Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1876-10-11

The October states.
Est Louis Globe DemocratI
October elections are to be held in
Georgia, West Virginia, Ohio, In
diana, and Nebraska. The election
in Georgia will take place on the
first Wednesday in October, and as
the State will undoubtedly go DEM
oera.ic by considerable majority,
the canvass is ofno Importance what
ever, save to indicate In a feeble way
the methods that will be adopted by
the Southern Democracy in the more
serious contest to succeed the October
fight. Even for this purpose, how
ever, the Georgia canvass has lost
most of its significance, from the
plain declaration Of the Democratic
leaders in the various Southern
States that they intend 10 carry the
election for themselves, no matter
what means may be necessary to ac-
complish this end. The recourse al
ready had to force In moro than one
Southern State indicates that they
do not scruple to carry out their
threat, and so however anxiously,
under other circumstances, we might
observe the Georgia canvass, its in
terest is now mainly gone, and the
attention that would be directed 10 il
is concentrated elsewhere.
The contest in Nebraska ekcites
little more interest than that In
Georgia, but for the opposite reason.
Nebraska being as certainly Repub-
lican as Georgia is Democrat. In
1874, Nebraska elected Republican
Governor by majority of 1885,
while in 1872 the Republican MAORI
ty was 5,30T. The State in 1865, gave
majority for Grant of 4, 200, and in
1872 increased IL to 1857. Sd there
is no chance for the Democracy in
that quarter. West Virginia, too, is a
side State, and neither party attaches
much importance TO the struggle
there, as ever since West Virginia
was State 1t has voted the Repub-
lican ticketin every general election.
In 1864 the majority was I2,7i4; in
1868 it was $3.50, and in 1872 1t was
1854. Ii Ia true that Democratic
Governor was elected in 1874, but it
was by majority Of only 14s, which
In vote of $4,000, is very small
affair, the usual vote Of the State be-
ing over 60, 900.
Ohio has been virtually given up
to the Republicans, almost without
q struggle. The Ohioans are proud
of Gov. Hayes and OF the gallant
/ fight he made last fall for the Gov
ernorship, and considering the fact
that so many side Issues were drag
ged into the question by the Demo-
cratic speakers and writers OF the
State, the majority OF 3,5i9 which he
then received Is far greater victory
than would have been majority Of
| five times the number is an ordinary
canvass. In every general election
besides, Ohio is wonderfully strong
for Republlcanism, the smallest ma
jority she ever gave the party being
II, 1914, In 1860, the largest being So
$50 in 1864, and the last being 1881
In 1872. A State which has done
thus well in the past may surely be
trusted to do equally well in future.
To Indiana, therefore, we come,
and ut first glance it would almost
seem that the Democracy have some
grounds for the claim they lay to the
State. They have two or three times
recently elected their candidates to
the highest offices In the State, have
"A majority in the State Legislature,
and eight out of their thirteen Repre-
sentatives In Congress are Democrats.
But closer inspection shows that
the Governor and Secretary of State,
who have been elected on the Demo-
cratic ticket, made their races not SO
much on a political as on local plat
form, and that questions important
only to Indiana people entered so
largely into the canyasses that the
latter become utterly worthlessas in
dications of the strength of the two
great parties Of the country. Hen
bricks majority in 1872 was only
LAS, but so fur as Republicanism
and Democracy were concerned he
might just as well have had major
| ity of 10000 or $1,000, since those
were then subordinate questions. To
find the real political standing of the
State, we must turn to the record of
the general elections, when we dis
cover that Indiana Is on every occa-
sion persistently Republican. In
1860 the Republican majority was
quite large, but In 1864 il was in
creased to 20,lS0. In 1863 it declined
TO 9,568, hut in 1872 it came up to
22.5l5, higher figure than 1t had
ever before reached. This was the
year that Hendricks received his lit
, tie majority OF !, l4s, and the fact Of
so remarkable change In the vote
between October and November OF
that year should serve to make the
! Democrats exceedingly cautious in
/ their calculations.
An Indians Last shot.