The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1875-10-16
OCTOBER ELECTIONS.

State elections were held last tuesday III
Ohio, Iowa, and Nebraska, in allElhree OF
which the republicans have triumphed.
In Iowa Kirkwood is reelected by about
IS, 900 majority, which is about the usual ma
jorlty of the party IN that state al STATE
election. The combination between the gran
gers and democrats last year, which reduced
the republican majority to 10000 was pro-
ken, SO that the democrats and republicans
voted this year in accordance with their old
party affiliations, with the usual result
In Nebraska the election was for Supreme
Judges and on adopting a new constitution
so that party lines were not rigicly drawn
The republican candidates, however, are
elected by 10000 majority, and the new con-
stitution is carried by large vote.
But the chief interest centered on the cleo
t,on in Ohio. The democratic convention
tina. nominated Allen for Governor having
adopted platform that was construed, and
by Its authors evidently intended, to favor pa
per money initiation, and the republican con-
yention that nominated Hays for Governor
having adopted resolutions that were at least
construed to be in favor Of hard money and
an early resumption of specie payment the
two parties went into the contest on that Is.
sue, which was thus raised to one OF national
importance The canvass WAS one OF the hot.
test ever witnessed in that state, aud the vote
40. 900 more than had been cast at any pre-.
yiOus election.
The result is the defeat of the democracy
and n verdict against paper money imitation
TO whatever extent the Ohio platform may be
construed to have favored it. The majority
against Allen will be from 1000 to 5000;
against Carey, for Lieutenant Governor, at
least 10000, and the republicans carry the
legislature.
While we have hitherto shown that the
Ohio platform, as favoring indefinite paper
money expansion, had been greatly lniscon-
strued, the fact is that the authors of the plat
form meant more IN that direction than they
expressed, so that the Interpretation that is
now put upon the Ohio verdict, as an en-
phatic expression against all such wild paper
money schemes as that OF w. ID. Kelly, is le
gitimate and correct. The people Of Ohio
have seen through the shallow soppistrles of
the paper money delusionists, and have pro-
nounced against them and In favor OF honest
money. 1t is folly to attempt to explain away
and put any other Interpretation upon the
verdict.
If the democratic party has now sense
enough to profit by this exmple, and return to
the solid ground they occupied in 1872 on the
financial question, all may yet be well. Why
should portion of the democracy Of the
west cut loose from the great body of the par.
ty on that question anyhow Why should
the democratic party shift Its ground and
take up the husks of the republican party,
which alone Is and should be held response
bic for the whole ragged progeny that has af-
ficted the land from the first inception of the
imitation bIunder. The republican party was
wholly responsible for Its origin, and should
still be held responsible for all its conse
auences of ruined commerce and stagnant
industries.
The consequence of the Ohio election we
now trust and believe will be to lead the
democratic party, in their next national con-
vention, to adopt substantially the same reso.
luton on the financial question that was
adopted in 1879. The republican national
convention will not dare to adopt anything
materially different. This will virtually
throw the currency question out Of the next
Presidential elect:on, and leave the issue pure
and simple upon the corrupiions and roIton.
ness of radical Grantism. On that issue the
democrats won hundred victories last year,
and on that Issue they will triumph again.
But to shoulder the folly of rag,babyism Is
inevitable ruin.