Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1879-05-30
= FRIDAY, MAY 80, 1879.
TIE CONTEST IN OHIO.

The political contest IN Ohio, TIN.
year, will be one of national inter
est. 1t derives its importance from
the fact that it is the first State
election after the extra session OF
Congress, made necessary by the
Democratic leaders, and also be-
cause It is looked upon as the first
gun in the Presidential campaign of
1880. Heretofore, for several years,
parties in that State have been very
evenly divided. Six years ago Hon.
William Allen ran in, defeating
General Noyes, who had been
elected on the Republican ticket
two years previous. Four years
ago, President Hayes was elected
By the Republicans on an hon
est money platform, defeating
Gov. Allen, The peculiar champion
of the rag baby" In the Presi-
Dental canvass of 1876, the Re-
publicans again carried the State BY
4 majority Of 1916 over Tilien, the
total vote being 659,771. Two
years ago, general apathy prevailed
among the Republicans, growing
out Of dissatisfaction with the Pres
ident's Southern policy, and the
total vote polled in the Guberna-
torial election of that year was only
$50, 060, or a falling of from the
year previous Of more than 100000
votes. Gov. Bishop the Democratic
candidate was elected by y, $40
majority over Judge West the Re-
publican candidate. At the same
time a Democratic Legislature was
chosen which after meeting
proceeded to gerrymander the Con
gressional Districts so as to prevent
the election Of as many Republi-
can Congressman as possible. Last
fall twelve Democrats were elected
to the present Congress to eight
Republicans, but on the aggregate
vote the Republicans had small
majority. So it will be seen that
the State has gone first for one
party and then the other, but when
a full vote has been polled the Re
pUblicans have always carried the
State.
The Republican ticket for this
year has been placed in the field,
and it is a strong one. Mr.. Foster
ran for Congress in his district last
fall, where the Democratic majority
the previous year had been five
thousand. lie was defeated by
only 1850 votes. He Is a COM
paratively young man, for one who
has gained such an enviable dis
tinction, and will he prove vastly
popular with the young men of his
State, who are depended upon to
do vigorous work.
The Democrats acknowledge that
they can not re-elect Gov. Bishop,
and are moving heaven and earth to
induce Senator Thurman to run.
The Senator is Presidential can
didate, and he well knows that
should he make the race for Gov
ernor and be defeated, that his
Presidential aspirations have gone
"where the woodbine twineth."
Knowing this, it is perfectly natural
that he should decline to take so
great a risk, but his immediate
friends appear inclined to force him
to take it. If he should, the can
Vass will be a red-hot one. Judge |
Thurman is a man of acknowledged |
ability, and until he got the Presi-
Dental bee in his bonnet, he had a
pretty fair record for a Democratic
politician. But the folly of his
record on the currency question, his
sudden sOmersaults, will not detract
from his popularity with his own
party, and he would poll the full
vote. For these and other reasons,
the canvass in Ohio this year will
be one of the most interesting in
the history of American politics. |