The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1870-10-10
Our October state Eicctions--Thc Contest
for the Next Censress.

Our October State elections in Pennsylva-
mia, Ohio, Indiana, Iowa and Nebraska come
off tomorrow Embracing, as they do, the
choice Of full delegation from these States
for the popular branch Of the next Congress,
and considering that they will, in all proba-
bility, determine the political ascendaRcy in
that body, and that the democracy profess to
be sanguine of initiating in these elections q
political revolution which will open their way
10 the next Presidency, the results OF these
preliminary skirmishes will be looked for
with lively interest, especially by the calcu-
lating politicians Of both parties.
In the present Congress, which expires on
the 4th of March next, there are in the Penn
sylvania House delegation Of twenty-four
members sixteen republicans and eight demo-
Gratis, in the Ohio delegation Of nineteen
members twelve republicans and seven demo-
members six republicans and five democrats,
in the Iowa delegation Of six members six
republicans, and tho one member from Ne
braska Is republican. Total from these five
States in the present House Of Representatives,
forty-oue republicans and twenty democrats.
But many Of these republican members, on
popular vote in their respective districts, in
1868, ranging from twenty to thirty thousand,
were elected on the small margin Of one, two
or three hundred majority. When, therefore,
it is remembered that in the October elections
Of 1868. which were made the test question as
a. kkA ~ H.,
ratio Seymour as President in November,
and that those October results were
universally accepted as settling the
question, we may say that the Congressional
prospects for the democrats in these elections
of tomorrow appear to be really encouraging,
and particularly In Pennsylvania. On short
popular vote the democrats in our State cleo
tons always poll larger proportion of their
full strength than the republicans. The main
reason for this lies in the fact that while the
towns (not townships) and villages convenient
to the polls, and Is largely composed Of men
who have plenty of time to spare for election
purposes, the strength Of the republicans is
among the farmers, who, at this season of the
year, can be brought out from their work to
the polls only by some extraordinary political
pressure In October, such as that directly in
volving the issues Of Presidential contest
From 1854, when the republican party first
came into the field, on the platform of no further
extension of slavery, down to 1868, they have
had all the advantages of tile popular senti-
ment OF the North on the slavery question,
the war against the rebellion, the abolition of
slavery and the reconstruction of the rebel
States, involving the thirteenth, fourteenth
and fifteenth amendments Of the national con-
stitution, abolshing and interaicting slavery,
and establishing equal civil and political rights,
without distinction of race, color Tor previous
condition of servituds." But all these ques-
lions are settled, and there is hardly copper
head to be found who any longer insists that
the reconstruction laws Of Congress and the
late amendments made to the constitution are
Unconstitutional, revolutionary, null and
void" We find the democrats now fighting
their battle upon the heavy taxations and ex-
penditures of the dominant party, upon the
tariff and upon the alleged extravagances,
corruptions and shortcomings of General
Grants administration.
In short, the general issue now between the
democrats and republicans is General Grants
administration. Fortunate is it, too, for the
republicans that they have Grants admins
tration for their platform, identified, as it is
with retrenchments of expenses, corrections
of abuses, greatly Increased savings to the
Treasury upon greatly reduced schedules Of
taxation, large payments of the national debt,
general confidence in the public credit, law
and order at home, peace with all foreign
nations, and respect from all quarters of the
globe. But for such an administration, with
such an excellent record as this, the republi-
can party, after having finished the stupendous
revolution commenced against slavery in
Kansas and consummated in the fifteenth
amendment, would naturally have fallen to
pieces, thus clearing the way for complete
reorganization of parties upon the new issues
arising from the new order of things. The
pleted, practically takes the position of a new
party on the platform Of Grants admnistra-
ton.
Herein lie the continued strength and
solidity of the republicans as national party.
They may be shaken and damaged to some
extent in these October elections, but the
results will hardly shake the established popu-
larity of General Grants administration, or
his chances against all Corners for the Presi-
dental succession. To carry the House of
Representatives for the next Congress
the democrats are zealously striving,
because it will be the gaining of an important
branch of the enemy's intrenchments, looking
to the great battle Of 1872, and because it will
be held as sign of the beginning Of a political