The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1867-10-10
Low Water Mark.

Low Water Mark.
Two Governors and two Congressman We're
to be elected Tuesday The returns received
yesterday indicated that all four were Repup
lican.g If the later dispatches which are 10 pc
found in our columns this morning eonnrm
these indications, the net result OF fhe cieo-
tions. so far as national politics are concerned,
, is n gain of ona Republican vote in Congress!
The Twelfth Coneres sional District OF Penn
svlvania has always been Democratic strong
hold It il composed of two COMMITTEES, Susque-
hanna which last fall had a Republican major
itv of 144S aud Luzerne which had a Demo-
cratic majority OF 1904. In Luzerne county, as
far as heard from yesterday, Judge Woodward,
the Democratic candidate, was 200 votes be-
hind his ticket. His opponent, Mr.. Ketchum,
is a very strong man, and if the remaining
towns IN the District should come in as the
hrst returns give reason to hope he will fill
the seat left vacant by Mr.. Denison's death
In the Second Congressional District OF
Ohio, the Democrats made no nomination.
Gen. s. Il. Cary well known as Radical ne
publican and a Prohibftiohist ran as an Inde-
pendent candidate against the regular Repub-
lican nominee, and received the Democratic
vote securing his election General Cary ex-
pressly assured his supporters after the election,
that he SHOULD not go to Congress to support.
Democratic measures" To men who knew
him. the assurance was entirely unnecessary.
10 General Hayes, who resigned his seat in
Congress to accept the Republican nomination
for Governor of Ohio, is probably elected by
small majority, and Colonel Merrill is unaues-
tionably elected Governor of Iowa. As to the
Legislatures, it appeared yesterday that ten
out of the eighteen members elected to the
Pennsylvania Assembly from Philadelphia
were Republicans, and the rest OF the State
Will probably do better still. In Ohio it was
thought that the Republicans would have a
majority in both houses, In Iowa the Legisla-
ture is overwhelmingly Republican, as usual,
There is nothing discouraging in these re-
suits. We have lost the Chief Justice of Penn
sylvania apparently, but il we have gained a
Congressman we can get along with Judge
Sharswood for while. In Ohio the consttu-
tional amendment has been defeated for this
year, but it will not stay defeated. There has
been no Sinking in Ohio, such as we saw in
Connecticut last spring. The party which
takes its position squarely and honestly ON a
great principle like that of impartial suffrage,
can afford to suffer two or three little defeats if
necessary. The truth is mighty and will pre-
vail The minority which is right will grow to
majority in time, and the majority which is
wrong will certainly dwinde to a minority
Our friends in Ohio have done better than to
conqner-thoy have deserved to conquer. n
Though the.net result is not unsatisfactory,
there has been a serious falling off in the Re-
publican maiorities. This was to be expected
Everything fuctuates in this world of ours
The solid continents rise and fall, and the great
ocean Gibbs and flows. We cannot expect the.
same majorities from year TO year, and it is
better that we cannot. A long succession of
too easy victories tends to iniure the victorious
party itself The politicians who control the
caucuses and influence the conventions do not
feel the necessity of putting forward their best
and strongest men. The ofice-holders begin
to forget their responsibility to the people The
nation-mongers begin to load their burden
some wares without fear or hesitation upon
the broad back of the party in power. Then
comes the timely and wholesome reverse, and
if it were nothing worse than we have met
with in the October elections we should have
cause to be thankful. Unfortunately it is worse
in California and Connecticut. But serious as
is the loss of those two States, it is undoubted-
ly better for the Republican party than to have
carried them, electing Barnum TO Congress
and Gorham to the executive chair. Next
year, thanks to these timely but not too grave
reverses, we shall enter upon the Presidential
canvass with just sense of the necessity of
doing our best. We shall discard all side issues;
We shall put in nomination not'the men who
seek but the men who deserve office; and in
November the National Republican party will
or the third time elect a President of the
United States.