The New York herald., 1871-09-09

The California State Eleciion-The Strength
OF General Grants Admlnistratios.
The republicans, as by reactionary political
whirlwind, have handsomely carried the State
of California, including the election of their
candidate for Governor, Newton Booth, by
three or four thousand majority over Haight,
the present democratic incumbent, who was
elected in 1867 by nine thousand FIVE hundred
majority. In explanation Of this significant
defeat of the democracy 1t may be said that
Governor Haight, in his railway and other
speculative affiliations, had made himself un-
popular with the rank and file Of his party;
that he had thus alienated from his support
some Of the most active democratic leaders In
the State and their followers; that the ''new
departure" moreover, instead Of harmonizing,
has operated to distract divide and demoral-
ize the party; that Tammany Hall has been
to the party, even in California, what ''the Old
Man of the Sea" was to Sinbad the Sailor, a
deadweight too heavy for the carrier; and
that while Governor Haight had become
wornout politician the republicans, in Newton
Booth, as the head Of their State ticket, had
the great advantage of popular champion
fresh from the body of the people.
That all these causes have operated to
bring success more than they had hoped for
to the California republicans, and defeat
worse than they had feared to the democrats,
we can readily believe. We can understand
the apathy and the disgust of the old demo-
cratic Bourbons concerning this ''new depar-
ture," and how difficult it is to reconcile them
to our new national constitution of 'snigger
equality" and 'nigger suffrage" after fighting
these radical amendments, hit or miss, sink or
swim, for the last ten years; and we can
understand how the hard-working California
miners would be apt to express themselves In
reference to these charges of the corrupt
appropriations of millions of the public money
by the present democratic administration of
our city affairs; and yet the main secret of the
success Of the republicans in this California
election remains to be disclosed. 1t is neither
the loss of popularity by Haight nor the COM
manding popularity of Booth, nor the new
democratic departure, nor the hue and cry
raised against Tammany Hall; but it is the
strength of General Grants administration
with the people.
In this late California canvass. on leading
local questions, and especially upon s'the
Heather Chinee," both parties occupied SUBJ
stantlally the same ground. And while it is
true that on their Governor and on national
issues the democrats were somewhat demoral-
lied, divided and Respondent, while the repub-
icans were united and hopeful, the fact of
paramount Importance is this that the repub-
licans were united, and fought the battle upon
the merits of General Grants administration,
and upon General Grant as their candidate
for the coming Presidential contest against the
field. Hence it may be truly said that if
Booth has carried the State for Grant it was
Grant who carried the State for Booth. Upon
this point our philosophers of the Tribune are
too modest by half. They beat about the
bush but they studiously evade recognition
of General Grant. Mr.. Greeley has made up
his mind that General Grant must be cut off
with one term. The President has committed
the objectionable crime ofputting Mr.. Murphy
in the Custom House and of keeping him there
in disregard of the wishes and remonstrances
of Senator Fenton, and that is enough for Mr..
Fenton's henchman; and so Mr.. Greeley has
undertaken the absurd experiment of playing
''Hamlet with the part of Hamlet left out"
The republicans throughout the country, in
their State conventions, State by State, have
planted Themselves upon the substantial and
,1o<f or Nor o.
istration, the platform Of economy, the reduc-
tion of taxation, the payment of the debt and
peace at home and abroad, including his great
peace treaty with England. We see, too,
that In North Carolina, Kentucky, Della
ware, Wyoming and California, from these
late elections, that the republican party,
under1the banner Of their national admin
istration and with General Grant as their
acknowledged standard bearer for 1872, are
strengthened In every section, and yet, in
being denied the full control of the fat pick
ings of the Custom House, Senator Fenton
stands afar of, and to the Senator'S '.good
man Friday" the little figure of General Grant
is eclipsed and made invisible by the portly
presence of Collector Murphy. u
But this sort Of child's play, this miserable
bushwhacking against General Grant by our
sub-soil philosopher will never do. There is
nothing in "what Know About Farming"
nor in what anybody knows of sub-soiling,
deep plou2hing. understanding, irrigation,
manure or phosphates whereby republican
candidate opposed to General Grant can be
made to blossom in the national party conven-
tion Of next spring. Nor is there anything in
all the devices Of political pipe-laying and
undermining whereby General Grant can be
supplanted in that convention. And in COM
mon sense view Of the subject, after his ex-
perience In his opposition to the denomination
Of Lincoln in 1854, it is impossible 10 account
for Mr.. Greeley's equally impotent efforts to
supersede General Grant in 1872. Can IL be