The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1878-10-26
The Situation TODAY.

The past few weeks have made a
very great difference in the prospect
OF parties and candidates. To realize
this, we have only to recall the stu
alton which Immediately followed
the Maine election. by almost ev-
cry one the complete overthrow of
the Republican party was assumed
as foregone conclusion. The few
who still hoped were those who ill.,
sisted that Grant could be elected,
but no other Republican, and that
his election would become national
necessity to save the country from
reputation and Communism. 1t is
very significant that we hear no more
of such representations. At the
time named, the Greenback party
Fseefffedsto be 'FHe coming thing &c
had swallowed Democracy in Maine,
and broken up Democracy in Massa-
chuSetts, drawing off in each State
some former Republican votes. AT
the West, and in Pennsylvania, its
ideas had been far more prevalent
than in Massachusetts or Maine.
Men who were least alarmed at its
growth, believing that the repudiat-
ing and cOmmuniStIc tendency in
this country could never afford to be
permanently unmasked, but must
seek in the long run under some dis
guise that success which it could
hope to gain in its naked deformity
only in some localities and in a tenn
porary emergency, nevertheless fear
ed that it might for a time sweep
everything before it at the West, and
gain enough strength and prestige to
do serious mischief in Congress this
Winter. But the October elections
haye completely changed the pros
pect.
The Greenback party has not only
been beaten at the West; it has be-
gun to run down hill. Its vote in
Ohio is now reported at less than
10000, or one:wentieth of the total
vote. In Indiana, it made no serious
difference with the relative strength
of other parties. an Iowa, it barely
succeeded in two Congressional dis
tricts, but there, as everywhere else,
succeeded only by selling itself who'll
ly to the DemOcratS-a sort Of success
which is sure to deprive it of all for
mer Republican votes hereafter. In
brief, the verdict of the West, where
the reputation and COmmuni- tic
tendency is strongest, is that nobody
can W, mt party to go further in that
direction than the Democratic party
goes. Hence the Greenback move
ment can only serve to smash up the
Democratic party at the East, where
that tendency finds no sufficient eX-
preston. But no sane person sup
poses that it can carry Eastern States,
and the proof that it is impotent at
the West, where the Democratic par
ty abundantly represents its purpose
put an end to its chance of perma-
nence. 1t has been very useful. 1t
has served to make the Republican
party more united and outspOken
than ever for sound principles and for
public faith. 1t has helped, and will
help, to make the Democratic party
more plainly and exclusively the par
ty of Communists and repudiators.
But the elections have also proved
that the Communists and repudiators
cannot carry Ohio, nor any other
Western State except Indiana. The
result in Ohio already moves lead
ing Democrats elsewhere to observe
that illicit intercourse with soft mon
ey and reputation means certain de-
feat to Democracy in 1880. If that
party on such platform is sure to be
beaten in Ohio, and must come east
ward with not a single electoral vote
save those Of Indiana, no Democrat
| is so blind as not to see that the
chance of carrying New York, New
Jersey and Connecticut, will be inn
measurably diminished by the adop-
ton of the notions of repudiatOrS.
With Mr.. Thurman, who sold his
convictions for mess of pottage, and
then saw the pottage spilled on the
ground before he could even taste OF
it. or with Mr.. Hendricks as its can.
didate, the Democratic party cau
now foresee sure defeat in Ohio, and
also sure defeat in New York. The
"Ohio ideer and the Indiana lunacy
share the same fate. Democratic pol.
iticians, if they are shrewd, will not
dare to court defeat by openly adopt
ing either.
These events would naturally have
given tremendous impetus to the
candidacy Of Mr.. Tilden, save for the
exposure OF his doings in 1876. Blu
that exposure puts on end to Mr.
Tilden's chances. If he were ricl
| anOuph and willing pnOuph IN triv,