The Portland daily press., 1867-11-04

Mondty Morning, Nov mber 4, 1867.

POR1'LAND.

The Elections i'm NIassaeh husclts and New
York. aa f-1lt
Among the ten Northern and two Southern
States that hold elections tomorrow, Massa-
chusetts for once attracts a fair share of at
tention to. herself. Generally the inquiry,
How will Massachusetts goa would be con-
sidered as superfluous as it would be to ask
where the North star is to be found But
startling apparition has frightened the Old
Bay State fIom her propriety-the mystic
p. L., L.s-the Personal Liberty League.
The decentralization effected by this new po-
litieal organization can be best appreciated
after reading the reports Of meetings lf the
Republican kward caucuses held in Boston
on Wednesday evening. In ward three the
pfohibitionists succeeded in nominating their
candidates; in ward four the Democrats and
P. L. LIS took possession of the meeting
and nominated Democrat; in ward five the
same as TO two candidates, and the choice of
third prevented by the entrance of the
police who cleared the room on the ground
that it was .'.disorderly meeting;" in wards
six and seven the meetings were so pervaded
by Copperheads, p. L. LIS, and other evil
spirits, that a sulphprous cloud hangs over
their proceedings impenetrable to the vision
OF outsiders; in ward ten the same discord-
ant elements converted the ward room into a
pandemonium, where were yelling, hooting
and smoking; the regular Republicans with
drew and made Independent nominations; in
ward twelve, for the sake OF variety, gentle
men representing both sides OF the temper
ance question were nominated We give
these proceedings more prominence than
their Importance would seem to demand be-
cause they convey better idea OF the mixed
condition of Massachusetts, politics than can
easily be obtained In any other way The
same influences have produced the same re-
suits all over the State In some places the
Republican caucuses have placed Prohibition
candidates in nomination and the License
men have bolted; in others the situation is
exactly the reverse; in still others the license
law Republicans have united with the Dem
ocrats and nominated Copperhead, or the
allies have selected damaged Republican
II to this ollapodrida be added the cases
where party lines have been strictly observed
and the Republicans and Democrats have
formed no alliances, there results very fair
representation of the situation. OF the
twenty-one senatorial nominating conven-
tions that have been held so lar the Prohibi-
tionists are reported to have controlled four
teen, and the License men five, leaving two
to be classed as doubtful. t5-.
So far as the election OF members of the
Legislature is concerned, prohibition or. Ii
cense is the issue of paramount importance
However the temperance question may fare
it Is not expected that the success OF the Re-
publican State ticket will be endangered,
though reduced majority will surprise no
one. John Quincy Adams, the Democratic
candidate for Governor. is thought to owe his
nomination exclusively TO the influence of the
rum party, but there is no reason why any
Republican should be seduced from his allie
glance to Governor Bullock on that account,
ior he has shown no disposition to identity
himself with or make pledges to the radical
temperance men since the present campaign
begun. The Republican State Convention al
Worcester declared that the liquor question
was not at this time an element of the Re-
publican creed This being the case, it is
quite certain that the unhappy divisions in
the Radical party will be merely local 1t
would be shame if a recreant gra1ldson of a
noble grandsire VINO owes his nomination to
the most corrupt intrigues of a Democratic
convention should carry the day in Massa-
chnsetts- -chieaay-by the aid OF men like one OF
tl.@ Rsate,, I, 2 =. l. managers ot Repa1lican
cancuses, who declared that he "had been
brought up to drink rum, and by he ,ooalel
bring his children up 10 drink it,7 Such men
will find it difficult to overcome last years
Republican majority of G., POO h l.t4a Is
What the question of prohibition is in Mas
sachusetts, the question of official corrup-
tion is in New York. There being no election
for Governor this year, the names ON the
State ticket are those OF candidates for the
positions of Secretary Of State, Comptroller
Attorney General, State Engineer and Sur
veyor, Canal Commissioner, Inspector OF
State Prisons and Judge Of the Court OF
Appeals. Col. James b. McKeon aud General
Homer A. Nelson head the Republican and
Democratic tickets respectively. Both have
served in Congress and in the army. There
is also TO be chosen a member OF Congress to
succeed Hon. Roscoe Conkling I'M the twenty
first (Oneida) district. The Repu blican can
didate is Alexander FL. Bailey The Demo
cratic candidate, Francis Herman, has decln-
ed and we have not noticed the announce
ment of the name of his successor. Mr.. Conk-
ling's majority in this district last fall was
lat. The total vote of the State for Govern
or last year was 7l9, ,195, and the Republican
majority 1880. In 1865 the Republican ma
jority was 27,S57. 1t is no paradox to say
that the. Radicals OF the Empire State are
taking such course this year that they VIII
succeed whether they are defeated or not, for
they are laying the foundation OF certain and
complete success by the praiseworthy stand
they have taken against legislative corruption
Where corrupt and venal senators and repre-
sentatiyes have controlled The regular prima-
ny meetings and secured their denomination,
there has been a bolt and an Independent
nomination. At this rate Albany stands a
fair chance of eeasing to be den of thieves at
an early day.. So far as can be gathered from
the New York press the prospect Of Repub-
lican triumph next Tuesday is flattering. The
Democrats admit that the Copperhead ma.
jority of the city viii be diminished by ten or
twenty thousand votes on account of local
dissensions, and most of the rural districts OF
New York are as reliable for Republican ma
jorities as Vermont or Massachusetts