The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1876-09-14

in the interest of public plunderers and
profigates, does not secure for Mr.. Til
den hundreds of thousands of votes
among fair-minded Republicans.
Indiana.
New York SUM-
Although Mr.. Tilden can be elected
without the vote of Indiana, yet that
State offers one of the most interesting
points in the Presidential election, not
only because the electoral vote is import
ant in itself, but for the reason that the
real battle for ascendancy there will be
fought at the contest in October, nearly
a month before thenational struggle, and
by many viii be regarded as decisive of
the Presidency.
To form an impartial Judgment on the
prospect, it is well to examine the in
structive figures of the last four years.
Here they are in the chronological
order in which they were made up:
GovERNoR-oCToBER, 1872.
Dem. Rep.
HESDRICKs .........-1s9 424 276
HEsDRlcKs's majority, 1,l4S
PRBsIDENTIAL-NovEMB 1872.
GasRnEr Dsg: 1ssssa ehAgSr <S: .......1ss1 147
GRANTS majority, ,5l5.
The nomination of Mr.. Greeley was
unsatisfactory to large number of old
fashioned Democrats, and although Mr..
Hendricks entered the race handicapped
with that dead weight, he pulled through
alter one of the most memorable strug
giles ever witnessed in the State, and as
Job says, "by the skin of his teeth" He
gave full and cordial support to Gree
ley, and did his whole duty bravely, so
as to deserve the gratitude of the Liber-
al friends of reform.
A month later Grant carried the State
by majority of 22,215, although he fell
2,129 behind the aggregate vote which
the Republicans had cast for Brown, their
candidate for Governor. This majority,
however, was no test of the relative
strength of the two parties, for the
Democratic falling off was 25.792. If
the vote given to Hendricks had been
polled for Greeley, he would have beaten
Grant S,277.
With the death of Greeley, these
causes of difference disappeared, and the
stragglers of 1872 fell into their old
places in line. The next contest was in
1874, when State officers, with the ex-
ception of Governor and Lieutenant
Governor, were chosen, as well as men,
hers of Congress. The candidates for
Secretary of State led the ticketon both
sides, as follows:
SECRETARY OF sTATE-1SH.
Dem Rep.
,15a Curry ..................1si,s ,sO2
Neff's majority, 17,252
These figures show that the Democrats
recovered Is, ,522 of the detection in the
Greeley campaign, and that the Repub-
licans disguised with Grantism stayed at
home to the number of q, ,245, as ccm-
pared with the Presidential election of
1872. In these two years both parties
were subjected to similar casualties, but
from different causes, and this coin
cidence in experience is quite excep-
tional.
On the Congressional vote of 1874, the
Democratic majority by districts aggre-
gated more than $4,000; so that the two
tests of that year, first by the popular
vote of the whole State, and secondly by
the Congressional districts added together
reveal a clear, positive, and large ma
iority for the Democrats. There is no
other substantial basis for estimating
present probabilities, except these votes
and the developments since then.
The question, then, simply is, has any
thing recently occurred, or is there any
thing in the condition of the country to
justify the expectation that this Demo
cratic majority will be overcome, and
that the Republicans will carry the
State? In answering it, we reject the
sanguine and exaggerated statements OF
both sides, and will seek to satisfy i'm
partial minds by the plain apd easily
understood facts.
Indiana is suffering a full proportion
of the general distress, in every depart.
ment of her varied industries. the
farmers, mechanics, merchants, laborers,
artisans, men of all pursuits, are pinched.
and know the wolf is at the door, gaunt
and hungry. They have seen the Re
publicans holding absolute control of the
government for sixteen years, and ending
this ascendency with a financial explo-
sion and ruin such as no former expe-
rience recalls.
No argument is required to convince
hungry men that they want bread. The
people of Indiana. like those of all the
other States, seek relief from their present
burdens, and they are not likely to go fol
help to those who imposed them. They
demand change of rulers, and they pro
pose to have it through the ballot box
as the first step to return to prosperity
and to reform in the government.
Mr.. Morton, who shapes the Republi
can canvass, casts aside with insultin.
Indifference all notice of the distres
which he and his party have caused, a
if it did not exist turns his back on tn
} corruption and frauds of the Administra
, tion, glorifes Grantism, and seeks to es
cape responsibility in the Chimes
fashion, by beating great gongs, fabri
eating outrages, and unfurling the blood.
shirt as a Republican banner. Hi
. candidate for Governor echoes the voic
of the prompter and stumps the Stat
r on this sim gle issue. No remedy 70
| admitted evils is proposed by them. N
g real reform is pretended. Nothing bu
violent appeal to sectional passion
r heard. The people ask for bread, an
r Morton gives them this stone. Does an
sane man believe, who realizes tn
l actual situation, that this sort of jug
glery can succeed in Indiana or any
where else this year? Public intelligenc
would be insulted by supposing
, possible when million of honest toilel