Litchfield enquirer. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1829-current, 1880-10-28
The Contest.

| again, and considerable hope of success. The
chances decidedly are that this hope will prove
i'll founded; but there are risky places in the
long Republican line that may let in disaster,
after all. We do not care to prophesy, there
| fore, the success for which we confidently
hope.
Looking at the contest as citizen, not as q
politician Though of course as citizen with
decided political opinions), hsw does the cam.
paign SO soon to be closed, appear? Both
parties, taken as whole. did well at the out
set. The Republicans did well in repudiating
both Grant and Blaine, and in nominating Gar
| field; the Democrats, in repudiating Tilden
and nominating Hancock. Of the two men
we prefer Garfield. His record is not 80 clear
of blemish as that of Hancock. On the other
| hand Hancock is an utterly untried imam in
civil affairs. The fact that he is a good sol
der is not proof that he will be'a good presi-
dent He has been obliged of late, we notice,
to write good many letters The points
touched in them should have been cleared up
in his letter of acceptance. Anything he writes
after the defeats of October will not help him
in November, and it may hurt him seriously.
Coming down from national to state politics,
how does the field show? AS far as chances
60, Connecticut, q month ago was q very doubt
full state to-day the best judges consider it
almsst sure to 60 Republican. Neither party
did well at our State Conventions In repu-
dating Gov. Andrews for man of money, the
Republicans set very bad example which
| the Democrats made haste to follow. In our
own Congressional District, both parties re-
lied on the Salisbury plan. The "workers"
have not seemed very flush of money as yet,
but we shall look for it in the returns. In the
two men the Republicans have great advan-
tage. Mr.. Miles is candidate against whom
we have but the single objection to which we
have so often and so frankly referred. Mr.. Peet
is candidate whose political record and whose
personal record are neither of kind to inspire
anything but dstrust. He will fall heavily
behind his ticket, and is very like to bedefeat-
ed in district which is naturally Democrat
ic.
Coming to candidates for Sheriff, the Repub-
lican is decidedly the better man Of the two.
He was good soldier in the war and has been
good citizen ever since. The Democratic
candidate is a politician in every sense of the
word, and not even a politician of the higher
order, but one whose affiliations promise bad
three years administration of an important
Office, 10 case he is elected.
Leaving candidates. and looking at the men
who compose the respective parties as whole,
which is entitled to the preference? At the
North, there can be but little doubt but that
the advantage is decidedly with the Republi-
cans. The men who compose the party are
unquestionably better set of men than their
opponents. The importance assumed by New
York city is good illustration Of that fact.
Our metropolis with its suburban cities casts a
Democratic majority of 10000 or 80, 900.
Most of this enormous majority is made up of
an emigrant vote that is profoundly ignorant,
and unprincipled to an extent unprecedented
elsewhere in the North. If Mr.. Hancock is
chosen president it will be by this very class
and inteligently, but in bulk, as it were, un-
der the leadership of the very politicians who
made the Tweed Ring possibility. True,
native-borp Democrats, and immigrants scat
tered through the rura, districts, are vastly
better body of men than those who vote the
Tammany ticket in New York but Gen. Han.
cock will never be elected by any majorities
they cast.
Coming from men to measures which are
entitled to the preference? Much of the diff
ference here is Fictitious, no doubt, but not
all. We have never been in the habit of wav-
ing the bloody shirt. We were pleased on
the contrary, when the Southern whites drove
the Carpet Baggers from power. But we do
not think it would be wise to restore the chiefs
of the late Confederacy to the control they
once exercised in the Union, and will not Demo-
cratic supremacy effect just that? They will
constitute the majority of the majority in any
Democratic Congress, and though we do not
imagine that they now propose any renewal of
their rebellion, will not the unchecked exercise
OF power prove dangerous temptation to
them, and an unwise concession for us? Nor
does it strike us that Democrats have shown
themselves the men to satisfactorily settle
questions OF currency, of tariff, or of civil ser.
vice reform. Granting that on these questions
the Republicans have often wavered and
sometimes gone astray, have not the Democ,
| racy shown then selves still more untrustwor.
thy? Itcertaiply seems so tous; and we believe
it will 80 seem to majority of our fellow citi-
zens. Tuesday Of next week will tell.