Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1874-02-27
This Year and Last.

The general impression left by the results
of last years elections seems, in somequar-
ters, TO have depressed the enthusiasm of
Republicans, and inclined them to the
opinion that successes this year will be ra
Their hard.to gain. There is vague feeling
that in all the contests of 1873, and espec-
tally in its closing months, the tide was
setting against the party that had so long
ruled in the nation at large and in nearly
all the individual States and little, If any
thing, has occurred sin CO then 10 relieve
our low-spirited friends from this despond-
ency. That there is urgent need of eff
cient and prompt action on the part of our
leaders the figures will show. But we in
cline to the opinion that the respondent
feeling referred TO is not authorized by the
exact results of the elections of 1873
1t is true that in many States last year
the Republicans found, when the polls
closed, that their customary maorties had
been greatly reduced, and in several cases
had entirely disappeared :; but, on the other
hand, it was shown as a rule that there had
not been any accession TO the ranks of the
Democratic party. The statistics show that
during the year elections, where the party
lines were strictly drawn, and partisan cam
vassing was carried on, at least TO the mild
extent customary in ''of years." were held
in sixteen States, and that the combined
opponents OF the Republican party were
successful in six States, which had been
carried in the preceding year by the Re-
publicans. 1t is to be observed, however,
hot To-, of civ
could the Democrats claim strict party
victory, and in only two of them was the
victorious opposition vote larger than that
cast by the Democratic party for its leading
candidate in the last preceding contested
election, when the party was defeated. The
vote in these two States, Virginia and Tex
as, was increased by peculiar Circumstance
es, unnecessary TO enumerate here, which
conspired TO bring out large reserved
Democratic force, such as probably did not
exist in any other State in the Union.
The opposition successes were due, there
fore, solely to the absence of Republican
voters from the polls, and not TO accessions
TO the Democrats. 1t is to be added, also,
that in all these sixteen States, with a sin
gle exception, the Republican vote fell off
largely, so that had there been CORE
spending increase in the Democratic vote,
the number of States remaining Republic
can would have been extremely small. That
there was not that increase of the Democratic
vote or in fact any increase at all except in the
cases mentioned, indicates that the absent
Republicans, however much they may
have been dissatisfied with tie action of
their own leaders, were not ready TO give
their votes for the election of the Democrat
ic candidate. In our own State, for exam
pie, while the Democrats elected the lead
ing candidate on their State ticket, their
aggregate vote fell off $4,000 from their un-
successful vote for Governor in 1872, and
more than 10000 from their vote for Presi-
dent at the same time. In the case of the
States carried by the Republicans, the same
remark holds true, az appears markedly in
Pennsylvania, where had the Democrats
re tanned their full vote as cast in 1872, not
to speak of gaining the absent Republicans,
they would have elected their candidate by
nearly $1,000 votes, the Republican vote
having 80 largely fallen of.
The lesson of these figures is not hard 10
perceive. They show that the Republicans
still number a very large majority of tho
voters of the country, and they also show
how large a proportion of them are clean
handed men who refuse 10 maintain any
association with suspicious schemers. Too
honest to go into the ranks of so corrupt
an organization as they know the Demo-
cratic party to be, they could only make
their silent protest against the irregularl-
ties in party management or official action
of which they dlsapproved by remaining
quietly at home on election day. This
large reserve force the Republican party
has to draw upon in the coming struggles
of the year, and the means TO that end lie
clearly to view. Economy, retrenchment,
and reform, and attention to tie obvious
needs of the hour-through these alone
discontinued Republicans can easily be
brought back to their old active allegiance.
There are more than 10000 in Connecticut,
and $500 in New Hampshire-States which
are soon to give The keynote to the polit-
ical campaign of the year. These are both
close States under the best of circumstanc-
es; but in each the present prospects are
favorable for Republican success, if only
the honest voters may be assured of the
earnest devotion of Congress and the adj
ministration to the effort to discharge faith
fully the important duties devolving upon
them, in the present disturbed condition of
financial and political afTairs.-N. Y
Times.