The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1875-09-15
California Elections.

he recent OemOcraClc V1SDOfy IN
California was a gratifying surprise.
1t was the first time in eight years
that the State has gone Democratic.
We bad hardly dared to hope for
such a pleasing result, and it is such
a staggering blow to the administFa-
tiOn, that its organs have hardly yet
been able to frame an excuse for the
defeat of the party in a State which
they regarded as safe beyond all
peradventure. However, the kitchen
organ at Washington has recovered
its equanimity sufficiently to suggest,
that their defeat was owing to the
fact that there was a quadrilateral
contest in California, four parties be-
ing in the field, and that there can
be no doubt that the State is all
right on national issues, while on
local issues the Democrats have been
able to achieve temporary triumph,
for the reasons already stated. Very
plausible, but the party must be in a
terrible strait that has to resort to
such excuses to keep it's courage up.
The Democratic majority in the
next House of Representatives was
already so large that the additional
acquisition from California was un.
important, save for the reason that
it secured to us, beyond all doubt,
a majority of the States, in the event
that the next election of President
is thrown into the House of Repre-
sentatives. This is very great ad-
vantage, and enables the Democrat
ic party to hold the key to the situa-
tion.
1t is very evident that the Radical
party will not be able to elect q
President by the popular vote, while
the chances are that the Democrats
will. But if, from any cause they
should fail to do so, and the election
should be thrown into the House
of Representatives by reason of
three or four parties being in the
field. the Democrats will be masters
of the situation. When the election
takes place by the House of Repre-
sentatiYes, each State has one vote,
which is determined by majority of
the members from that State, and as
there is now no question that the
| Democrats will control a majority of
the States in the next Congress, we
will have no occasion to fear the re-
! suit if there should be no election of
President by the popular vote. In
this view of the case the California
election was very important. and our
triumph there removes the last doubt
that could have been entertained in
regard to Democratic success in
| 1876.
AS to the causes which tended to
produce the gratifying resultin Cali
fornia, we are not disposed to at
tribute it altogether, as some have
done, to the recent financial explo-
sion in San Francisco, although we
admit that that disastrous event was
not without its influence. But a far
more potent influence, operating up
on the minds of that people, was
doubtless the consideration, that un-
der Radical rule the national govern
ment has become thoroughly corrupt
in all its branches, has encouraged
extraYagances which were never be-
fore tolerated in a free government,
and has pursued a vicious line of
policy towards the Southern States
which has disgusted all liberal mind
ed men. The unpopularity of the
''third term policy was also dead
weight which the Republican party
had to carry, and the aggregation Of
all these Influences was more than
the rotten concern could stand up
under. It has therefore fallen, and
great was the fall thereof. We hope
and believe that it will never rise
again. A proscriptive party cannot
rally under defeat. AS long as it is
successful, fear and the hope of
Plunder serve to keep many in its
ranks, and to draw to it q certain
class who have no fixed political
views of their own, but who always
like to be on the strong side. But
let defeat once overtake it, and they
desert its ranks more rapidly than
rats do a sinking ship, and they then
become its most unappeasable and
vindietive enemies. Our deliberate
judgement, therefore. is, that unless
the Democrats should hereafter be
guilty of some egregious folly, the
Radical party has achieved its last
success in this country, and the'time
is not tar distant when SO much
odium will attach to many of its
proscriptive measures, that many
who have been their constant advo-
Gates will seek to shun the wrath of
an outraged people by declaring
that they always were opposed to