Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-11-09
WHAT THE RESULT MEANS.

The Nelc York Tribune, one Of the
ablest and shrewdest Of the "Independ-
ent" journals, confesses that in the
State elections which took place on the
4th inst, 1.-The Democrats have a nomi-
nal triumph" That is something for
an Independent journal to concede.
The Tribune says in its issue of Nov. s.:
..The November State elections which
took place yesterday indicate something Of
a reaction against the Republican party.
The results differ widely from those Of a
year ago. Instead of a sweeping indorse-
ment of the Administration and the dOmi-
nant party, there seems TO be, il these re-
suits have any meaning, a widespread dis
satisfaction with both. Il has not been
manifested in an increased opposition vote
so much as in the falling of Of the Republic
can. General apathy is the proper detiui-
ton Of it. The large promise Of the Adj
ministratiOn party year ago has been ut
terlv unfulflled, and the honest masses, not
ready yet in their disgust togo over entirely
to the opposition. have cOntented them
selves with a tacit register Of their protest
by STAYING at home and voting not at all
The Chicago Tribune, equally as In
dependent and able as its New York
namesake, is even more emphatic in its
Interpretation of the result of the late
elections. 1t says:
Those who think that these simultane-
Gus Republican defeats are the symptoms
Of an of-year and not the first tokens Of a
revolution had better study the returns by
localities. and they viii find that the heayi
est inroads have been made in precisely
those places where the Republican party
has hitherto been slrongest--in such cOun-
ties rs Kane, Kendall and Bureau. in Hi
noiS: such as Scott and Henry. in Iowa;
such as Douglas, Kansas, and Racine,
Wisconsin. to say nothing Of the State Of
Massachusetts, which is strewn with local
wrecks everywhere"
The Ne,g York Herald, which is moth
ing if not independent" comments in
It's issue of Nov. on the result as
follows:
From the returns Of Yesterdays cleo
tions before us. including New York city
and State, Massachusetts, Virginia, Wis
consin. etc, general collapse has appar-
emily fallen upon the Republican party.
Tammany, like a giant refreshed with new
wine, rises again with something Of her an
cient strength, and the tifty-five thousand
majority Of the Republicans on the State
ticket last fall, if not completely Oblitera-
ted, is almost reduced to nothing. Cor
responding results are reported from Massa-
chusetts, Virginia, Wisconsin and 9th
er States. The Democratic yicto-
~ of October in Ohio, it may
be commended, was accidental; but
when we find the East, the West,
the North and the South all
drifting in the same general direction, it is
evident at least that the sprinkling clouds
s. October have gathered and strengthened
to the proportions Of a political cyclone in
November. In the history ii the country,
since the time Neutrality-suspicious. cYerw was
a more overwhelming Presidential success
than that Of 1872; and in our political an
nails We have never had in a single year
such q general shrinkage for the dominant
party from heavy na;oritiCs to small ones,
and to minOritieS, as in 1873, The pDpu-
lar whirlwind Of 1910, which carried Gene
raj Harrison into the White House, was
followed by a marked political reaction in
1871. and there have been some other cases
of this kind from time to time; but We have
had no reaction Of this character to compare
with this of 1873, touching the disturbing
forces at work, including the demOraliza-
tionS. divisions, diSaiiectiOns, discomfort
and Indifference of the party in power to
the consequences