Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1875-11-10
Kentucky and Maine

!. than any previously cast wa
: brought out. Nebraska also re
ported the largest vote ever known
d and although we have seen no es
innate of the total vote in Iowa
the reports Immediately subsequent
to the election were to the effec
that a full vote had been polled
: On Tuesday, however, compare.
, lively light votes were the order
except, possibly, in Minnesota
Mississippi and Wisconsin, where
the chance of victory for either
side seemed to arouse an unusual
interest in the contest. In New
York State the vote was very much
lighter than in November, 1874
in Pennsylvania it was far short of
the full strength of either party,
and in Massachusetts,, though above
the average vote in the State, it
was scarcely half the whole vote.
One great cause of the small vote
at the November elections, while
there was larger one at q pre-
ceeding elections in the year, is
found in the fact that several of the
States which held elections earlier
in the year had to elect Congress
men as well as State officers. This
was true of New Hampshire,
Connecticut and California. In
Maine the large vote was the re-
suit of Democratic activity at the
election while in Ohio the ener-
jetic canvass which was prosecuted
the mighty efforts put forth by
both parties-naturally brought
out the vote. At the elections in
New York, Massachusetts, and Penn
sylvania there seemed to be no
special incentive to exertion. The
was thought to be sure
to give a handsome majority for
Bigelow and reform, that thousands
Of voters, who would have worked
with will If they had deemed the
cause in peril, gave themselves no
about it. In Massachu- ]
sets the only chance of Gaston's 9
election lay in the conservatism :
md unwillingness to change of the !
Massachusetts, people. There was g
lot the spur of an animated Con- !
yressional canvass to urge Demo- I
rats to activity, and though Dem 4
'crats came out much better pro- l
'ortionately ttan Republicans, the !
tay-at-homes among the latter s
'ere not sufficient in number to
educe Rice's vote below that of
iaston. In Pennsylvania, If the
roper course had been pursued,
here might have been a thorough
'elding together of all the OPP
Of corruption and ring i
ale in the State, and a thoroughly VI
ygressive campaign waged. But b
he reform issue was not given N
lie prominence it deserved, and, 90
it'll that measure neglected, the -
ection degenerated into an or A
nary partisan contest, and the y
epublicans triumphed, by a ma
rity considerably less, however,
ian an average one.
These features of the election
ustrate most forcibly the tenden-
es of the American voter. Unless F
ere are absorbing issues at stake
the campaign-unless an cleo
IN has more than an indirect A
caring upon natural contest, or G,
ere is grand systematic effort
the part of one or the other of
70 great parties to carry the cleo in
on-a large portion or the voters -
i'll not take the trouble to cast a
'llot. Though it is true that any s lr
local or general .
is OF sufficient Importance to de- N
and that every citizen register
5 will at the ballot-box, it is a "A
ct that only in the most exciting
ntests is anything like full vote (
st. There are seasons-like that '
1s74-when popular disgust pm
tn one party will materially as =
4 another; but victories which for
e won on light votes, while they
: not without influence upon the II I
ating vote that always attaches s ,.',i
the winning side, cannot be con- rec
lered as permanent triumphs, =.
must be followed by success wi
contests where each party puts
tn its fullest strength. In all SAt
lbtful States the party which
J show the cleanest record and Lea