The Portland daily press., 1879-11-18
NEW YoRK. Nov. 18th, 1879.

NEW YORK, Nov. 18th, 1879.
The outcome of the election is at length def
nitely ascertained. The Republicans made
clean sweep with the exception of one name
on the State ticket. Soule was bowled out
partly because he had an exceptionally strong
competitor, and partly because the fangs of ac-
cusation seized upon him.
The scratchers, boilers, strikers and fag ends
of all parties who opened an anti-Republican
side-show at the outset of the canvass, have
taken account of stock and made an inventory
of their effects. They reckon their assets
thus: 81 Rep. State Engineer beaten" 1t is
not great achievement. Without their help
the Democrats hitherto have managed to elect
all their State officers for five years out OF the
last six. The new combination has hardly
paid expenses and have grave doubts wheth-
er the Democrats will consider it worth keep
ing up This branch of the opposition asserts
itself as numbering $4,000 voters. Well, sup
pose it does? The figures are no doubt, exag-
gerated, but taking them at their own esti-
mate, what do they amount to? Enough for
mischief, they claim, and that is unfortunately
true, because an organization exposed to the
perils of treachery from within has to guard
hand, how absurd it would be to endeavor to
pacify these discontented people by complying
with their demands. Even if it were conceded
for the sake of the argument that they are
honest, well-meaning people-that they are ac-
tuated by good motives in pursuing tho course
they dot would still be political blunder to
yield to their demands. For the matter of
that, L don't regard them all as hopelessly de-
pravcd. Some of them, of course, are intense
ly splenetic and spiteful more of them are
simply beguiled by the cant phrases of which
the vocabulary of the pretenders of reform are
prolific; and there are good many in the set
no doubt who are Democrats in sympathy and
feeling, but imagine they can do more effective
service for the party they affect, by keeping
inside the Republican camp, just on the edge
of the border line, than by going clear over to
the enemy There are all varieties of human
nature in party of politicians, whether it be
large or small, though, as Il general rule, boast
fulness of superior virtue is too often an indi-
cation of the lack of any virtue at all.
But, presuming these delicate and sensitive
creatures to be not merely as good but actually
better than their felowmen, if it be possible to
stretch credulty to such an extreme length
there is still no earthly reason why their dicta-
ton should be submitted to- There are in round
numbers half million straight and true Re-
publicans in the State of New York. Ii l5,OO0
semi-occasional supporters of the party annual
ly assume threatening attitude and say to the
half million, 'Unless you nominate candidates
that suit us we will bolt, the majority must sac
rice their self Prospect if they do not absolutely
refuse to listen for a moment to such insolent
propositions. If the leaders could by any pos
sibilty be terrorized into so cowardly surren-
der the rank and file would not ratify the
terms of the capitulation. When the odds are
| 81 to rudent politicians are not so dull of
apprehension as to fail to see what tremen-
dous disproportion there is between their risk
| of loss and their chance of gain.
Now this was precisely our position this year.
The factionists started in early and decl in
| very offensive terms that If Mr.. Cornell was
nominated they would try to defeat him.
"What is your objection to him.? was the
mild response; "isn't he a gentleman OF unlm-
peachable character and excellent attain
| ments?" well, we have nothing to say about
| that we don't like him; you must put up some