, 1873-12-24

Two important political events hayo occurred
recently, which, whom considered together, aa
thoy should bc, are of great Significance. Tho
election Of Gov. Booth, Of California, to tho
United States Senate. md tho public withdrawal
Of tho mombors Of the Decatur Convention in
tliH stato from all existing party organizations,
aro fruit OF the aamo treo. They Rro tho result
Of tho Independent movomont in politics which
may bc soon ovorywhofo. but Which tho farmers
havo eBpousod with such hoartnosB as to make
1t almost auro OF auccess In the agricultural
statoH. ThiB nov political activity haH boen Ut
work only fow months, but has permanently
destroyed tho uscoudanoy of old party orgauiza-
tion In moro than ono State, and prepared tic
way for its own supremacy in majority
Of all tho statos. Tho fall elections
brought . revelation to tho Independent voters
aa woll as tothe old trading politicians. Tho
iattcr were 80 accustomed to their easy majori~
tics like tho rogular Republican majority In
Wisconsin, Of 10000 to 10000, TINT thoy folt &C.
euro. Tho former had so long succumbed to ma-
joritios like tho co. 600 Republican surplus In Iowa.
that they wore almost hopeless. Tho event aston
iahod both. On election day, tho Republican party
Of Wisconsin WIS 30 utterly ovorthrown by thonow
movement that II remains stunned to this hour.
In Iowa, the Legislature was carried by tho
Farmers, who found that tho formidable 90, 900,
to bo conquered needod only to be attacked,
county by county. Had tho Ahtt-nonopolists
known themselves before tho election as they
did afterward, they would probably hnve carried
the State. Thoy had no State Committee, spent
no money in canya6sing tho State ticket, nor
in printing ballots. Tho Farmers ballots wore
printed and distributed by cdnnty associations
It is calculated that, through tho mistakes nude
In this unorgapized printing and circulation Of
tickets, not loss than 10000. votoe were lost by
the Farmers. They would have carried the stato
had thoy beon marshaled aB their opponents
woro. Tho facts Of the Minnesota election arc
the same. Tho Farmers did not know tho secrot
Of their own strength, and allowed themselves
to be captured like blind Samson. They elect
cd tholr State Treasurer, ani wero. within Il
couple Of hundred votes OF elooting their secre-
tary Of State. Only ignorance OF their own
power lost them tho State. The strength devel-
oped by tho independent movement in this State
was not less marked in the last election. The
Farmers took the fold in sixty-six counties and
cast vote Of a4,1ss. At this rate, it they had
made contest In all the 102 connties OF Illinois,
they would havo had clear majority, oyer
all others, OF $4,000. Hitherto, in California,
1t Was always tho Central Pacific Railroad that
t was in power, no matter whether the Republican
| or Democratic party nominally carried the day.
But when tho present Legislature had boon
elected q new power was found to bo in poHses-
sion OF tho State. Independent voters had re-
sumed control Of their own Affairs IN California,
as thoy arc doing in Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois,
Minnesota, and Kansas The election Of Senator
Booth ia. perhaps, the greatest victory the new
party has achieved.
The reaults to which we have alluded ahow
that the future Is In tue Farmers hands. II they
continue where they loft OF Last timo, they will
carry Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota. Kansas. Nobras-
next election. What has been already
accomplished in & few months shows
that these anticipatons ARE not extravagant.
As for the Democratic party all it has to do ia to
crawlout Of tho way. Tho Farmers moan to form
no partnerships with the dead. Like the carly
Republican party, which wisely refused alliance
with either Whiga or Democrats, they have
marked out a course OF their own, aud will fol-
low 1t. All that iB needed for Rucce8a Ia faith-
fulnees to themselves and to the utterances OF
the Decatur Convention.