The New York herald., 1876-10-30
Last Week OF the PRESIDENTIAL San-
vass-Look Out for stratsgems ana
ROOrbuckx.


comparing the two platforms and investi-
eating the candidates Nothing of any real
Importance is likely to be disclosed during
the brief remaining week. The citizens OF
the United States are as well prepared to
vote understandingly tomorrow they
will be tomorrow week, when the election
is to be held. Every legitimate topic has
been discussed and exhausted. There Is
nothing new to be said about either Cover
nor Tilden or Governor Hayes, and it is a
pity that the country cannot be spared tho
dregs of the canvass with which 1t Will be
nnuseated during the few remaining days.
The only safe inference that can be drawn
from these five months of partisan turmoil
and recrinination is that it is a neck-and-
neck race. The result is quite as doubtful
as it wns on the day when the canvass
opened. All the important electioneering
topics on both sides were exhausted
previous to the October elections.
Both parties had some hope and the
republican party a strong hope, that the
Presidential contest would be virtually de-
cided in October. The republicans pro-
fcssed undoubting confidence in their ability
to carry Indiana as well as Ohio, and both by
strong majorities. But when it was found
that they had lost Indiana and had barely
escaped defeat in Ohio their opponents took
courage, and they saw themselves that the
contest would be more close and doubtful
than any which has ever taken place in our
history. They also learned that some of the
electioneering topics on which they had
placed great reliance were futile and worth
less, especially the assaults they had made
on the personal character of Mr. Tilden
His income tax had been exploited weeks
and weeks before the October elections, and
the result showed that the accusations had
not the weight of a feather in the canvass
As they had no effect then, when the
charges were fresh, they are not
likely to influence voters now, when
the charges have become stale. The
same remark applies, though not to
the same extent, to the bloody shirt ISSUE
1t failed in Indiana, although Mr.. Morton
is the foremost standard bearer of the bloody
shirt. But where else can it be expected to
have much influence after it's conspicuous
failure in Senator Mortons own State ? The
fact that such weapons fell blunted and
harmless in the October elections impairs
republican confidence in their efficacy in
November. The October contest having
proved to be q drawn battle both parties
are left clinging to the ragged edge, and no.
body will be much surprised to see either
drop off into the abyss
1t is striking proof of the extreme un-
certainty of this Presidential election that
the Peter Cooper canvass rises into unex--
pected Importance as the campaign APP
proaches its close. Until within the last
week the rag baby nomination has been the
standing joke and laughing stock of the
Presidential campaign. People have looked
upon it with sense Of merrimcnt as the
crowd at circus looks at the clown, whose
awkward mimicry of other actors makes him
ridiculous. In the Presidential circus the
clown bids fair to be the most important
character. The chances are so even that a
few thousand votes may turn the scale, and
it is possible that Peter Cooper may elect
Hayes in 1876 as James G. Birney elected
Il
be as close between the two leading candi-
dates week from tomorrow as it was be-
tween Polk and Clay in 1914 there can be no
doubt that Mr. Cooper yill be the Warwick
of this canvass. A paltry five or six thou
sand additional votes for Clay in the State of
New York would have made him President
Birney took away from him three times as
I -
that Peter Cooper may do similar left
handed service to Governor Tilden. The
emergence of such possibility in the
closing days of the campaign shows how very
close this contest is in general estimation.
Every topic of argument or invective has
already been exhausted. No new light can
be shed on the character of either candidate
or the purposes of either party. But in so close
contest there is great temptation to manu-
facture "Roorbacks' on the eve Of the cleo
ton, because any unscrupulous trick which
might influence a few hundred or few
thousand votes might change the result.
The dexterous ingenuity of neither party
will be asleep in such crisis, and the coun-
try must prepare itself for startling and
astounding rumors at the end of this week
or the beginning Of next. We cannot pre-
tend to foresee what is coming, for it would
be necessary to descend to the level of cum
ming politicians of the baser sort to imagine
what they will invent. All we can say is that
citizens who have already made up their
minds how they will vote will act like idiots
if the Roorbacks of the closing days of the
canvass shall shake their determination.
Only one source of tremendous Roorback
is yet apparent, and that is the possible dis
closures of Tweed, who is expected to arrive
some time this week. 1t is suspected and
hoped by the republicans that he could