The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1877-11-15
From the Cincinnati Gazette.l
The Elections on Tuesday

/ 1 ne electlOns nelu on lueSuay IN new
York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Con,
necticut, and Massachusetts, have not
been a surprise to the politicians. The
result in Ohio had prepared the public
/ mind for Republican reyerses, and even
/ If Massachusetts, had gone Democratic il
would not have caused great astonish
ment
There are those. of course, who will at.
| tribute the Republican losses to what the
/ President has done--that is to say, to his
so called policy. but this is not an alto
| gether correct conclusion. In New York
New jersey, and Connecticut, for exam
| pie, which voted for Tilden in 1876, the
| Democrats lost ground, while in Massa-
chusetts the Republicans held their own
relatively, and lost heavily only in Penn
sylvania. 1t is true the President has
not held his party together that there
are serious divisions in the ranks, and
there has been, as a result heavy fall
ing off in the aggregate vote in almost
every State, with labor tickets, prohibi
tion tickets, greenback tickets, and all
that sort OF thing In no State carried
by the Democrats is the vote near so
large as that east for Tilden, nor did the
Republicans in any State poll near so
many votes as were cast for Hayes in
either party was united. Nor did the
voters divide upon party lines. There
was general decentralization, and as a re.
suit a want of interest, which told in IA
yor of the Democratic party. because the
latter poll larger percentage OF votes,
under such circumstances, than Republi.
cans. There is nothing in the result,
therefore, to determine the future of the
two great parties when they shall be uni
ted, and when issues shall be presented
that will bring out full vote.
The off year should have been in favor
of the party that carried the Presidential
elect 'on-ihat is to say, in favor of the
Republican party, but it has been against
that party. 1t is plain, therefore, that
the President has not carried his party
with him that instead Of consolidating
and strengthening it, he has divided and
weakened it. From this it is fair to in.
fer that the party in full does not ap-
prove Of the methods adopted at the
South, and that it is not up to the high
standard of civil service that has been
proclaimed The Democrats, North and
South, indorsed the Southern methods,
but they took care to vote the Democrat
ic ticket, aud thus leave the President in
a minority. If we are to Judge by the
votes cast, the President is condemned.
and the party that elected him is defeat
ed The South has good words for the
President, but nothing more. Substan-
tial measures of reconciliation are ac-
cepted as a right, and are one sided -
The President is praised when he ap-
points Democrats or Independents to
office, but the men who thus praise him
take care to vote against him. Republi-
cans see this. and are dissatisfied, and OF
this dissatisfaction Democrats take adj
vantage. Hence, the South is more solid
than in. 1876. In Mississippi where, on a
fair vote, there is Republican majority.
Republicans withdrew from the contest.
On the other hand, by reason Of Repub
lican dissatisfaction, the Democrats are
making progress toward a solid North
They have gained the Presidents own
State, Ohio, and also the great State OF
Pennsylvania, and have held New York
and New Jersey. They have done this,
it is true, not by majority of the voters,
but at the same time they controlled
more votes than the Republicans were
able to get to the polls
In this state Of the case great respOn
sibility rests upon the President-the
responsibility OF reuniting and strength
ening his own party. He can not undo
what has been done at the South. 1t
would not be policy to do so if he could
That is settled 1t must stand. Neither
can he afford to turn his back upon real
civil service reform. That would not re-
unite or strengthen the Republican party;
but he can afford while refusing to per
NIT the patronage to be debauched, to
fill the offices with reliable and capable
men-to so fill them as to strengthen the
party that elected him, and to which he
must look for support. The civil service
| order about which so much has been
said was misinterpreted by men who
sought an excuse for Withholding their
aid in conducting the campaign. An Of
/ ficer of the government is not less a citi-
zen because he is an officer, and what it
/ is proper for a citizen to do it is proper
for an officer to do. 1t is not proper for
a citizen to pack primary meetings or
conventions; neither is il proper for an
officer to do it; but it is proper, and it is
the duty, OF citizens to use all legitimate
means to secure the success of a party,
the principles of which they endorse !;
and this it is the privilege and duty of
officers to do In no other way can a
party be sustained. There is nothing in
this inconsistent with honest nd eff
cient civil service. To impose upon Of
icers the position Of dummies is absurd.
furthermore, the party in power should
have its friends in office. not its enemies
or lukewarm supporters. Other things
being equal, friends should always be pre-.
ferred. This is practicable; it is essen
tial and il is legitimate under our system
{ ofsustaining parties We have not reach
ed that plane, nor are we likely to attain
to it, where party allegiance can be ig