Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1878-11-13
Our Washington Letter.



Mes9s. Editors The great political battle has
been fought and the victory won. The result
proves conclusivey that the old parties still live
and that the attempt to obliterato all issues OF
the past and erect upon the ruins new combipa-
ton party Is failure. A comprehensive view
OF the field
AFTER THE BATTLE
shows the greenback party weaker than ever
and lesser factor in the fight than the most
sanguine OF hard money men could have deemed
possible. It is IA settled fact, which the demo-
cratic party should bear in mind, that as long as
the South maintains Its present arrogant solid
front, Its strength among the liberal element at
the North will weaken, and IA this issue continues
the Republican party will grow In power Any
side issue, such as the financial question, is
thrown into the shade, and the old party lines
will still remain The Northern people have had
enough OF sectionaiism, and, as was shown two
years ago, they were just as earnest in their re-
buke OF the Republican party when it undertook
to trade upon the misfortnnes Of the South and
thereby create sectional hatred against It, AZ they
are now ready TO warn the democratic party
from its encouragement of solid South--a con-
dition OF affairs that can only be maintained by
what Is known as the shotgun policy and an ut
ter defiance OF the laws which guarantee a free
exercise Of an independent use Of the ballot A
party that will give encouragement to combina-
ton having such an object in view is sure to
weaken public confidence and work to the mate
rial and political injury Of the section that en-
braces 1t. For one section Of the country to con-
sOlidate politically against the other Is as much
rebellion as II it were arrayed in deadly conflict
When 1t is known that this consolidation Is virtu-
ally defiance of the loyal sentiment Of the coun-
try, there can be but one conclusion arrived at
that any party that will encourage such a course
Is unsafe to trust, and that is just what the North
Is gradually beginning to understand
There is much cause to fear that the old South
ern issue will again arise and dwarf every other
Parties are not divided upon conviction, "a much
they ought to be for the good of the country but
too much upon expediency and resentment The
class of Republicans which Grant and Conkng
and Blaine represent care no more for equal
rights than does that more liberal class to whic h
Evarts and Curtis and Blaine belong but they
hate the Southerner more. Unfortunately, too,
they represent the great bulk of the Republican
party, and not improbably it will whip in the
other wing and be the old melancholy picture Of
civil strife may be reproduced before u.s. This
feeling, rising more fercely as the Presidential
election approaches, will make General Grant the
candidate. A great responsibility rests on men
like Wade Hampton, Governor Nichols and Henry
Watterson. 1t Is to be hoped they will feel and
appreciate 1t, but the recent elections in South
Carolina, Louisiana and other Republican states
In the South gives but little encouragement that
any change for the better can be looked for
The result of Tuesday shows
THE OUTLOOK FOR 1880
to be full Of encouragement for the Republican
party. The states that have a majority of the
electoral votes are carried by the Republicans,
and with such results that we may expect a SINH
lar victory for the Presidential election. Conced-
ing to the democrats the united electoral vote of
the sixteen Southern States, and they have but
one hundred and thrty-six votes to start with.
Give them the forty-two additional votes of Con-
ecticut, New Jersey, Indiana, Oregon, Nevada and
California, and they would then fall short OF the
required number by seven. Taking Tuesday $
elections as a basis, and Connecticut and New
Jersey would properly belong to the Republican
column. New York is pretty sure to be classed
in the same line. The Republican party may,
therefore, laugh to scorn the threats of n solid
South in 1880, even granting the aid of respect
able number of Northern Bourbons. Nothing
but blinded insanity on the part of the Repub-
lican party can, in our opinion defeat it in the
next Presidential contest. The possibility of
THE NEXT HOUSE
being called upon to elect President grows more
remote as the smoke gradually clears away from
the battlefield of Tuesday last The threatened
third party is little better than myth, its prin.
t,saI H. H..
set of his race for the prize in 1880 The old
parties still control affairs, and no state is at all
apt to cast Its eectozal vote for any third cand.
date who may be putt on a national, greenbac;
or workingmen's platform. As the stands
however, the prospect now is that even should
the House be called upon to elect President ii
would be found impossible to respond, from the
fact that the state delegations would be equally
divided between the Republican and democratic
parties. As California does not hold her election
until September next, true standing of the states
in the next House cannot be given now, but un.
less California should elect Congressman a ma.
jority of whom were democrats it would be a
deadlock on the House as far as electng IA Presi.
dent is concerned The democrats have already
| secured nineteen state delegations, and the Re
| publicans have eighteen, with California to de-
eide the question in 10 Her present delegation
is a tie, and the Republicans believe that they
are hound to hold their own n not Gain one n,
the next election This Il the situation of the
states in the next House voting as units Az "a
the relative STRENGTH of thu ditferen nartios I, 4.
seen that the democrats have lost instead OF
gained in their representation and control of tho
lower House. OF the members TINS far elected
the democrats have one hundred and 6ftv Ra.
publicans one hundred and tbirtv.tvo creen.
hackers eleven OF these preenbackers seven ara
democrats and four Renublicans and ,bev vii,
currency. II il believed that there will he n
greenback majority. ON the more conservative
Vreenback issues. of eigbtv-6ve If will he road.
ily seen that the democracy outsde Of the nam.
beers elected ON the ereenback i.sue have a yerv
small majority and in tho or,,aui,,,;or -, no
House will mead the helm of others ~ retain con-
300, mi H. lii "a ,.,, =, -