The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-03-28
A Comparatively Light Vote Expected
Prospects for the Republicans Coming
Fight Over the senatorship- Temporary
Truce Between Grant and Anti-Grant
Men-No Local Issues Of Impor.
tance-Two Outside Parties
In the Field.

his life. Those were stirring times, ana the people
OF Connecticut entered with the characteristic
thoroughness Of Yankee blood into the spirit OF the
solemn issues thai then hung trembling in the
scales OF battle.
GENERAL APATHY.
Remembering all this, 1t Is a pleasant thing for
lover Of peace and order to come up here anu see
for himself, at the very height or an election cam
paign, how completely this era Of political hatred
has passed away. The change, SO say the people
themselves, mas been gradual one. Each election
since the war, with scarcely an exception has been
mllder Its predecessor, and the politicians have
constantly found it harder work to fan the excite
ment to FEVER heat and rouse the imagination OF the
people to proper sense OF that startling fact,
which, according to the orators of the stump, is Pc
culiar TO every election that ever was or viii be
hed-hat "this is the browning crisis of the nations
Destiny" There was certainly perceptible futter
OF the public pulse as was natural In State which
is undeniably democratic by tradition and by in
stinct, wnen Andy Johnson endeavored to
form q moderate conservative party; but 1t soon
subsidized, and at oil elections since, even though
there mas once or twice been great deal Of steady
work, and full vote, the land has been settling
down into the profound political quiet OF people
who are well governed and have the good sense to
recognize the abnormal happiness OF their lot. And
this of popular feeling mas reached the pres
as general apathy. The committees Of both parties
are working well; but their chairmen frankly con.
TESS that is 'very quiet election" though they
add, for reasons that any shrewd observer can
easily understand. "Dut there III be good deal
Of excitement at the end OF the week." OF course
there will, there could not nelp being; but an
election only begins TO pc Interesting three or four
much strong political feeling among the people.
NO LOCAL ISSUEs
ID n a hcn
lute absence o. any Important local issues In lhe
contest, except tue one question OF the personality
Of The least ifdsns to she people al large Il Is
admitted on all hands that the affairs OF the State
Tne es mas Seen ens the
past year, and there are no crying grievances or
ernment The contest then, Is not TO GUST corrupt
crew OF unworthy ofiicals or unscrupulOus egisla.
regard to national issues and indicate the popularity
of certain men. And national issues as considered
only TWO months before the Philadelphia Conven-
ton, and with tile certainty OF another election In
the fall to specially dispose or them, are
pOwerless to raise much excitement. Even the
them, in many cases, very gingerly, ana, content
ing themselves with review Oh the past, leave the
may, therefore, be laid down as a pretty Certain
thing that the vote at this election will not be
heavy one, and Will be but an imperfect indication
OF the way the State win 90 In the fall at the Presl
DENTAL election.
that Governor Jewell viii be reelected. The situa-
tion, however, IL very ''mtxed." Two elements,
enter into the struSgle and very much depends
upon what they turn out to be worth.
These are me temperance ana inc LABOR reform par
run q separate ticket How many votes they Will
muster IS an enigma which the event alone can
solve. Inc temperance folks, have heard, put
down at all the way from nve to fifteen hundred,
and tho labor reform people at about many more,
though the republican leaders claim that the two
together will not poll more than 1920 votes. The
question becomes all the more complex from the fact
that all OF the temperance men have hitherto voted
the republican ticket, while fair proportion OF the
labor reformers-probably two-thirds majority
have Deen democrats. Then either OF them may at
they have remained stanch to their colors and
announce in the strongest possible language their
should draw more than q thousand votes this very
curious result may possibly come to pass-that the
Governor Jewell be reelected. The law OF the State
is that candidate, to be elected Governor, must
candidate nave this popular majority, the respon-
sbility Of selection falls to the Legislature Thus
MAKE ssmseves have influence
in marring others. II they were out OF
the neld n. the chances noes. would pc slightly in
though BY an innnlteslmal majority. But as
the case stands the whole election becomes
at all lkely that the democratic Candidate, II he
does well as last year, may have lew votes over
are tnat unless some bargain can speedily be ar
ranged with the temperance men, the contingency
have just spoken OF, the submission of the whole
to the Legislature. which Will almost certainly
have republican majority, VIII intervene.
THE FIGHT FOR THE sENATORsHIP.
The election also determines, by the composition
OF the Legislature the selection OF United States
senator. Senator Terry the outgoing incumbent
like most other incumbents Is desIrOus Of reelec.
ton. he Is an able ana popular man, with hosts OF
friends among the masses OF the people, and not
eral Hawley. and the fight will be an In
teresting one. Ferry at one time held
strong INSTRUMENTATION views-though he has
since moderated in tone-whlle Hawley has
been and is q firm supporter OF General Grant. The
struggle between these gentlemen, therefore, viii
be O lair issue between Grant and ant-Grant men,
Tor though Senator Ferry, as he has already shown
signs OF doing, may, Tor the sake OF avoiding an
open contest effect reconciliation with the friends
or the President he could never be as reliable
Grant man as General Hawley. The latter gentle
supporters OF the administration, to have
cept any one else Will be half defeat. For the
present, however, lest the State should slip out or
their hands altogether, and the bone OF contention be
carried away by the democrats, o temporary fusion
OF forces has been erected and both sides are
working for the common object OF republican
stump, in order to show that he Is thoroughly
earnest In his support. His speeches, however, SO
far-or rather, his one speech, for It Is the same
Grafton over again In various places-nave some
anything IN personal praise OF General Grant,
though he claims that his administration has been
emtnently successful and just and wise; and he
word that can be twisted into abuse OF the demo-
Gratis, whereas. In the stormy days OF yore, there
were few men whose denunciatlon OF rebels
and and the friends Of rebels was more frankly
these things, that the Senator entertains the hope
OF forcing the Grant men to elect him. In the event
VI tnelF not having clear majority Of the Leaisla-