The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1875-12-01
Political Preccderts-A Warning.

elect the next President, because they
;, elected large majority Of the House
of Representatives last fall. They tell
us that from the days of John Quincy
Adams down to the present time the
party which has carried the House in
the middle of a Presidential term has
u ways been successful in the ensuing
Presidential contest.
/ The facts on this subject are no
donbt curious and suggestive, but they
will not quite warrau. such a sweep
ing conclusion. The House which met
in December, 1889, contained u larger
number Of Democrats than Wings; but
because Of a feud iu the Democratic
party the Wigs elected Harrison as
President by an overwhelming major
ity the next year. The like results
happened sixteen Years later when the
opponents Of the Democracy succeeded
in making Banks Speaker Of the House
in February, 1856, but, owing to divis-
ions in the. ranks Of the Opposition,
the Democrats were able IT, elect Bach.
anan to the Presidency in the sabse-
qnent November.
These facts show that it will not do
IT, push pIece.leuts too lar, and tina,
all general rules have their excep-
tiuns.
Other political precedents OF max
inns which at one time nr another have
seemed 10" strong to yield tn any
amount Of pressure. have Fl ally bro
ken down 1t w.ss for many years
treated as an axiom thai rs Prnns,l,r
mia wen, al the October elections, y,
New Ynk woull go in thu following
November. Bui in The commissions If
1856 this axiom, on which asplrants to
office aud those who staked money on
elections had SO long relied, was ex-
plNled; fur while Pennsylvania was
then carried for the Democrats by q
drc,sive moj"rity in Octoher, New
York went OverN lelminsly for the Re.
puhlicans in November. Another time
lono.ed precedent shared similar
fate in the famous political conflicts Of
1856. 1t had long been regarded as a
firmly grounded truth, that if either
two of the great States of New York,
Pennsylvania, and Ohio cast their cleo
tOral votes for the same candidate for
President, he was sure to be chosen.-
But in that year New York and Ohio
voted for fremont By heavy majorities
yet Buchanan was elected neverthe-
less.
We might cite two or three other
geEe; al rules of this character upon
which politicians have heeu wont to
rely. but which have finally encoun.
tered exceptions and then ceased to be
trusted; but those We have referred to
will suffice to warn the Democrats
that they cannot safely count npon
success in next years election, merely
because large body Of dissusted Re
pub'icans in all parts Of the country
stayed away from the polls last fall,
and thus enabled the Democrats to
elect handsome majority ofthe House
of representatives. So far as the
House is concerned, the result Of the
Presidential campaign will depend far
more upon how the Democratic major
ity act during the cunning session, than
upon the fact that they obtained that
majority in the elections of the past
year. Indeed, should the Democrats
in the House fail to meet the public
on the subject of reform
the people will be likely to seize the
Of the approaching nation
al contest to set aside in very mark
ed manner precedent which has
exerted good deal of in
fuence upon party Leadership. Y.
Sun.