The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1877-11-24
THE SENATORIAL CONTEST.
Bulldozinx Southern Senat0rs-Patter-
SON and Conover Seeking to Defen d
Their Treachery.

NEW YORK, Nov. 23.-Tne World editorially
ascrIbes the defeat of the Republicans yesterday
10 the Senate TO the unWisdom of Messrs
Conklng and Edmunds, bringing upon their
party prematurely that which would soon be
inevitable. 1t says: "Of course it is as silly
as scandalous to impute to Democratic Sen
ators, who have now been clothed with victory
only little while before their time, any scrt of
coalition or alliance with Senators from South
Carolina and from FLORIDA, in whose loyal dis
loyalty to the states they have been encouraged
to misrepresent, the Republicans of the Sep ate
have hitherto successfully relied, instead of
charging CoD0ver and Patterson with belonging
to the Republican party. Republicans like
Senator ConklIDg and Senator Edmunds will
do well to take lesson from them in political
common sense. Whatever their past conduct
may have been they have put themselves DOW
in the attitude of bending before the unques-
tionable will of vast majority of the Ameri-
can people, and of voting as nine out of ten of
the most intelligent and right. minded Republi-
can citizens Of the North ought to vote. If
they expect private advantages to accrue to
themselves from voting thus, what right have
men like Senator Conklng and Senator Ed
munds to quarrel with them on that score? Is
IL new thing under the sun then for a Garnet
bagglng Southern Senator to bs governed by
such considerations? The significance of yes.
terday's Democratic victory in the Senate is
not that it assures Democratic control of that
body, for this it does not do. 1t is that it re-
yeals the hopeless disorganzation of the
republicans in that body, and the utter in
capacity OF the Republican leaders there to
understand the temper of our times, or mea-
sure the DRIFT OF events in this nation
Inc Herald says that by parliamentary tao
tics the Republican Senators NAV he a6le IN
fight Oft a decisive vote on Butle,'s case urtlI
Sharon's arrival, but otherwise the Democrats
have a hopeful chance of getting control of tho
Senate and putting President Hayes in the nm
comfortable position of having both branches
of Congress in opposition. 1t is possible the
Republican Senators may get out of this men,
aclng difficulty by the arrival of Mr.. Sharon or
by some dexterous coup de main, but the fact
that they are in such extreme danger demon
strates the mutablity of political power How
are the mighty fallen! 1t is but few years
since the Republican party was omnipotent 10
every department of the government but now
having lost the House it is doubtful whether
the PRESIDENT will not be dependent on a Demo-
cratic majority in the Senate for Confirming
his appointments
The Times says Conoyers motive in vo,in,
with the Democrats has not been CLEARLY nnda,,
stood, but may be explained by stats ment on
the authority of prominent Democrat in
Baltimore, who stated some time ago that the
Democrats had made certain discoveries with
regard to Conover's action as Treasurer in
Florida under Gov. Reed, and they held the
same power over him which they held over
patterson, and that he and Patterson We uld
Certainly vote with the Democrats when their
votes were needed. This boast was made some
time ago.