Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1876-11-03
The situation.

The reckless efforts of the rebel Democ-
racy to capture the Presidential office has
suffered decisive check. The nation is at
last awake to the alarming fact that the
thirteen late slave States are again the
masters of the Democratic party, with their
electoral vote largely increased by the abo-
lition of slavery. The leaders of the rebellion
since their defeat in the field have so far
destroyed the freedom of the ballot that
they entered the campaign claiming to hold
in their hands the whole of the 13S electoral
votes of the South; and they called upon
their northern allies to furnish AZ more to
make their assault upon the Presidency
successful From the beginning of the
campaign they have attempted to cover up
and evade the real issue. Adopting the
doctrine of hard money in the east and of
initiation in the west, they have shown
themselves willing to sacrifice the public
faith and the national finances to gain
control of the Government. Under the
mask of pretended reform they have at
tempted to cover up the reckless schemes
by which the Democratic House of Repre-
sentatives sought to strike down the laws
that marked the boundery between treason
and loyalty, and to open the National
Treasury to the greed of rebel claimants.
Their methods of conducting the campaign
have been, and still are, assassination and
intimidation of Republican voters in the
South, and assassination of character in
the North. Behind all their pretensions
has been seen their relentless hostility to
to the amendments of the Constitution,
and to the laws enacted to settle the great
questions Of the war by making the Union,
freedom, and equal rights permanent ele-
ments of our national life. Every inch of
the ground they have fought with despera-
ton, and with more reckless and corrupt
use of money than was ever before known
in American politics. But the assailants
have everywhere lost ground. From States
in which elections have already been held
the reply has come in language which can
not be mistaken. In Vermont the Repub-
licans elected their ticket by majority of
$4,000, gain over last years vote over To-
O00 In Maine the majority was $4,000,
gain of about $4,000 over the last years
vote. In New Jersey and Connecticut,
though the elections were for township Off
GERS only, the Republican gains were no
less marked. Colorado, the latest born of
the Union, overcoming a Democratic ma
jority of 2, 800, has presented, as her first
offering to the nation, Republican State
Government, two Republican Senators,
and a Republican Representative in the
Forty-fifth Congress, with a guarantee Of
three electoral votes for Hayes and Wheeler.
In Ohio the Republicans have nearly .doub-
led the majority of last year, and have
gained five members of Congress. In lndi
ana they haYe won from the Democracy
four members of Congress, and gained TO-
600 on the last majority, making it com
paEatively easy for us to carry that State IN
November. These elections have cleared
the sky. and have so disclosed the aspects
of the field that we can now see the strength
of the opposing forces, and determine at
what points the final victory will be won.
The people have discovered the treacher
Gus and corrupt designs of the reb-
el Democracy, and are rallying again to
save the fruits Of the great victory over the
rebellion by sustaining the party which
was true to the Union in its supreme hour
of peril, and which is still the guardian of
its honor and peace. 1t is now evident
that no great Northern State will obey this
rebel call for volunteers. But still the
contest is close and dangerous. There
must be no pause, no rest, no abatement
of effort until our victory is assured. The
field of decisive, final conflict is the State
of New York. The heart Of that great
Commonwealth is still true to the Union;
but for more than twenty-five years its
chief city has been a prey to the corrupt
and measureless rapacity of the Democrat
ie party. There treason found its chief
Northern refuge during the war. There
the fountains of political power have long
been corrupted by frauds which have made
the ballot in New York city mockery and
a delusion. The Democratic candidate for
the Presidency was for many years the
leader of the worst political elements of
that city. All that practiced cunning and
malign skill can do to stile the voice Of
the Empire State will be done by the De-
moeracy of New York City. The triumyi-
rate of reckless political gamblers who now
rule its government will vie with their
rebel masters in counting out victory
which they cannot win by honest votes.
But the people animated by the same spir-
it which has saved the nation in so many
hours of danger, will devote the remain
ing days of the contest to the work Of saw
ing their country from the new danger that
assaiIs it. and will make the Centennial
wear memorable for the final triumph of
the Union over the party of treason and
obstruction. Washington Republican.