New-York tribune., 1876-03-13


Just come of age. In some towns the committees do
not wait to be approached, but actually go from
house to house offering money and making contracts
wherever they can. 1t is a wonder that all decent
men in the State not disgusted with politics
as to stay away from elections but the abiding bit
terness of so many fierce contests in the past makes
almost every man who is not venal a zealot.
With the conditions under which the contest is
waged no Significance can properly be attached to
the result, and ID is absurd for the newspapers to
talk about waiting for the popular verdict in New
Hampshire on the eorrnptons OF the NATIONAL Adj
mnstraton OF on the revived spirit of the Southern
Confeteracy manifesting itself in the House of Rep
resentatves Popular verdict indeed With a
certainty that a part of the jury is bribed and
doubt only as to how many of them have taken
fee Look at the matter for q moment in common
sense light. Here are the two rival Central Com
mittees admitting that from 5000 to 10000 voters
will sell themselves next Tuesday TO the highest
bidder. Suppose the Republicans elect their Gov
emor by 1000 majority. AT the most moderate
calculation 5000 of their votes will be purchased
Where then is the popular rebuke on the tendencies
Of the Democracy Or suppose the Democrats buy
only 1000 votes they expect to purchase at least
1000 and come out 500 ahead. How ridiculous II
will be to talk about the condemnation OF the frauds
and venality unearthed at Washington. If we could
get the exact statistics of the number OF hoatwood
voters bought by each party and deduet them from
the total vote cast for its ticket might arrive ut
the true majority and get an indication of the drift
of popular sentiment, but human wisdom would not
suffice to penetrate the dark ways of New-Hamp-
shire politics far enough TO form even an spproxi-
mate estimate
Apart from the yenal influences everywhere eX-
erted the canvass is being conducted on discour-
agingly low plane. The Republicans are wallowing
in the slough of sectional hatred again, and are
down deeper in the mire than they were in 1872.
Their orators do nothing but infame the fears ana
prejndices that grew out of the war; Nothing better
was to be expected, perhaps, from such men as Mr.
Oplesby of Illinois and Mr.. Burrows Of Michigan;
but what are we to think when man OF Mr.. Gar
fields breadth of view tells the Union soldiers as he
did in this town last night to get ont the musket OF
1861 bring it to the shoulder look along the barrel
and say, "Old gun, how would you vote ihls,
then. is what the Republican party has
come to after eleven years of peace and
after all its professions of good will toward
the South, and of desire for complete and enduring
reconciliation to crown the Centennial anniversary
This is its statesmanship-to furbish up the rusty
weapons of the war, point them again in imagina-
ton at armed rebels and consult the feelings they
arouse as the guides for political actiOnl .And are
the Democrats any betterf They do nothing but
howl about fraud and corruption; they never put
forward men who inspire confidence, and whenever
they get a taste of power, whether in the State or
National Governments, their performances disgust
and alarm all right-thinking citizens.
There is one very noticeable thing in the canvass,
and that is the complete disappearance of the negro
question. No Ku-Kux stories are rehearsed by the
Republcans--the bloody shirt does not figure as an
"orlamme;' - the party orators and presses have
gone five years back of all the reconstruction issues
and appeal directly to the sectional prejudice OF the
North against the South All hopes of permanently
holding the Southern States by the cOlored vote are
abandoned those States will all pass into the hands
of the Democrats and the policy of the Republicans
is to withdraw to their strOngholds in the North,
force the Democracy into the attitude of Southern
party, which it occupied in the days OF Pierce and
over again-nOt on behalf of the negro, but to keep
the rebels from getting possession OF the Govern
ment assuming the Confederate debt, and pension
ing the Confederate soldiers.