Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1878-10-11
The Election in Buchanan County.


The election in this county, though
contested with great earnestness and ac-
tivity by the friends of the several can
didates, passed off without jar or the
manifestation of bitter feeling at the
polls. The canvass has been one of un-
usual thoroughness, and the result was
manifest in the very large vote brought
out, which will reach nearly, if not
quite, $500 votes The result on the
State ticket and county Offices is not
just what the Republicans worked and
hoped for, but, under the circumstan-
ces, they have cause to be gratified that
it is no worse than it is. 1t is defeat
of which they have no cause to be
ashamed, and over which their enemies
have no cause for congratulation, from
a party point of view. They were over
powered by combination of elements
naturally antagonistic and divergent,
habitually contemptuous of each other,
but temporarily brought together by an
overmastering thirst for spoils. This
combination was only cohesive on the
point of plumber, and may naturally be
expected to quarrel when the time
comes for the division of the booty.
This conglomerate of hard money Dem
ocrats and Fiat enthusiasts was too
much for the Republican party of this
county, standing as it did on it's princi-
pies, and neither seeking or accepting ALI
ance with any faction not in sympathy
with those principles. 1t failed to cast
it's usual majority for the candidates on
the Republican State ticket, and its
candidates for Clerk and Recorder are
defeated by insignificant majorities, but
the record of the election develops in it
no signs of weakness or disintegration.
In but one township in the county is
there any appreciate falling off of the
Republican strength, and in the county
at large the percentage of Republican
increase is parallel with the increase of
the total vote. In every case where its
confederated antagonists failed, from
any cause, to pool their issues, and were
compelled to stand on their own party
foundation, the Republican party was
triumphant 1t is not dismayed by this
inroad of banded mercenaries, but feels
itself stronger for the conflict, and as
ready to battle for right principles as
ever before
But to the record of the election.
We give in another place table of the
returns from the several townships, so
far as we have received them. In ex
PLANTATION of the blank spaces therein,
we can only say, that we have usually
found it much easier to obtain election
news from Maine or Florida than some
of the townships in our own county.
From returns already in, and careful es
innate of those not reported, we judge
that the Republican vote of the county
on State offices is 1850, and the Fusion
vote 1900, making $50 majority for the
latter.
The vote of the county on Congress
man will not vary much from the fol-
lowing figures: Updegraff l 800, ODon-
nell 800, Spangler LOO Updegraff's
majority over O'Donnell 700, over
Spangler 400.
The majorities for the Republican
candidates on the judicial ticket will be
about 275
Messrs Smith and Hollett, the Repub
lican candidates for Clerk and Record
err, were beaten about Is votes each.
Some of the means employed to accom-
plish this result, especially in this city,
were disgraceful, and reflect no credit
upon the men who employed them.
Our candidates could not have been de-
feated in fair contest.
We have but few figures of the vote
on County Supervisors, bnt enough to
indicate the election of every one of
the Republican nominees. Owing to
the unreasonable (?) obstinacy Of some
of the Democratic nominees, who re-
fused to be kicked off the ticket by
few corrupt plotters, a fusion was found
impracticable, and so there were three
tickets in the field.