The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1879-09-05

never one before that equalled the present
in glorious uncertainty. The political
antiquarian who attempts a resort to pre-
cedent finds himself at sea, and even the
ablest political navigators can get no con-
ISOLATION out of the compass. 1t is fight
in the dark.
CONDITIONS OF THE CONTEST.
This is owing to peculiar conditions
which have arisen during the past few
years. Certain elements have obtruded |
themselves into the later contest to dis
turb the calculations of the wise, The
first of these is what is styled the indie
pendents and has been factor IN Ohio
politics ever since the Liberal Republican
movement of 1872, It is fair to assume,
perhaps, that they are nearly all original
Republicans, who became disguised dur
ing Grants first term and whose disgust
was deepened during his second. Ii is
impossible to estimate their strength, II
the old party lines were unbroken IN
other ways the Independent vote would
perhaps be large enough to decide the
election, but under existing circumstances
it is but one of number of guerilla bodies
oil OF which will be more or less potent in
determining it. The Greenbackers, or
Nationals, are another uncertain element,
although not like the Independent scratch
ers, an unknown quantity. At the last
general election in this state the Green
back ticket polled upward of 3S, 900 votes.
The party is therefore tangible reality.
What are called the hard money Dem
ocrats are third source of doubt and per-
plexity These are the men who succeed
ed in defeating Allen when he ran against
Hayes in 1875, either by voting against
him or staying away from the polls. They
are the champions of the Thurman dynas-
ty, and have never heretofore been con
sidered favorable to the political aspira-
tions Of Mr.. Ewing. Their strength is
variously estimated at from ten to fifteen
thousand votes.
THE OUTLOOK.
The feeling of dread arising from this
state OF uncertainty not confined to either
party. The Republicans cannot conceal
or disguise the fact that the very existence
of doubt is favorable to the Democrats.
Ohio has never been a reliable Democratic
state. When the old Wing party was in
existence political honors aud emoluments
were about equally divided. II either
party could claim the asceudency is was
the Wings. Tom Corwin and the elder
ed to be almost perennial in their Office
holding capacity, and it was by coalition
with the Free Sellers in the legislature in
l94S, that the Democrats succeeded iu
electing Chase to the senate over the
Wing majority Later Ben Wade was sent
TO the senate by the Wings aud that party
generally had majority of the Ohio dele
cation in congress. At the gubernatora
election 10 1853 the Democrats elected
their candidate, but that was the last slip
ped in by the disaffectiou of the Indepen
dent vote from the Republican to a third
candidate. For twenty years there wal
an almost unbroken chain of Republican
victories in the state and FIVE times in sue
cession the Ohio electoral vote has beer
cast for the Republican presidential candi
dates.
The Democrats car. be beaten in Obi
without losing ground, but the Republican
cannot. Defeat for them here means al
involuntary abduction of rational suprema
cy, and that they realize this is evidenced
by the large majority they are claiming
for their candidate, Foster. Twenty thou
sand is the minimum, forty thousand tn
maximum. The best informed men o
both parties are willing to admit that tn
majority will not exceed 10000, and eithe
way will not probably reach that figure
but these wild estimates by Republican
Of recognized sagacty and prudence cal
hardly he called campaign clap trap
They remind one strongly Of the cowar
who whistles to keep w his courage
THE ISSUES.
When congress adjourned it was genel
ally understood that the issues that ha
rtg hn kun i
federal interference in elections would
the paramount issue in the Ohio electio
then attracting popular attention. 1t wa
presumed that upon that issue the demo
Gratis could make an appeal to the peopl
of the state that would not prove ipffectu
al il coupled with a platform demandin
certain measures of financial reliet tina
should be practicable and reasonable.
accordance with this programme the dem
ocrRtic state convention adopted O plat
form indorsing the action of the demo
cratic majority in congress in their effort
to secure free elections and demanding tn
substitution of treasury notes for nauoua
bank circulation aud the unlimited coinap
of silver. The issue between the partie
is as clearly and sharply defined on tn
question ofinanees as on that of elections
the Ohio republicans taking strong groun,
in opposition to the democratic idea. Mr.
Sherman has succeeded in precipitatiul
the financial issue into the canvass, and i
has become the paramount one, all other
being made subordinate. Gen. Ewing i
making brilliant canvass in support of thu
democratic platform, although he has neve
allowed himself or the party to be placed
on the defensive. He assumed the aggres
slve in the beginning and has never chang
ed his position, and although the question
OF free elections has not become the over
shadowing issue, simply because the Re
publlcans have refused to accept it, they
are too strongly committed to the anti
Republican idea of FEDERAL supervision Of
elections. to entirely escape the onerous
responsibility of the position. The Demo
Gratis are making good use of the weapons
placed in their hands by Hayes partisan
vetoes, and with telling effect The cleo
ton issue may have been subordinated
but II has not been obscuTed. The fact is
the financial issue was the sonly one upOI
which the Republicans could go before the
people. They dared not defend the parti
san administration vetoes Of the appropri
alton bills, and with a candidate whose
military record is embodied in a series o.
valiant charges with yard stick upon
bolt OF calico, in opposition to a SCARED
veteran, they dared not fsunt the bloody
shirt. 1t was Hobson's choice they made
THE INDEPENDENTS.
there is an old saying that if you scratch
Russian you will find Tartar. Elk
perlence during the past few years ha
proved that if you scratch an Independent
you will ind Republican. 1t has beer