The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-02-01
A Significant. Election in rh,lad.phla-

Grant and Auti.G;rant.
An election was held on Tuesday last in
Philadelphia to fill vacancy in the State
Senate, and from the character of the contest
the result is very significant. With this va
cancy untitled the State Senate stands tie.
This election, therefore, was for the odd trick,
which would give to the winning party the
control of the Senate, and, to this extent the
control of the Legislature. But the Senate
rial district concerned, embracing nine wards
of Philadelphia, on full poll and square
division Of parties gives republican majority
of some seven thousand and more. There
was, then, no chance for the democrats in
square fight to elect one of their own party in
this district. But "where there is a will
there Is o way;" and the democrats had the
WILL and Colonel A. K. Mcclure, very
prominent republican politician ON the half
shell In Pennsylvania, pointed out the way,
and here we get at the milk in the cocoanut.
Colonel Mcclure is reform republican-that
is, like Mr.. Greeley and others, he has had
enough of General Grant and the cold shoul-
der at the Custom House, and 80 he goes for q
change. The Custom House republicans call
him ''sorehead," and at all events he was
an ofice-seeker Che is not an offce-holder) and
he is dead against Grant He is man of fine
abilities, widely known, and Is "a mighty
smart politician" and knows how to ''run the
machine" He turned up as the Independent
republican Senatorial candidste in this Phila-
delphia contest against Mr.. Gray, the regular
party nominee and the administration candi-
date. Next 1t 80 happened that the demo-
Gratis did not make q nomination. They re-
solved to try the "passve policy" and sup
port Mcclure. They could not do better, and
with this understanding from the start it was
considered doubtful whether Gray or Mcclure
would be elected. The election of Mcclure
would have been an immense victory for the
given them, In this one man, the balance of
power in the Pennsylvania Legislature. This
was understood on all sides, and Mr.. Greeley,
with other outsiders of the same school, did
what he could for Mcclure, although the
Colonel in the canvass. like Joey B., was
''devilish sly" and fought it simply as an In
dependent republican.
but mcclure was defeated ana tray was
elected, though only by some nine hundred
majority, which indicates a loss of six thou
sand In this district to General Grant. At
this rate the anti-Grant republicans with the
democrats can sweep the State of Pennsyl-
vania. Moreover, the Philadelphia Age, dem
ocratic organ, says that the "Ring"-the Gus
tom House ring-carried the day by the regis
try despotism and by ruffans, ruHianism,
FOUNDERS, repeaters, ballot suffers, false
counters and all sorts Of election frauds; and
Colonel Mcclure says 80 too, and is going to
contest the election. 1t was very sharp and
bitter contest; but the result shows that the
fight was only among the politicians, and that
the people took very little interest in it. In
the Senatorial election in this district last fall
nearly thirty-ave thousand votes were polled,
while only some twenty-four thousand were
cast last Tuesday, from which we see that
about one-third of the voters stayed at home.
They didn't care fig for party grievances Of
Mcclure or the clamor of the Custom House
for Gray. But still the Custom House was too
strong for Mcclure. and this fusion of anti
Grant republicans and democrats has failed.
The election was Grant or anti-Grant, aud
Grant has it.
Increase Of Crime in Europe.