The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-09-06
The & ause and l. ssOn of the Califor-
min EVpCfiOn

The & ause and l. . ssOn of the CaIifoT-
MIA Election.
On Wednesday the State election was held in
California, and has resulted in large Demo-
cratic gains. There seems to be no doubt
from the returns received, that the Republi-
cans have sustained heavy losses, if they have
not g'ren the State to their enemies. We say
given, for the conduct of the Republican party
has been such as to amount to a real gift of
the Golden State to the most bitter Democratic
minority. From the result it is not difficult
for us to draw lesson, which it will be well
for us to heed. In 1868 we carried California
by 1872. In 1854 Mr.. Linooln's majority
was lS, ,293. In 1865, when there was no ex-
element, and but a small vote was polled, we
secured but 6376. Thus for three years has
there been gradual diminution in the ma
jority, and this has finally eliminated in our
probably losing the Governor in 1867. Now
this decrease is due entirely to the wretched
management and disgraceful corruption which
have marked the course of our party while it
was in the ascendanCy in the State Govern
ment.
W. Wv hOt AO0l luCllu6u W CUN6E up Ju6 SluS
of any one, even if he be our friend, and we
certainly shall not hesitate to say that the
conduct of the Pacific Republicans has been
such as to richly merit defeat. With reck-
lessness opposed to common sense and hon
esty, the party leaders have so acted as to
reduce the magnificent majority of nineteen
thousand to less than nothing. They have
allowed 'ring' to be formed which bought
and sold the Legislature. They have nomi-
mated bad men for high positions, and have
given the most responsible offices in the State
to men utterly untitled to hold even the mean
est positions. And finally, they have capped
their actions by placing man named Gorham
in nomination for the Gubernatorial chair
man who is the organ of the ring and who
runs on distinct pledge to force on the State
a measure to gain which corruption has been
continually used. The result is what we ex-
pected.
In the city of San Francisco alone six thou
sand registered Republican voters refused to
come to the polls. All through the State an
apathy has seized the respectable members of
the party, and the result is that the Demo-
cratic candidate is the elected Governor, in all
human probability. The opposition to the
head of the ticket has extended to the subordi-
nate officers, and we have lost Congressman.
Nearly all the municipal Offices are in the
hands of the Democracy, and it is a toss of a
penny as to who gets the United States Sena-
torship. For this evil the Republicans have
to blame themselves. They have made their
bed, and on it they must lie. We only hope
their example will be warning to the Repub-
licans of the other States. Ours is not party
to be forced into sustaining corrupt men. We
are not a Democratic meeting, where the whip
can secure the election of Satan, if he gets the
nomination. The possession of honesty, compe-
tency, and patriotism is the only security that
the nominee will succeed. Without this, nine
teen thousand majority melts away into thir
air