The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-11-04
End Of a Remarkabie Canvass.

| gular ana extraordinary IN the history VI
the State. Even if national issues and
Presidential prospects had been in no way
involved. this election, merely as State
contest would have been of unprecedented
interest. For the first time in our annals
all the State officers from the Governor
down are to be chosen in the same election.
This is consequence of recent amendments
of the State constitution. Formerly the
Governor and Lieutenant Governor were
elected every second year the Secretary OF
State, Comptroller, Attorney General, state
Engineer and Treasurer in the intermediate
second years one of the three Canal COM
missioners and one of the three Prison
inspectors every year. Under that sys-
tenn every State election was important, but
each had ONLY half the importance Of the
one which takes place to-day. Under the
new system we hold no election OF State
officers some years we elect them all at
one swoop in other years in still others
we elect merely judge of the Court of
Appeals, and in yet others only the heads
OF the subordinate executive departments.
1t will regularly happen every six years
that all the terms of Office expire at once,
as at the end of this year for the first
time. We are also to elect the entire Legs-
lature to-day, instead of only one branch OF
it in alternate years, a new Senate as well as
a new Assembly coming in next january
Now, what is truly remarkable is that
with all the State officers of every name de-
pending on one election, and with the nov
city of this happening for the first time,
State affairs never made SO small figure
in any preceding State election. We are to
choose neither Presid entail electors nor
members of Congress, and are to fill every
State Office of honor, profit or influence, and
yet the canvass has turned almost entirely
on national questions. When all local pol
itics are thus irresistibly drawn into the
national vortex, even in years when all
State officers and no national officers are to
be chosen, nobody need be much alarmed
at the bugbear OF State rights. All our.
State and municipal politics revolve about
national issues as their centre, and are car
ried along the federal orbit like satellites
with their planet.
This State canvass has been, in the main,
preliminary skirmish, with view to the
Presidential battle of next year and of all
such skirmishes it is one of the most ex-
traordinary, and equally extraordinary,
though in different ways, on both sides.
On the republican side it has been
marvel of union and Cancellation,
of pocketing affronts and smothering
resentments and modification; on the dem
ocratic side it has presented an equally
marvellous example of ungoverned spite
and suicidal vengeance in q conjuncture
when the fate of the party at large is staked
on it's success in this State election. It
would be hard to say which is the greater
marvel. the republican unity under circum-
stances of strong provocation or the bitter
democratic feud and blind pursuit of VEN
geance ut the risk OF utter ruin to the party
and to the boilers themselves The forbear-
ance of the administration republicans is,
perhaps, the more striking phenomenon Of
the two, since magnanimity is rarer and
more difficult than hot and costly pursuit
OF vengeance.
Those New York republicans who stood
by the administration in the Custom House
contest were incensed by the nomination
of the man over whom the contest was
waged. With the least encouragement from
Washington they would either have kept
sullenly aloof and lett Mr. Conkling to elect
his candidate after having nominated him,
or have followed Mr.. Curtis in nm open
bolt. The prompt magnanimity of President
Hayes and his Cabinet forestalled this
danger. 1t was a noteworthy example of
the sinking Of all personal grievances in
the common interest of great party.
In party view nothing more credit
able has been witnessed in our time,
for no political nomination ever glared such
defiance or wore such an appearance of in-
sulting arrogance. Mr.. Conkling caused to
be put at the head of the ticket the one
New York republican whom it would be
most difficult and humiliating for the
friends of the administration 10 sup
port; but instead Of resenting it and
kicking against it they accepted the
cue which was swiftly given from
Washington, and. with the exception of
Mr.. Curtis and his small squad OF scratch
ers, they wheeled promptly into line, sac
rificing or postponing all personal resent
ments to the hope OF great national sue
cess in the Presidential contest. From a
party standpoint, and an exhibition of
party honor, nothing could have been more
chvalrous or praiseworthy than this refusal
to let private grudges and notifications
stand in the way of party success in so
critical conjuncture. This magnanmity
seems likely to have its reward in the cleo
ton of Mr.. Cornell and all that his election
implies with reference to the great national
canvass of 1880.
From this noteworthy spectacle of the
sacrifice of personal feeling on the altar of
n common cause it is great descent to the
selfish and ignoble quarrel which has been