Eaton weekly Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1866-1875, 1871-03-09
The Presidential Election
The ReOuoNcanS Alarmed.

In little % than a year
hence the Presidential candidates
of both parties, and of ali parties,
if there should happen to be
more than two, wilt be in the
field, and the Country will have
fully entered upon the campaign
of 1872. 1t is beyond question
THAT the Successful candidate in
that contest Will be chosen by a
SUI aIter majority Of the electoral
votes than any President has re-
ceived since james X. Polk de-
feated Henry Clay, This fact is
implicitly admitted by the nerv-
Gus manner in which SINE Re-
publican journals, and especially
the Tribune, are hand ing the E.
lection returns orthe past year
and srying to draw encourage
men from their ugly looking
figures. No apportionment of
members of Congress having
been yet made under the new
census, prophe:c concerning
the Iuture must be mainly based
upon the imperfect data furnish-
ed by toe existing a%Pportion-
ment.
In the elections of the past
year, twenty States, which, ae>
cording to the present apportion-
ment, give one hundred and sew
enty-six votes for President, went
for the Republicans, while sew
entesn States, which give one
hundred and fifty votes, vent for
the Democrats. It will beseeH,
therefore, that if the Democrats
can retain in 1872 all the States
they carried in 1870, they will
prevail in the next Presidential
coltest, provided they can make
all additional gain of fourteen E.
lectoral votes.
Can the Democrats make sueh
a gain? Assuming that they
will show good sense in the e.
rectiou of their platform andthe
selection OF their candidate, the
Southern States afford the most
available field for them to make
the necessary break in the Re-
publican lines. Among the States
carried by the Republicans the
past year were Arkausas, Mlssis-
sipli and Texas. With no chang
es elsewhere in 1872, these alone.
If wrested from the Republicans,
will more than suffice to elect the
Democratic ticket.
Can the Democrats hope to
make gains in the South? The
negro vote is u very unstable
foundation on which to anticipate
the continued supremacy of the
Republican party. Though the
elections of the pact year demon
strate the truth of this PROPOSE
ton, neither party seems to COM
prehend the principle from which
it springs. Considering the cir
cunstahccs Under which the ne
groes of the Southern States OBJ
tanned the elective franchise, it is
entirely natural, and indeed high
ly creditable to them. thAt for
one, two, and perhaps three cleo
tions, they should vote the Re.
publican ticket almost to n man.
This they would regard as the
payment of q debt, which they
might we'll believe they owed to
the Republican party. But after
they had discharged this obliga-
ton, and when they began to
find that nothing specially bono
fetal to she great mass of them
was likely to flow from this ex-
elusive devotion to one party,
then, If they were satisfied that
the Democrats would make no
attempt to deprive them Of their
rights, they wuuld gradually be-
come subject to the same infiuen-
tes which control the votes of
| other races of men; and with
these Influences fairly in opera
ton, the result would be that q
portion of them. perhaps only a
small portion at first, would vote
the Democratic ticket.
I This is the key which solves
the problem of the recent cleo
tions in the South. A margin, a
small margin doubtless, of the
negro element, fell away from
the Republicans. A portion of
it refused to vote at all, while an
ether portion took an advanced
step and voted wi h the Democ,
racy. To secure the whole of
this margin, and by a bold blow
toLorumpte a still larger frag.
ment from the Republicans. is
the policy through which the
Democrats may reasohably hope
To carry every southern State in
1872, and thereby make up the
possible loss or one or two North
ern States, like Connecticut aud
Nevada, and come out of the
struggle victorious.
In view of the situation, We do
not wonder that THE Tribune j.
pnrvo1q aud rasfiyS. on6 eaoDoc