! the September election in Maine, the result
would have indicated that the administra-
ton was losing ground, but that the Demo
cratic gains we're not rapid enough to over
take the eXigency, and insure us success III
November But when the feeble gains in
Maine are compared with the powerful gains
in Pennsylvania and Ohio, it is seen that,
since the nomination of General Mcclellan,
the Democratic party is not only gaining,
but gaining in such a rapid, progressive,
and accelerating ratio, that the revolution
cannot go on without sweeping away every
vestige of Republican majority which APP
peared in the election returns of last year.
That a change is going on in public opinion
favorable to the Democratic party was evi
dent before these elections. But, till they
occurred, we were without data for estima'
ting its rate we could not Judge whether
the tide was rising with sufficient rapidity
TO submerge the Lincoln administration by
| the beginning of November. But there is
no longer room for doubt. If the gains OF
the next month correspond with the gains
of the last, as measured by comparison of
Maine with Pennsylvania, the Republican
party will be sunk to such depth, that he
will be an expert political diver who car
bring up anything from the wreck.
Last year, the Republicans carried Penn
sylvania by majority of between fifteen
and sixteen thousand This year, that large
majority Is not only reduced, but annihila
ted; not only annihilated, but converted in
to handsome majority (variously estima'
t ted from five to ten thousand) on the 9th
or side. Last year, the Republicans car
!, ried Ohio by majority of more than 4. hun
dred thousand. 1t was not to be expected
and nobody did expect, that so enormous q
, disparity would be removed in this election
hut the progress toward it has been so grea
as tn inspire hopes of success in that stat