Litchfield enquirer. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1829-current, 1880-10-21
The October Elections.


| The Republican victory in Ohio and Indi-
ana turns out equal to its first promise. In
diana gives little over 1000 plurality for the
Republican candidate for Governor. The
State Senate is tie, and the Republicans
have fourteen majority in the House, thus en-
surfing the return of Republican in place of
Mr. Mcdonald to the United States Senate.
In Ohio, the Republican Secretary of State has
a plurality of about 10, 900, and the rest of the
Republican state ticket some three thousand
more. The Republicans also carry fifteen out
of twenty Congressman in OHIO, and eight out
of thirteen in Indiana; gain of eight over
their present representation from those states.
This overwhelming Republican victory is q
surprise to everybody. On the morning of
the election, the Hartford Courant conceded
| a Democratic plurality of 5000 in Indiana,
and that was the general expectation through
out the East so far as we could guess frorh a
perusal of our exchanges. Mr.. William 81.
Barnum made haste to attribute the result to
money. Where man relies on money to
carry elections he naturally enough raises the
cry of corruption when he is beaten. Mr..
Blaine attributed the Maine result, correctly
no doubt, to Barnum's shrewd expenditure of
campaign funds. The truth probably is that
both parties spent money very literally, es-
pecially in Indiana. If the Republicans out
bid the Democrats, it hardly lies in Mr.. Bar
mum 8 mouth to complain. But the money
theory does not meet the full magnitude of
the case. Even supposing il possible to have
swept Indiana as the republicans did, by
wholesale bribery, does that account for the
10000 Republican majority in Ohio?
The truth is that strong current is set
ting in, favorable to Republication, which
defes all ordinary calculation. Ever since
the South becanie solid, the North has been
becoming solid also. That moral force which
few politicians appreciate, pressed heavily on
Republication all through Grants two terms.
Carpet Baggery gave US electoral votes and
votes in Congress- but those votes cost the
party more in reputation than they aided it in
the work Of legislation. Hayes rid us of that
incubus in 1876, and the party has been gain
ing in moral force and in unity of purpose
ever since. Then, too, the crash of '73 fell
heavily on Republicanism merely because it
happened to be the party then in power. The
hard times are passing away. Resumption
and prosperity have restored the party its f.
nancial credit as completely as the fall of Car
pet Baggery restored its moral credit. The
pr aspect of Solid South triumphant, is not
welcome prospect even to those who prefer to
see intelligence rather than ignorance in local
supremacy at the South. The fact that the
South was evidently made solid by fraud and
by force is also displeasing to all who care
for an honest vote and an honest count. There
has also strong feeling arisen that the Dem
ocratic party could not be trusted with entire
control of the currency and the tariff.
Out of all these favoring currents has grown
the tide that is swelling Republicanism to a
strength in the North it has never before
known. If the indications of October point
correctly to the November result, there we'll
be a solid North to Offset the solid South.
AsOPuuISouS WIN "CiC FOiy uOuutiul loTG-
night since now look forward to triumph in
in Connecticut, in New York, and even in
New Jersey. The West is already solid for
Garfield
Nor do the October elections seem to settle
the matter of the presidency only. The next
House of Representatives will apparently be
Republican also. That party has already
gained more than half the votes necessary to
give it a majority. They have an excellent
chance, even, of tieing their adversaries in the
next Senate, and having, beside, the Vice
Presidents casting vote, thus throwing all
branches of the government once more into
Republican hands.
Such are the glorious prospects opened to
Republicans by the October elections Still
there is chance for their defeat New York,
New Jersey, and any other Northern State,
g,ing Democratic will elect Hancock. This
has been year of political surprises. Maine
seemed to beat Republcansn; then Indiana
and Ohio have all but defeated Democracy;
and perhaps Move nber has the greatest sur
prise of all in store for us. Politics is game
rather than a science; and one of the most
skililal players the country has ever seen is
managing the Democratic canvass Let us
not ba over confident.