Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1869-10-07
The Importance of a Republican
Victory IN Ohio. M


In the early summer months Il
was thought the canvass in Ohio
would turn upon local issues. Had
the Democratic party taken a new
departure under the lead of Gener-
al Rosecrans, this would, doubtless,
have been the case.
The nomination of Mr. Pendle-
ton by the Democratic Executive
Committee, however, gave the can
vass a broader Significance. II
brought up past issues and future
aspirations. 1t became, in place
of a merely Gubernatorial contest,
an initial movement for the Presi-
d,ncy in 1872. Elect Mr.. Pendle-
ton Governor, and his chances for
the Democratic nomination three
years hence become equal to those
of any aspirant for the position.
But it is not merely the fact that
it may virtually put the nomina-
ton for the Presidency into his
hands that gives importance to the
canvass. 1t is the added fact that
he will have been elected uponthe
strength Of his record during the
war. He stands upon it now. He
has never retracted one word or
renounced one act Of that record,
and he will, very naturally, regard
the verdict Of the people in his fa-
yor as a Justification of his record
as a Peace Democrat, who stood
for the Vice Presidency ON the
proposition that the war was a fail
ure, and that compromise, in
volving the recognition of the
Southern Confederacy and the
right of States to secede from the
Unio /, ought to be made.
Not only was he Peace Demo-
crat, but a pro slavery Democrat,
and we will search in vain through
all his speeches for word con
demning the institution as a moral,
civil, or political wrong, or a sys-
TEN that ought to be circumscribed
in its limits. From a man cherish
ing such opinions, the freedmen
have nothing to hope. Indeed, 1t
can not be doubted that he is
pledged by his own logic to go back
upon every act of the past two Ad-
ministrations, and every law Of
relating to the abolition
of slavery, and the guarantee of
civil rights to the blacks. If he is
consistant with himself, he could
not oppose such a retroactive poll
cy.
But the canvass is important in
another particular 1t will devolye
upon the next Legislature to redis
trict the State, and if the Democra-
cy are successful in controlling
thet body, we may be very sure
that the State will be so carved up
as to insure the return to Congress,
for ten years to come, a pretty
heavy Democratic representation.
This is what the managers are aim
ing at now, and it is not improba-
Bile, considering its Importance,
that they are distributing voters,
in considerable numbers, in Legis-
lative districts where the vote is
close and the result uncertain.
1t behooves Republicans, there
fore, to stand firm by their State
and Legislative tickets. 1t is no
time for scratching them, whatever
they may do to their county tick
cts. 1t is worth while to beat the
Democracy now, for 1t will compel
the party to change its ground
hereafter, accept the issues of the
war, and choose forits leaders men
who stood by tbe Government in
its struggle with the rebellion, and
who never despaired of the saliva
tion of the Republic. These con
siderations alone ought to oconvincel
Republicans ofthe necessity of fex- I
arting their best influence and ever
gies to bring to the polls their full
strength. = Gin. Commercial.