The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-11-13
The Ring victory in Pennsylvania.

Tho Republicans have again carried Penn
sylvania. Mr.lIuYr will be Governor, Mr.. Dos
CAMERON will be- reelected Senator, and the
Legislature and the State administration
will remain for yet another term under the
control Of the Treasury Ring and the Penn
sylvania Railroad.
The Democrats might easily have re-
deemed the State The road was broad and
plain before them, and marked and bazcd
70 conspicuously that it was mpossbleSor it
70 be missed 10y those who wanted to find it,
But they refused 10 take it. We cannot re-
si7t the conviction that the leaders, who in
this instance, as in SO many others in their
history, have led their party to disaster,
were willing TO incur, If they did not court,
the Waterloo defeat which has befalcn.
Popular sentiment in Pennsylvania was
overwhelmingly against the State Treasury
Ring, and the eXorbitant pretcnsions and
dospotic practices Of the railroad monopolics.
Recent events, including the riotous out
breaks oflast summer the labor movement,
the organization for self-protection in the
oil regions, the outcries OF cities like Pitts
burgh, which were being slowly ruined by
fatal freight determinations, were but so
many manifest testimonies to the depth,
strength, pervaslyeness, and permanence OF
this sentiment. II had also been expressed
even more soemnly a few years ago by the
enormous majority with which the new Con-
stitutiOn was adopted In spite Of the most
cunning and persistent opposition Of the
Ring and the railroads. That Constitution
was framed mainly TO restrain the corpora
tions and give the public relief from their
intolerablc expressions. But the corporations
simply spumed it, kicked it under their
tables, and hourshed their old charters in
the face Of the State, confident that with the
aid Of corrupt Legislature and servile
officials they could continue 10 harry and
plumber a before. That which was the SUI
prcmc law to all others in the State was no
law Of any kind to them. But the people de-
Manded the very life Of their trade and bust
ness required that II should be made law
e. them, and they would have lifted into
power any party that promised that all-im-
portant reform
Had the Democrats taken advantage Of
this existing public sentiment, confined to
no party lines and subject to no accident
OF the campaign, their victory would have
been certain and great. Had they but in
ecrbed their own tme-honored anti-mo-
nopoly principles on their banners, there
would not have been standing room in the
State for grcenbackers and labor agitators
IN separate organizations Had they merely
spread their sails to catch the hurricane
that blow their way, made platform de-
nJuncing the long continued and Infamous
robheries of tho Ring, and promising that
the railroad companies should DO required
to obey tho Constitution, they might have
gone to sleep, secure Of glorious victory.
with such platform, and llopKINs. MASH
SrENGER, jerks, or any other representative
name at the head of tho ticket there would
have been no end TO the Inajorities which
would have gone into the boxes for them.
But tho Ring and tho ruthless spectators
who guide the affairs Of tho Pennsylvania
Railroad saw their peril, aud pursued their
usual tactics. They determined to nomi-
nate the tickets of both parties. MI WAL
LACE, who represents Mr. ScoTr's railroad
In the United States Senate appeared at tho
Democratic Convention, with his lleuten-
ants, and, by the aid of tho usual appl-
Ahees where the interests Of the road are at