New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-08-26

..,ants. In nearly every town I have visited, Re-
,nb,icsns named men who had always voted the
nemocratic ticket and who assured them that this
ro.r they should vote against that party to
,.buke it's open submission to Church dicta-
tim In some localities the number of such
Democrats was reported to be large. But it
4; evident that most Of those who vote against their
rarty ON this ground will do silently, and the
magnitude of that change can be knOwrUenly when
the ballots have been counted. In several instances
II appears that the subject considered in confer
ences or associations of Protestant churches and
delegates present showed very strong feeling 1t is
the general belief OF Republican Observers / find,
that this profound distrust of the Democratic party
as to the School question viii il than
il can gain from all other sources and my own OBJ
servation leads me to lean strongly to the same be-
lief IL will he peculiarly potent, however, in bring
ing out very large Republican vote the Reserve
and IN other strongholds where thousands have
Gently declined to vote,
A DANGER OF REPUBLICANS.
There is one danger, and serious one. to the Re
publicans. They very easily Overlo the discus
sion of this question. Public opinion, always and
Justly sensitive when any attempt is made to gam
political capital by appealing to religious differences
will quickly and sharply react ii Republican speak
ers and newspapers show such disposition, and try
TO mako this the predominant issue of the canvass
1t will then DO felt that they are not sincere ana
want to make capital for cause otherwise weak ny
constant barpng upon this question. II VIII be saio
that they dare not meet the main issue OF the cam
paign, and take this method OF lodging
II. Unluckily for the Republicans, there
are timd and bemiTcd politicians
who do want to dodge the money question, and they
are doing that party more harm than they will ever
suspect by making conspicuous display of their own
fhoir cnuDs,ls control flp
campaign the Republicans are placed constantly on
the defensive. They are assailcd sayagely on the
money question and that attack gains tcnf0d force
because they expose themselves to the charge that
they try to avoid it by getting zap an excitement
about the Pope The misfortune for them is that
they, in some quarters, do play the coward on the
main issue of the fight and place undue stress upon
the school question, because they are conscious OF
weakness elsewhere. Then the blatheIskite editor
OF orator always is fond of making "a
sensation, and would much rather raise a. storm
of applause by appealing to voters on subject
regarding which their opinions are formed and fixed
than to essay the useful but more difficult task
of shaping and soldfyng correct opinions upon the
question of currency and the national credit. Re
pubcans, if they are wise, will remember that
nothing else causes so sharp and strong reaction IA
the feeling that religious differences being used
TO gain favor by party otherwise unable to defend
itself If they mean to win they must make their
main fight on the question of national honor, and
leave the voters to do great deal of thinking for
themselves on the school question. They may rest
assured that the less the party NEEDLES with that
question the more voters will think about it, The
less the Republicans try to evado that which the
Democrats have chosen to make the main issue of
the fight the more their fidelity to the system of
free non-sectaran education will be remembered by
thousands of voters. who will say worry little until
they have cast their ballots. OUTSIDER.
Columbus, Aug. 90, 1875