Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1880-11-10
New York Journal of Commerce.
The Election.

The republicans have achieved a very sig
nal victory. The democrats have been de-
feated throughout the entire Northern States,
the local exceptions being insufficient to quail
| ify the general success of their opponents.
II may be said by heated partisans. smarting
under defeat, that there have been frands,
bribery and oppression, to produce this re-
suit. We concede that all which official
power and the lavish of money could do
has been done to secure this great victory for
the dominant party. But there is something
more than this; the victory has been gained
and the defeat inflicted BY the honest count
| ing of votes; and the country may be con-
graduated that the newly elected President
may take his sea. with the feeling of salts
faction that over and above the votes that
may have been unduly Influenced on either
side, he has been fairly elected by the suf-
frages of the people. Even if it is found that
taking the whole country together the num-
erical superioty in the popular vote is on the
side of the defeated candidate, it is still evil
dent that a very considerably majority of the
Northern States are unwilling to institute
change Of administration or to trust the demo-
cratic leaders with executive authority, and
that General Garfield is fairly entitled TO his
Inauguration.
| We have several times protested against
| the offensive manner in which the campaign
| was conducted. Many of the republicans,
like Mr. Chittenden Of Brooklyn. whom we
rebuked at the time for what seemed to us a
great impertinence), assumed that all the
i virtue and patriotism of the country were on
the side of that party. But still greater Of
fence was Committed by democratic speakers
and writers in personal denunciations of the
character of the republican nominees. There
was nothing to justify such vituperation. On
the day after General Garfeld's nomination
we spoke of him as a man of honesty and
ability who had served the country faithfully
in the field as a soldier. and in Congress as a
statesman. We made the statement in good
faith, aud we honestly believe that he has no
, more of the frailities and infirmities of our
: common humanity than may be set to the
account of others who are suffered to pass
through life with unstained reputation.
. We hope that the dominant party will
soon have working majority in both
branches Of Congress that they may be held
fairly accountable for the management OF
public AFFAIRS. 1hey nave an opportunity 10
redeem themselves from the charges hereto
fore Justly brought against them by exer-
cisng a noble magnanimity toward their
brethren of the South to whom they owe
nothing directly for their present triumph.
, There is no good reason why. even for politi-
cal effect, there should still be any show OF
hostility against the people Of the Southern
t States: and if the hand is now held out to
, them in fraternal kindness. there will soon
be no complaint of ''solid'' party vote in
that section of the country.
And we desire also to urge the victorious
republicans to consider some of their party
measures which have given Just cause of of.
5 Tense to moderate men in every organization.
The reaching out from Washington of the
general government to make its power felt In
local affairs where the State and municipal
authority is amply sufficient for all purposes
of good may have originated in the honest
desire to correct supposed abuses and to ex-
ercise proper vigilance in the maintenance OF
public order and credit, but it has alarmed
not few of those who are warmly attached
to the better methods adopted by our fathers.
1t would be a gracious concession to this
deep-seated sentiment for the dominant
umph to repeal these offensive features of
their former legislation, ana thns remove this