St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1878-11-15
The National Result.

the country on Tuesday rises almost to
the pitch of revolution, taking into
account the October results also, which
were not nearly so favorable to that
party. The republicans have gained
four congressman in New England,
seven in New York and two in New
Jersey, and swept the Pennsylvania and
New York Legislatures by heavy ma
jorities. Dividing the vote of Califor-
MIA evenly, as it now stands California
not electing till next Year,, giving Flor
ida and Nevada to the democrats, and
giving them four of the five greenback-
ers BRAD Barlow being republican,,
the next House will stand 100 republic
ans to 1913 democrats. The democrats
will in all probability have eight ma
iority in the Senate. The detection of
Connecticut and New Jersey leaves the
democrats just a majority of the states
in the House of Representatives, not
counting California. These results are
perhaps of even less importance than
the magnitude solidarity of the repub-
lican vote throughout all the states.
Maine has proved a most unreliable
barometer of national feeling, and in
stead of the two old parties melting into
greenbackism and general dissolution,
we see everywhere general and grand
rally to the republican standard, carry
ing good and bad into Office under the
old party of national hope and ad-
vancement.
This change is due to various causes.
In the first place, the October elections
showed that the Maine greenbackism
was a mere local Outburst against a too
strict party domination. The result in
Ohio indicated very clearly that the
financial craze had fallen with the pre-
MUM on gold to considerably less than
one-half per cent. 1t had no attraction
as a popular cry. The appearance OF
Butler in Massachusetts added still
deeper discredit to the financial issue,
and it lost the power to draw votes from
the republican ranks. On the other
hand, two causes have been at work to
make republican voters since the Maine
canvass, the publication of the cipher
dispatches deeply duplicating the late
democratic candidate for president, and
the course of the South Crolina and
Louisiana bourbons, in resOrting to VIC
lence and intimidation of the colOred
vote. Mr.. Tilden, to be sure, was moi
up for vindicatiOn but thousands OF
independents, who voted for him in
1876, have gone back in disgust since
the revelations of the very close prox.
unity of his household to bribery dur,
ing the presidential count.
The effect of the southern disturb.
ances could not but he damaging to the
democratic party mt the North. The
South has recovered to its old place in
the Union on the understanding that
the colored people should not be dis
turbed in theiI civil and political rights
Cows. Hampton and Nichols have
deeply pledged themselves to this poll.
cy. Yet so far as is visible to the
North, neither of them has taken meas.
ures to prevent violence, punish out
rage or vindicate the equality of the
races. This is not what the North had
been led to expect. What has happen.
ed does not impugn the wisdom of Pres,
ident Hayes's southern policy, or ne.
cessitate its reversal, or in fact open
the way for any federal interference
except the peaceable enforcement OF
the laws of Congress-, but it does moi
satisfy the North. On the contrary il
occasions deep distrust, and that dis
trust finds natural expression in repos,
ing power in the hands of those who
fought rebellion rather than of those
who fought the Union. The South ha,
only to let the colored man alone in
his rights to see the sectional question
expire. 1t has only to bulldOze hin
with violence to give it new life. II
will probably take the tuition of long
years of voting, of popular education
of the vindication of civil rights by the
courts, and of the elevation of popular
morals in every way, to secure the col
Ored voter in South Carolina the immu,
nifty he enjoys in Massachusetts. 1t is
a matter of slow political advancement
fostered and encouraged by national
influence, rather than one of 'tsolid'
sections and bayonets, but the North
will not condone it.
As The Republican has steadily
maintained, the financial issue, over
which such an alarm has been raised
proves to have had very little strength
in the country. AS We have said before
it would be a strange commentary OF
the self-governing capacity of the
American people, if they turned back
within ] per cent. of the resumption Of
specie payments to indorse any scheme
of unlimited or irredeemable paper
currency. The financial bugaboo was
about on par with the "desire fol-
change" which does not seem to have
existed anywhere except where state
maladministration had given it pretty
good basis in reason.-Springtield Re
publican.
/ L Doko