The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-10-15


ocratic party. Such success as it has won in
these important States has been gained with
out any alliance or coalition in q straight,
square fight with the supporters OF the ad-
ministration. 1t is not liberal republican
triumph, as Mr.. Greeley's election would have
been in 1872; it is not q triumph of the
farmers movement which at one time seemed
formidable in the West it is democratic
triumph pure and simple, and it warrants the
expectation that the minor side currents OF
our politics will be absorbed in one or the
other of the two main streams. According to
present appearances everything is tending to
O grand struggle in the next Presidential
election between the two regular parties, with
no side movements of any Importance. The
dissatisfied republicans, who have for several
years shrunk frcm joining the democracy,
and have been contending that disbandment
OF the democratic party was the indispensable
prerequisite of forming and consolidating
powerful opposition, must see now that there
is nothing to be hoped in that direction.
Republicans who have become alienated from
the administration are reduced to the alterna-
tive of Joining the democrats or retiring
from active politics. There will be no
considerable third party there will be
no coalition like that of 1872; there WILL as
time moves on, be little of the squeamishness
which has for the last three years held the
republican opponents of General Grant aloof
from the democratic organization. There is
a visible progress in this direction in our own
State Last year the New York liberal repub-
licans put forth ticket of their own, made up
of selected names for the two others. This
year they are merging themselves in the dem
ocratic ranks. Our vigorous and lively con-
temporary, the SIN, has for some time for
borne to decry the democratic party and is
efficiently, though not ostentatiously, support
ing the democratic State ticket. Even the
Tribune manifests similar leaning, but
with more caution and reserve. Still every
reader of the Tribune must see that it is quietly
and steadily reconciling its liberal republi-
can readers to the democratic party Of the
State There is no longer any attempt by
any leading journal of the country to create
new opposition party to take the place of the
democracy The prejudices growing out Of
the war are supplanted by the feeling of in
tense hostility to the administration, and the
demonstrated strength of the democratic
organization in the recent elections tends to
make it the sole rallying point of all the ele-
ments of opposition. We regard this as .
healthy tendency. All good citizens will have
reasons for congratulation if the democracy
shall become strong enough to put the
republican party on its best behavior. 1t is
wholesome thing for our politics that the
opposition is not likely to be frittered away
by division or to lose its conference by coali-
tons. The only important parties in the i'm
mediate future will be The republican and the
| democratic.
Another important consequence of the dem
ocratic recuperation will be its potent moral
effect in setting aside the third term aspra-
tons of President Grant If the republican
| party had held its own in the elections of this
year and come out of them with unimpaired
strength it might have thought itself
capable of carrying this heavy weight
But with parties nearly enough balanced
to render the contest doubtful the
q
load If the democrats should carry New
York and make gains in Pennsylvania General
Grant himself will see that the republican
partyis no longer strong enough to carry such
a rider as third term candidate. We expect,
therefore, that he will prudently forego every
attempt to secure another republican nomina-
ton if New York follows in the wake of Ohio
The democratic successes will discourage the
| third term movement in another view. They
will cause the South to turn once more with
| hope to the democratic party and to expect
relief by its triumph. In despair of any other
remedy the Southern people have been
tempted to weigh the protection which might
be given them by friendly despot,
whose power they had favored, against
the hdeous misrule which they endure
under negro supremacy. They will no longer
think of SO desperate o resource. As soon as
they shall see sufficient number of Northern
States in democratic hands to enable the
Southern democracy to turn the scale and
make democratic majority their free instincts
will revive in full force. They would gladly
exchange their present condition for military
rule if reduced to that choice, and they would
even accept Imperialism rather than carpet
bag oppression. But as soon as they see
chance of relief by the success of the demo-
cratic party they will drop General Grant and
his irregular aspirations. If the November
elections should be of the same general COM
plexion as those which have just taken place
the third term question will be practically
settled.
The republicans ought to learn some wis
dom from the visible decline Of their party
strength. 1t is not too late for them to re-
trieve their losses if they will reform certain
leading features Of their policy. They cannot
afford to repeat nor to persist in their blum
ders in the Southern States. There must be