Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1873-10-23
THE RESULT In OHIO.


The Democrats, Oil small vote,
have carried the State of Ohio Tor GoV-
ernor and Legislature. The Lieuten-
ant. Governor and State officers are he
publicans. From returns received, tne
to.al vote, wejudge, will show falling
off of $4,000. The decrease Is greater
on the Republican than on the Demo
cratic side, and this accounts Tor tne
election of Allen. The Democrats
gained nothing in Ohio. Their aggre-
gate vote is less than it was year ago,
and had the Republicans voted Allen
would have been beaten out of sight.
Bat the Republicans have lost the
State, and for,.the first time in eighteen
wears Democrat will occupy the gu
bernatorial chair of Ohio. This occurs
too in the face of large Republican
majority. For the silent vote that Sc
cured the success of a minority party
there is of course cause. Republican
voters do powerful amount OF think-
ing. and they havea way of expressing
their opinions, sometimes by positive
voting and sometimes by not voting at
all. In this case the latter mode was
chosen. Thus the people have givena q
warning to the party in power. They
have as much as said "Reform abuses
or retire from office. We serve notice
now that the Republican party must
clear its skirts of salary grabs ana
Credit Mobilier scandals, and give evl-
dence of general reform, or we Will
vote against it next time. For the
present we will indicate our dissatisfac-
ton by staying at home. Ifthis warn
ing is not needed, we will throw stones
next time"
This is the meaning of the election
as near as we can interpret it.
Pains were taken during the CAM
paign to show that Republicans and
democrats were responsible for the
salary grab and the Credit Mobilier
frauds; for land grants and other extrav-
agant measures; but the Republican
party had clear majority in Congress
and a President possessing the veto
power, and therefore they could have
defeated all the Objectionable schemes,
and, failing to do so, they are held re-
sponsible for them. This is the way
the people look at the matter, and Hs-
publicans may as well understand that
SO long as they are in power in the ma
tion the Republican party will be held
responsible for national legislation and
the general management of the public
business. This is the verdict OF the
Ohio election. .a.- s.-.s...
Fortunately the Republicans have
majority in both branches of Congress,
and they will therefore have an op-
portunity to reform abuses about which
The people have expressed themselves.
If advantage is taken of this opportun-
ity, the Ohio Republicans will fall into
line again next fall. Otherwise the
Silent vote which caused defeat this
wear will assume positive shape next
time. .r,, D.
This is not the first time that Ohio
Republicans have expressed dissatis-
faction without changing their party
relations. In 1856, David Tod was cleo
ted Governor by 55, ,2O3 majority. The
management of the war was not salts
factory, and in 1862 the Democrats car
ried the State by 5,577 majority. The
next year John Brough was elected
Governor by 1O1,0 ,0e9 majority. Heavy
Republican majorities were sustained
until 1867, when Geo. Pendleton, on
the greenback question, came within
5000 votes of beating Hayes for Gov
ernor. The next year the Republicans
carried the State for President by Al
42s. In 1869 this majority dwindled to
1918. In 1870 this majority was in
creased to 1881, and, in 1871, Noyes
was elected Governor by 16,0S4, and,
i'm 1872, Grant carried the State by 34,-
26S. Now the Democrats elect their
candidate for Governor by a few hum
dred votes. Next year, if our Republi-
can leaders in the meantime deserrs
success, the usual majority will be OBJ
tanned for the Republican party. But
to secure this result it must be earned.
The wishes of the people must be re-
spected. Congress must give evidence
of honesty and economy. and there
must be no mere appointments of men
who were connected with the Credit
Mobilier scaddal, or the salary grab, to
Office. Upon this point the great mass
of the Republican party are in dead
earnest, and they can be neither coaxed
nor bullied into changing their minds.
Never were the people more sensi-
tive on the question of corruption than
at this time, and the leaders of the par
ty should see that no man with even a
doubtful character is permitted to Sc
cure standing in the party. 1t is
claimed that the Republican party is
capable of purifying itself. This claim
can only be made good by doing the
work. Congress will have plenty of
time before another autumn to satisfy
the people upon this point, and upon
the success of Congress in this direc-
tion will depend the future Of the Re-
publican party.-[Cm. Gas.
For protecting the facing of skirts