The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1867-10-04
DAILY PRESS.
PORTLAND.
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Friday MorUing, October 4, 1857

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Friday Moruing, October 4, 1857.
The Prospect i'm PennsyIvania.
| In two things the Democrats are perfect
| As study OF manners, it is interesting to OBJ
serve how boastfully they predict result IA
are morally sure to be beaten, and how, when
suffering from a crushing defeat, they make
| exultant proclamation of Democratic gains.
One of the most pathetic incidents in our
political history was the firing OF Democratic
| guns, the swinging of Democratic hats and
the Growing of wood-cut Democratic roosters
over the re election of Gov Chamberlain.
Figuring up $4,000 Democratic gain, in the
elections that have so far taken place, is an
other fact calculated to excite emotions Of
| sympathy and commiseration. Strang,
things can be done with figures, though there
is a popular impression that they will not lie
The impression is true, butfgues by consent
ing to form alternate strata with lies of the
blacklist variety are guilty of about that de-
| gree of misbehavior that would be indicated
bys the term "fib." The best illustration in
this branch of "mixed mathematics" is the
problem OF the 10000 Democratic gain re
ferred to above. The ordinary methods re-
duce these figures some $4,000 and place
htinas sign before them
| Besides this slight-ofhand gain in the State
elections, there have been some microscopic
victories for the Conservatives that are sup
posed to indicate the Speedy dissolution of
the Radical party The Democrats have car
ried a ward ofthe city of South Bend, Indi-
| ana-a fact which may well disturb the equan-
unity OF the stoutest hearted-Republican. If
he is not utterly confounded by the loss of the
South Bend ward, his resolution must give
way before the following intelligence from
| Leavenworth, Kansas, which is displayed un-
| der the head of democratic Victory in the
| New York World:
The Democrats swept the Second Ward yes
| tefday like a whirlw nd. Two Democrats,
Tholen and Childs were running, and one
| Radical, Richardson. Tholen received 159
votes, Childs 81, and Richardson 147. Tholen
| was elected The combined vote of Tholen and
| Childs was PIG. Total Democratic majority GO.
| Think OF that, ye falntlng Radst ,lrr
Ay, that's the handwriting on the wall, sure
enough, and when we remember the returns
from Madawaska, our humiliation is com
| plete.
Emboldened by deceptive appearances of
success in other States, the Democratic boast
| ers are at present directing much OF their at
| tention to Pennsylvania. We do not propose
to contradict them, or to emulate their bla-
| tant style of counting chickens which are yet
in the egg and which may possibly find diff
culties in getting out. We merely give our
| readers a brief statement of what is said on
| conclusions.
| The only officer to be chosen by the State
| at large is the Chief Justice of the Supreme
Court The Republican candidate for that
position is Hon. H. w. Williams, jurist of
much learning and considerable experience,
but rot so w:cely known as his opponent,
George SharsWood. Both of the candidates
are judges of the District Court, and have
| filled their positions with credit to themselves
and honor to their State. Sharswood is well
known to the legal fraternity throughout the
country by his edition of Blackstone. He did
his editorial work thoroughly, and enriched
the text with many valuable notes. Unfortl-
nately for him, however, this very book is
| made to tell against him in the campaign
He is tainted with the State rights theories of
| Calhoun, and like King Charles's head in the
memorial of Betsey Trotwood's Mr.. Dick,
those theories will thrust themselves into the
most inappropriate places. Consequently
| there is mild undercurrent of Calhoun run
ming through all his explanatory notes. This
has some little weight against him, for there
| is a prevailing impression that his views upon
this subject must be very strong, or he would
| not introduce them where they have no
more relevancy than an exposition of the doc
trine OF predestination would have in treat
| ise upon Algebra. He has also delivered an
unpopular opinion declaring the Legal Ten
der act unconstitutional, and is said to
have concurred in Judge Woodward's
decision, rendered while the result of the war
was yet doubtful, nullifying the Conscription
act. But aside from these stains upon his
| record, his character is universally admitted
to be above reproach On the whole, then, so
| far as the personnel of the candidates is con-
| cerned, neither OF them has any marked ad
vantage over the other.
1t is the closeness of the vote in Penn
| sylvania that always renders the result doubt
ful though since 1862 the Republicans have
uniformly carried the State by small mtjor-
itu Tn tbat gloomy, ,,oar p tl,a or;t,y aa;,et
them was three thousand but in 1868 they
came into power with majority of fifteen
| thousand. In 1864 Mr.. Lincoln's majority
was twenty thousand, and this was increased
to twenty two thousand at the election for
| Auditor-General the next year. Last year
Geary's majority over Clymer was 17,17S Ill
an aggregate vote of 597,37 This is fear
fully small majority in so large State, leav-
ing il in the power of eight thousand Repub-
licans to give the victory to the Democrats by
| changing their votes. 1t is no wonder, then,
that the New York Herald, basing its calcrl-
lations upon Democratic gains in Maine, fig
ures out large Democratic majority, while
the World is equally sangliine in more gen
eral way.
But this is the darkest side of the picures.
The Republicans of Pennsylvania are not let
ting the State go by default, but are putting
forth every effort to save it from the disgrace
of proving recreant at this important crisis,
and everyone knows how much Radicalism
has to gain and Democracy to lose by an ac-
tive canvass. Pennsylvania, too, being near
the seat of government, is more sensitive to
the transactions at Washington than we are
in New England, and attention is not so much
| diverted TO side issues. The battle is fought
on national questions. 1t is well understood
that President johnson is looking with great
anxiety for the result. 1t is supposed that his
greater moderation for the last few weeks has
arisen from desire to secure the Endorsement
of Pennsylvania for his policy before taking
further steps which endanger his tenure OF
Office and his life. But the people are not at
all willing to make themselves responsible for
a renewal of civil strife. Another favorable
omen is the late visit of Sheridan to Phlladel-
phia and the almost unparalleled enthusiasm
excited by his presence. Indeed, it is said
that since the Union League has commenced
| its work in earnest the President is discour-