The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-10-16

rep. Den. Rep. DEM
North Carouna........
OregOn.. ..............
Vermont. .............
Tuesdays election. SO 10 % %
Totals ............... "A 10 81 81
From this statement it also appears that
the democrats are rising from the position of
a helpless minority to a control Of the next
House. The political revolution, of which the
recent elections furnish evidence, is not likely
to be arrested midway in its career. Nothing
is better established in our politics than the
potent influence of preceding elections on
those which follow. A pertinent illustration
is afforded by the Indiana election Of 1872,
when Hendricks was elected in October by o
majority Of 1,148, and Grant carried the
State in November by majority of %. 515.
There was change of about "a, 600, attributa-
BILE to no other cause than the expectation Of
victory founded on preceding elections and the
popular estimate of the drift of the political
current. The October elections which have
Just been held will act on the No
vember elections in similar manner.
There are tens of thousands of citizens
always hanging loose on the outskirts of
political parties who prefer to be on the WIN
ming side, and whose votes are determined by
the drift Of the tide as manifested in the pre-
liminary elections. These political soldiers of
fortune will take their cue from the decided
democratic successes in the elections of the
present year, and, by shifting their votes into
what they believe the winning scale, will make
their influence felt in November. Unless the
ordinary flow of political currents is arrested
the democratic gains next month will Guido
those which have just been achieved. The
democratic chances are at least even for
securing majority in the next House, and
this degree of success would foretoken revo-
luton in the politics Of the country.
In the first place, democratic majority in
the next House would preclude certain con-
tingent difficulties which arc always liable to
arise in Presidential election. The consti-
tuition provides that when President is not
elected by the people the House of Represen-
tatives shall choose the President. IF it
should be found that the democrats have
majority in the next House it will forestall
the possibility of republican split on the
third term question or any other question.
With republican majority in the next House
the republicans could afford split, since one
or the other of the republican candidates
would certainly be elected by the House if
there was no choice by the people. In such
state of things it might be good republican
tactics to encourage third party, whose can
didate could hold the dissatisfied republicans
and prevent their desertion to the democratic
party. This strategy might keep the demo-
Gratis in minority and, by preventing the
election of their candidate by the people,
carry the choice into the House, which would
be a perfectly safe game if the republicans
held control Of that body. But if the demo-
Gratis shall have a majority of the next House
the republican party must succeed in the Elec-
toral College or not succeed at all. This con-
sideration reinforces the reasons we have here
to1ore stated for believing that the next Presi-
dental contest will be straight, square fight
between the two regular parties unencumbered
| by third candidate.
In the next place, clear democratic major
ity in the next House would have an impor-
tant effect on federal legislation. 1t would
prevent the passage of any bill in which the
republicans might have party interest No
matter what President Grant might recon-.
mend, or the republican Senate might pass.
the democrats would hold complete check by
their control of the House. The moral effect
Of democratic ascendancy in one branch of
/ Congress would be greater than the mere adj
vantage Of blocking republican legislation. II
would cause the country to look forward to
democratic control Of every department Of the
government, and would enlist the whole body
Of time servers and political camp followers
on the democratic side. 1t would enroll in
the democratic ranks the greed7 multitudes
with whom political gratitude is "a sense Of
favors expected'--a class numerous enough
to turn the political SCALE Besides this
great advantage the possession of the House
by the democrats would enable them to man
uiacture an astonishing amount of capital for
the Presidential election. There would
be bewildering number of investigating
committees appointed to ferret out republican
abuses. end there ia no raasnn ~ dnnhA tbaa