Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-10-24
WHAT 1T MEANS.

Now that the smoke of battle has cleared
away in Ohio, and the lame ducks are dis
covered to be on the wrong side, there is
az effort en- the part Of some Republican
journals to draw lesson from the result so
unexpected to them. The night before the
election correspondent of the New York
Times telegrspbed from Columbus what
the Republicans expscted to accomplish on
the morrow as follows:
ga gentleman who hss been Secretary Of
the Ohio Republican Executive Committee
for number of years pzst, and whose judg-
ment on the eve of an election in the State
is generally accepted as being absolutely re-
liable, estimates that Gov. NoYes will ne
reelected over Allen 20 morrow by a ma
jority Of not less than 10000, and that the
Republicans will elect, outside Of Hamilton
comfy, which is in doubt, ffty-three mem
beIs of the House and nineteen members of
the Senate, which figures are fair consti-
tutional majority in each branch of the
Legislature"
The Republicans were too sanguine of
success TO now put in the stereotyped 81
told you So" and so some of the journals
of that party are devoting themselves to an
effor5 to explain what it means. The Bal
timore american, the Republican organ in
Maryland, expresses the belief that the
Ohio election conveys lesson TO Republi-
cans because the canvass was run too much
on the PERSONAL profit notion. Gov. Noyes,
it says, "has been very popular man, but
when be undertook to-oVerride everybody
else to make a clear field for his race for the
United States Senate, be made great mis-
take, and he dragged down the party with
him." The Indianapolis Journal, the Re-
publican organ at the capital of Indiana,
sees enough in the result to put its political
friends to thinking. That paper says:
tThe causes which led to the election of
an out. and.out Copperhead in that State
are not altogether local or superficial, but
have significance which all true Republic
ans will heed. We have no idea that the
Democracy will be able to hold the State,
| and yet the fact that they have carried it at
| all is not particularly comforting. Whether
| it is owing 10 the lukewarmness of Repub-
licans or the zeal of Democratic, or uneX-
pected strength on the side OF our oppO-
nents, does not matter; there is The result.
We are willing to accept and do accept it as
a rebuke to the Republican party, which
must be needed if the party exrects to re.
| tain political control of the country. It is
an evidence, not that the people have
abandoned Republican principles or become
enamored of those of the Democracy, but
that they are grieved and displeased with
some things which the party has done.
| That they arr tired of excusiDg faults in
| administration and faults in legislation, aud
that they expect and require an improve
| ment in both. We have no doubt the new
| Congress will fully realize the situation, and
we expect from the Republican majority in
that body such retreDchment OF expendi-
lures and such determined opposition to
every species of favoritsm, corruption and
iobbery as the times demand" .>
That is pretty plain reading of the signs
of the times. But The Cincinnati Gazette,
the organ of the party in Ohio, tells very
plainly what it means. That paper says:
"The Republicans have lost the State, and
| for the first time in eighteen years Dem
ocrat win occupy the gubernstorial chair of
| Ohio. This occurs too Ia the face Of large
| Republican majority. For the silent vote
that secured the success of minority party
there is OF course a cause. Republican
voters do powerful amount of thinking,
and they have way of expressing their
opinions, sometimes Dy positive voting and
sometimes by not voting at all. In this
case the latter mode was chosen. Thus the
people have given 3 warning to the party in
power. They have as much as said Re-
| form abuses or retire from Office. We serve
notice now that the Republican party must
clear its skirts of salary grabs and Credit
Mobilier scandals, and give evidence OF gen
eral reform, or we will vote against 1t next
time. For the present we will indicate our
dissatisfaction by st3ying at home. If this
warning is not needed, we will throw stones
next time
"This is the meaning of the election as
near as we can interpret 1t.
"Pains were taken during the campaign
to show that Republicans and Democrats
we're responsible for the salary grab and
the Credit Mobiler frauds; for land grants
and other extrsvsgant measures; but the
Republican party had clear majority in
Congress and President possessing the
veto power, and therefore they could have
defeated all the Objectionable schemes, and,
falling to do so, they are held responsible
for them. This is the way the people look
at the matter, and Republicans may as well
understand that SO long IS they are in
power in the nation the Republican party
viii be held responsible for national legisla
ton and the general management of the
public business. This is the verdict Of the
Ohio election.
fortunately the Republicans have a
large majority in both branches Of Congress
and they will therefore have an opportunity
to reform abuses about which the people
have expressed themselves. If advantage il
taken of this opportunity, the Ohio Republi