Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1870-11-12
ELECTION COMMENTS.

The comments npon the New York and
instructive. The Neir York Post says the
election in that city was the fairest heid LOT
many years. No serious effort was niaue
anywhere to resist the national authority, ana
the administration of the laws so tar as at
tempted was successful The Post thinks
however there should have been no compro-
mise made with the conspirators,by which the
United States officers agreed to confne them
selves in the execution of the laws to the
punisbmen. of fraud after it was perpetrated.
The Post says;-
The Tammany vote for Governor i'll this
city Yesterday was sc, 1853; in ls6Slt was H.
522. The reduction, or 2S, $50, may be taken
as the measure of the frauds prevented by the
imperfect and hesitating enforcement of the
laws of the United States. There can be no
pretence that the full democratic vote was
not called out. Never before was such ex-
traordinary efforts made by the Tammany
leaders to bring every voter to the polls
Never before were the local divisions in the
party, all of them supporting the same DEM
ocratic state ticket, so exciting to the voters,
and so influential in calling them out Their
vote was certainly much the fullest ever cast
80 far as it was an honest vote; and no ex-
planation of the great falling off in numbers
is possible, except the enormous frauds by
which it was swollen two years ago.
How the result of the election in Massachu-
sets is regarded by the republicans OF that
State is truthfully shown we presume in the
following from an editorial in the Boston
Journal of Thursday.
The returns of our State election might
give stranger no other impression than that 1t
was an ordinary Republican triumph, OF the
usual magnitude considering the general want
of political excitement, with the only pecu-
liarity of having the opposition vote divided
ON local issues. In reality, however, 1t was
one of the most significant elections that we
have had for many years. 1t brought to the
test of the public judgment deliberate and
avowed attempt to break up the Republican
party of Massachusetts. 1t was everywhere
proclaimed that that party had come to Its
natural end, that it ought to die, in order to
give vitality and nourishment to the more
benefcent organizations which were waiting
to take its place. 1t is very natural that Re
publicans, who were never wont to take out
side advice as to their duties, should not
quietly consent to be ordered out OF existence,
SO they took an appeal to the people as usual.
The result is a most tangible, solid, vital and
healthy Republican victory. 1t has every ev-
element of completeness and strength The
party has beaten old enemies, it has crushed
new ones; it enters upon the future unim-
paired in its resources within and without,
and destined to reward the public confidence
it SO sgnally enjoys.
The parties led by Mr.. Phillips have by this
time seen the mistake they made In trying to
Join what ought to have been kept asunder.
In addition, however, to this error, and to the
blunder of their leadership, it is now more
clear than ever that the real difficulty is in try
ing to make separate issue upon questions
with which the Republican party is compe-
tent and-at every suitable juncture-is will
ing to deal. In many sections OF the state
Mr.. Phillips does not command so many votes
as the Labor Reformers alone did last year.
The strength of the party, with another years
organization, is less in the Legislature than it
was then. When everything is considered,
therefore, it is apparent that the Labor Re-
form party has begun visibly to retrograde. If
this is not SO, then the returns show that the
Prohibitionist party is the weakest that ever
rose above scattering" in our Massachusetts
election returns. In whatever point OF view
the twenty thousand supporters OF Mr.. Phil
lips may be considered, they plainly repre-
sent no valid public sentiment sufficient to ne
cessitate or support separate political Or
ganization. Perhaps it is worth while to have
gone through the peculiar trials OF this cam
paign to have learned this and the other sig
nificant lessons in which the result abounds.
The position Of the Democracy requires no
particular mention, as, unchanged in any par
ticular, they have tried to make the most of
the new situation-with their usual success in
this State.