The New York herald., 1873-10-17

o political revolution which, In 1868, would
carry them triumphantly into the White.
House. But what were the results of the Octo-
Der State elections of 1868 in Pennsylvania and
Ohio, upon which the Presidential issue was
regarded as directly dependinga The test in
Pennsylvania was upon the Auditor General,
and upon this officer the popular vote was
thus divided
For Hartranft, republican. 331, ,41s
FOR Boyle, democrat. 32l, 739
Republican majority. Observation-Disclosures. e,677
In the same year the October trial of
strength between the two parties in Ohio, on
the Presidential issue, was upon the Secretary
of State, and the popular vote was:-
For Sherwood republican. ................. 267, ,061
For Hubbard democrat. .......-... 2496S9
Republican majority. ty...................... 1882
These results, in Pennsylvania and Ohio, in
their October elections of the Presidential
year, 1868, show that the democratic victories
in those States of 1867 rested upon sandy
foundation-that they really signifed nothing
but general apathy" which operated to the
benefit Of the democrats. In the difference,
for example. between the popular vote Of
I
mystery of the differing results is solved =
1s67-Popular yote.. 534575
ls6S-Popuar vote. ........................ e5s,255
Reserved vote OF 1S67................... lis, $50
Of these one hundred and eighteen thousand
and odd voters who did not go to the polls in
1867, but who did vote in 1868, it appears
from the record that there were GA, 592 repub-
icans and So, $50 democrats, which will fully
account for the democratic victory of 1867
and the republican reaction of 1868. The
same rule will apply to Ohio and to all these
State elections in which there are no national
candidates or questions directly involved.
Public Indifference prevails in these local con-
tests, and the figures we have given are suf-
fcient to show that it prevails on the repubi-
can side. But wherefore? Because larger
proportion Of the republican than of the dem,
ocratic strength lies in the rural districts, the
voters whereof do not generally care to lose day
in attending an election, the results of which,
one way or the other they regard as Of little
consequence. In other words in the aggre-
gate, the democrats-whose strength lies
mostly among the working classes of our vii
lagos, towns and cities-are nearer to the
polling places than the republicans, and hence
a rainy election day, for example, is always
considered an advantage to the democrats.
But the results of this late election in Ohio
cannot be fully explained upon the assumption
that the republicans permitted the battle to go
by default The separation Of the liberal re-
publicans and the democrats into two distinct
parties was shrewd bit of democratic STRAIT
egy; but it was broadly suggested from the
lamentable failure Of the coalition Of 1872
upon the Cincinnati Presidential ticket. It
was supposed by the managers Of this coai-
ton that in the adoption Of Horace Greeley as
the democratic standard bearer he would
bring over to the solid phalanx of the democ-
racy in many States, including Ohio, the re-
publican balance Of power in the popular vote;
but this estimate was completely overthrown
by the intractable old line Bourbon democrats.
The vote OF Ohio in October for Secretary of
State, and in November for President, last
year, will show where the shoe pinched in this
liberal and democratic coalition This vote
was -
IN october. In November.
Republican vote. .......... .2C5, $50 2Sl, ,s52
Coalition vote. .251, $50 2A,32l
| Here is an increase in the republican vote
from October to November. and decrease in
the opposition vote, which can be explained
only on the theory that some thousands of
democratic Bourbons, who voted for q demo-
crat for Secretary of State, would not and did
not vote for the democratic candidate for Presi-
dent. 1t was deemed necessary by the demo-
cratic managers in this late Ohio canvass to
bring back the Bourbons into line. and tbev
were recovered in the regular old line demo
cratic departure adopted and in the nomina-
ton Of that veteran old line democrat, William
Allen, for Governor On the other hand. the
liberal republicans, in the nomination Of tbei,
independent State ticket, simply took AVA,
some thousands Of voters, who, If reduced
to choice between Allen and Noyes, would
have supported the latter. From the rosult
we cannot doubt that, had the liberal republi
cans run their Presidential ticket as q thir,
party, the democratic vote for regular demo
cratic candidate would have been larger 1,
every State than the vote Of liberals and demo