The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1873-11-06
The November Elections.

litical victories of this year, and Of course are
in exceedingly high feather about it, as they
have right to be. Their extravagant iubi-
laton is delightful to see in these times of
monetary depression, and they have probably
now got enough stimulus to carry them
through another presidential campaign and
up 10 another national defeat. Even the
nortuary Democrats who urged the 1isinte-
grafton theory so vigorously last summer ex-
perience galvanic thrill of hope and almost
foresee through the msts of the future the
honors and spoils of place under the conquer
ing @gis of the unterrified old Democracy.
Tuesdays election resulted substantially as
unexpected and foretold, and in many aspects
the result is not undesirable. Some good men,
whose service the public can i'll afford to lose,
like Judge Fancher of New York, and some
Massachusett, legislative candidates have, to
be sure, been defeated. These, however, are
local losses essential perhaps to the national
welfare. The general seffect is likely to be
good.
The best of parties becomes too confident
if not rather needless under a succession of
victories. 1t is less particular aboutthe char
acter Of its candidates, and less jealous Of its
honor than it should be. The opposition
party, if hopelessly weak, soon loses its elan
and unites W 18th factions of tn majority, lead
ing to combinations, and trading, which are
creditable to neither and result generally in
the success of unworthy men.
A partial success of the Democratic party
at this time was absolutely necessary to pre-
vent its utter dissolution. For months, all
through the country, many of its leading
journals, like the Louisville Com-ier-Jomndl,
the st. Louis Republican and the Chicago
Times, have openly advocated the disbanding
of the party, going even to the extent of de-
claring that there could be no greater calam-
ity than partial Democratic successes in the
fall elections. In our own State, the time
honored leader Of the Democratic press of
Maine, came up feeply to the support of the
Bourbon nomination before election and ex
pressed a doubt in reviewing the result,
whether the policy of making a nomination
was a good one, and whether it would not
have been better to have folded up aud put
away the battered party standards.
The victory claimed by the Democracy in
Ohio in October, followed by those in New
York, Maryland, Virginia and Wisconsin last
Tuesday, has changed the whole situation.
Party journals that were prepared in Augusts
dependency for any NEW departure" now
have cheerful confidence that can only be
measured by whole fonts of display type.
Veterans who quietly kept their seats last
August when told that they were probably
holding their last party convention, would
now break forth in cries of "put him out"
The rural believer in the really dead party,
who listened half in doubt and wholly in hor-
rcr to the rdicule of the iconoclastic young
Democracy last summer, would now pour out
upon them torrent of choicest Democratic
epithets. The resolutions of '9S have been
FURNISHED u, the old watchword, ITO the
victors belong the spoils," have new charm,
the deluded followers snuff greater victories
in the air and sniff fat places beyond.
Just now they will not study election re-
turns. They are deaf to the teaching which
calm and balanced men would derive from
the fact that all of their victories are won on
lighter votes of their own than those on which
they have hitherto been defeated. They for
get that they have had, on several former oc-
casions, local victories on off years and on
light votes, followed invariably by overwhelm-
ing defeat when the country is really appeal
ed to. But, after all, we can feel no special
desire to make suggestions which would rob
these people of their temporary hilarity.
The result contains a valuable lesson to the
incoming Republican Congressman, and indi-
Gates that the intelligent masses Of the party
are not satisfied with the immediate past.
They feel outraged at the back pay steal and
the increase of salary at time when Con-
gress Ahould have set an example of frugality.
There are not few who think that the ex-
penses of government are not so small as they
might be, and that several improvements in
public affairs are possible. Many deemed it
safe time to say to their public servants,
''Be CAREFUL