The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-03-15
THE NEW HAMPSHIRE ELECTION.


THE NEW HAMPSHIRE ELECTION.
WE expressed fear few days ago that
turning point in national politics had been
reached, and the result of the election in New
Hampshire furnishes unwelcome proof that
this fear was but too well grounded. For the
first time since 1854 the Democracy have
swept that State, and for the first time since
1856 (the first year that the Republican party
was well organized) have the Republicans
lost it. Democratic, under the old order of
things, New Hampshire abandoned her
ancient faith when one of her sons, Franklin
Pierce, signed the Kansas N Nebraska bill, and
she has given steady adherence to the
young giant of Republicanism through all
the changing scenes of the
war (wavering slightly only in 1862
and 1868 by diminishing her standard ma
jority), and she returns to it now after seven
teen years of allegiance to the cause of the
country, after the battle is over and victory
is won, and after a President, to whom she
gave nearly seven thousand majority, is in
stalled in the White House.
This significant political revolution is
unhappily as complete as it is remarkable
Before the election there was a slight fear
that the Republicans would lose one out of
three Congressman, but the returns indicate,
contrary to all expectations, that the Demo
cracy have carried all the Congressional
districts.
Thus, three votes will be taken from the
Republican phalanx in the House of Repre-
sentstives and added to the ranks of the De-
mocracy, giving them 90 members-a force
that, when it is increased by few more
Democratic members who will probably be
elected, will enable them to prevent decided
legislation in the interest of Republicanism;
and the State itself, which was supposed to
be as safe as Lancaster county, elects Demo-
cratic Governor
For such an extraordinary manifestation of
public sentiment there must be some extra
ordinary explanation. No party SO strongly
entrenched could be thus routed, if deep and
Intense dissatisfaction with some of its pro-
ceedings had not been created.
Among these causes the San Domingo
policy, and the determined opposition to it
in New Hampshire, is probably one of the
most important.
A correspondent of the New York Tribune,
writing from Nashua, N. H., on the eve of
the election, thus describes some of the
points made against the proposed acquisition
by Senator Patterson
'In his speech here last week Senator Patterson
took strong ground against the annexation OF INT,
Domingo, for the reason that We have icebergs aud
hurricanes enough. He said that General Sherman
had informed him that to protect Dominica it would
require q standing army OF 5000 men, which would
be maintained at an annual expense OF $4,000 900,
and this would be small part OF the expense. The
purchase-money would amount to 40000,000; and
in addition to this would be the heavy expense of
building fortifcations and guarding the seabo ard.
The inhabitants are ignorant, and, while we would
educate the world our first duty is at home. The
people rebelious, too for 1t is only few years
since Spain sent oOe men there TO suppress rebel
lion, $4,000 OF whom found their graves, and Spain
lost the country. France had tried to govern them,
the prospect any brighter for the United States I?
General Sherman had said, In CABINET meeting
that this annexation would be the first nail in our
conn.'
The danger of making party test of a
measure which Republican Senator con-
dennis in this fashion is painfully apparent
On the heels of this speech came the news
that Sumner had been deposed from the
craftsmanship of the Committee on Foreign
Relations, and intelligent and conscientious
men were forced toconclude that the new read
ing of Republicanism was to be devotion to a
measure (San Domingo) which they intensely
abhorred. But, aside from this question,
other causes of dissatisfaction changed many
votes.
Men who cared little for foreign questions
of any description revolted against the un-
necessary continuation of the odious income
tax.
The people, who had long and quietly born
the brunt of terrible taxation, determined to
vote against continued efforts to pour an
nually into the National Treasury one hun
dred millions of dollars more than the cur
rent expenses.
Men who were indignant with the con-
tinuation of the war tax on tea and coffee,
voted for its repeal.
Men who fancied that the administration,
IN its zeal Tor foreign acquisitions, which they
deemed not on y undesirable but dangerous,
was negleeting domestic interests of primary
Importance, were anxious to rebuke such i'm
poted neglect.
Men who saw money plenty in tbe vaults
Of banks, in the strong-boxes of the Trea-
sury, in the hands of stock spectators. in
every circle where it was not needed for nse-
full purposes, while it was wofully scarce in
the hands Of the people, voted for a new and
better policy.
Men who believed that extraYagance had