Weekly Calaveras chronicle., 1867-10-26
The Democratic Victories

Justice OF the Supreme Court and Superin
tendent of public Instruction, are elected
! The victories which the Democrats hav'
achieved in the elections recently held il
this and portion Of the Eastern States, ar
significant evidences of the mighty chang
5 which has been wrought in public sentimen
during the past two years-a change which
| amounts almost TO revolution. However
much influence APATHY" "dissension' ano
otEer kindred evils may have excrted upor
J the result of the September election, there
: were no such disturbing elements to WARP
the judgment of the people in the contest
) just closed. Gorham was not a candidate
| for Governor in Ohio or Iowa, and there was
no "independent press" in those States tc
breach the ranks and counsel treachery to
the party. In the judicial election in this
State, we had the mighty Union, the all
powerful Bulletin and the puissant Bee
papers to which many Union men attributed
their defeat in September-on our side, and
still are again beaten. While the vote cast
at the late election is comparatively small,
attributing the defeat of the Union nominees
to the apathy of the members of the party,
is sheer nonsense. Union men are no more
inclined to be apathetic than Democrats and
they had as powerful incentives to 60 to the
polls as their opponents did. Oar ticket was
admitted by all parties to be the best so far
as the nominees were concerned, and every
possible effort was made to secure their cleo
ton. Their defeat fixes the political status
of this State, and however humiliatng and
! distasteful the concession may be, California
is to-day Democratic. The defeat of the
Union ticket at the general election was
very generally attributed to the action of the
"Independent press" We never believed
that their influence beat Gorhanl, even. much
less that portion of the ticket which they
supported. Look at the figures, In 1868
there were only about lO2, 600 votes polled !;
at the recent general election there were
$4,000 cast, falling off of $1,000. Presum-
ing that the number of votes, in this State,
in the years 1865 and 1867 are equal, the
operations of complicated, unfair and
| stringent Registry law is, in our opinion, the
most reasonable method of accounting for
the difference between the numbers of votes
cast at the two elections. Another fact
which goes far to prove the truth of this
proposition is, that the four objectionable
nominees on the ticket ran but few votes
behind the balance. Now, If the 'indepen-
| dent press" had sufficient weight with the
people, and it was their action that defeated
Gorham, why did not the ballots show it
1t has never been commended, that we are
aware of, that those papers possess only
negative influence. If our propositions and
the defeats sustained by the Union party are
owing to a change in the sentiments of the
people on principles, instead of local dlssat-
isfaction with nominees. If the result of the
elections in this State is not sufficient TO
prove that such is the case, a slight inves-
tigation of political affairs in the East will
convince the most incredulous. Ohio,
State whose record for the past six years,
for loyalty, is as bright as that of any in the
Union, gave $4,000 majority for the Union
ticket in 1865. At the recent election held
in that State, the Republican nominee for
Governor was barely elected, while the
! Legislature is largely Democratic in both
branches. The Democrats have also gained
immensely in each of the other States where
elections have been held. 1t is sickening to
contemplate the import of these results.
Those who believe the Union party to be in
fallible, omnipotent and invincible, may find
consolation in lodging the issue and basing
their calculations for the future upon the
idea that the "independcnt press is chargea-
BILE with their defeat. Let them hug their
delusion; we prefer to look the matter
squarely in the face, and, if possible, point
out the true causes of defeat and plan their
removal. While we believe the people ap-
prove the reconstruction measures of Con-
gress, the undignified course which that body
lisiS ldNSil lil " JOI4ESOH lLlG
sive ordinations and denominations which
have passed between them, and the threats
and counter threats have so disguised the
people with their quarrel, that they have
placed the seal of condemnation upon both
Congress and the Executive are too much
interested in fighting each other to pay any
at fn tho of tho FRY
Johnson's only pleasure seems TO be il
vetoing, and Congress enacts laws simply
for the purpose of affording him an oppor.
tunity. This, in addition to the effort made
by some of the more radical radicals. to force
negro suffrage upon the free States, is thu
cause which has beaten the Union party ant
will keep on beating it until 1t changes it,
policy in regard to the negro and pays som,
little attention to questions which affect ou
prosperity and welfare as a nation. Wher
State like Ohio gives 10000 majority
against negro suffrage, it ought to convince
any man of sense that the doctrine is no
8 popular. The time for indiscriminate suf
frage has not yet, if it ever does, arrive
When the people reverse a verdict whicl
they gained at the point of the bayonet at al
enormous sacrifice of blood and treasure
there must be something rotten somewhere
We believe that the fault lies with the party
and not in the people. The elections jus
past are but skirmishes, the preludes to tn
decisive contest which will be waged mex
, Fall. Unless Congress recedes from some 0
, its positions and the party throws overheard
the dead weight of side Issues, which ar