Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1879-11-28

sTAUNTON. VA.
FRIDAY MORNING. NOV. %. 1879.
THE PRESIDENTIAL FIELD.
The Presidential field has greatly mar
rowed in the last few weeks and while
there may be different opinions about who
are to carry it. there is no difference about
the points to be carried. The Democratic
party next year will need but two States
to elect its President and those are New
York and Indiana. Of these two the last
may be counted on with tOlerable certain
ity-the critical point for both parties is
the State of New York with its thirty-five
electoral votes. at the election for Gov
ernor this month, there was split in the
Democracy brought about by Samuel j.
Tilden and John Kelley which resulted in
the former getting his favorite, Lucius J.
Robinson nominated for the governorship,
and the latter boiling and carrying some
sixty thousand Democrats with him there
by securing the election Of Cornell, the Re-
publican candidate, by some forty thous-
and plurality. The rest of the State ticket,
leaving the Governor off, was however
supported by Kelly ana his adherents
and one or two Democrats it elected.
The Democratic candidate for 1t. Cover
nor, Clarkson N. Potter, was among the
defeated, though it was by a very small
vote, not over one thousand in a vote of
several hundred thousand. 1t was charged
that the returns, which we're not received
withheld and doctored by the Republicans
though while the suspicious circumstance
was never cleared up, the charge was not
made good. The New York s'Times." a
Republican journal, in reviewing the cir
cumstances attending this election and the
vote cast makes the admission that ''New
York is Democratic State.'' In looking
forward to her vote next year however, it
is well to bear in mind that Cornell, the
Republican candidate, did not poll the
vote that the rest Of his ticket did, being
regarded as the nominee of machine con-
vention at the lever of which stood Sena-
tor Conkling. s.s
Altogether, New York. for next year
may be set down by both parties as State
that must be kept in mind In selecting a
Presidential nominee. On the Democratic
side Mr.. Bayard of Delaware sprang sud-
denly into prominence as hard money
man after the Democratic soft money dis
aster which retired Mr.. Thurman in Ohio
This prominence attracted cold and BUSH
ness like inspection which brought o ut the
fact that while he is popular with the De-
mocracy of the country, he is viewed at
the North in the light of a '.Southern SYM
pathizer,'' an attitude which the stalwart
Republicans Of New York would not fail
to make sufficiently obnoxious. Next has
been brought out the name of Gov. Sey-
mour of New York, an acceptable man to
the Democracy of the country at large and
so acceptable to the party in his State,
that, even before the resurrection of the
National Democratic party, he ran against
Grant in 1868 and carried New York,
New Jersey and Delaware against him.
He is man of advanced age but firm and
clear mind.
In the Republican party the situation
stands the same with regard to New York.
Without it the election is lost. While each
of the two prominent candidates Sherman
and Blaine are putting in work wherever
they have an pportunity-there is great
shadow in the air which disheartens and
keeps their friends in suspense. 1t is the
shadow of Grant who will neither say yes
nor no and whose friends are busily en-
gagged in assuring the country that he will
say yes if it is offered. This peculiar posi-
tion of affairs completely paralyzes the
Southern Republican press, and greatly
damages the booms which would other
wise find tongue in the Northern Republic
can press so that their conductors find a
more safe and agreeable occupation in
naming candidates for the Democracy.
We have hardly thought it necessary to
allude to the folly. if indeed there be not a
touch of insanity about it, that is now
going the round of the press about the
South taking up Grant. There is no such
feeling anywhere in the South, where
Grant is remembered as cold, merclless,
unquestjoning executor Of the will of the
Republican party-nothing more. There
are but two things to which the South as
a section looks to restore her to the true
brotherhood and confidence of the North
Time and the Democratic party. Any
movement" or feeling or sentiment"
in any other direction represented as exist
ing among her people is miserable and
unmanly piece of hypoericy.
It may be true that nobody in the State
of Virginia wants to repudiate the debt,
but it is just as true that if the promises
of the Afiliation party could be carried
out the State must repudiate. They say
that she can't pay three per cent. ,aoao.
Then they promise to repeal the prepay
ment of the capitatiOn tax, to reduce the