Morning journal and courier., 1880-09-25
ALTOGETHER roo CERTAIN

| | Ex-Governor English is reported as not
 sure for Hancock and English, and Senator
 Eaton, Hon. James Gallagher, General Frank
 lin and other prominent Democrats profess l to be of the same opinion. This opinion is 1 not preposterous if the reasoning by which it 1 is arrived at is sound. Those who hold 1t say | that Tildens plurality in the State was 2,900; :;
 that most of the Greenbackers, who cast g, ,314 4 votes in 1878, have returned to the Demo-
 cratic party; and that the people of Con- necticut want change.
 This method of vote-eounting will not
 ''hold water" The fact that Tilden's plural
 ity was 2,900 does not indicate that Hancock's
 will be that, or near it, or even that he will
 have plurality. In 1876 circumstances were
 very favorable to large Democratic vote in this State. The times were hard, and though the Democrats now refuse the Republican party credit for it's success in hastening the return of prosperity, they were then very ready to blame that party for the paralysis of business, the low wages and the lack of work which followed the crash of 1873. There real desire for change among those
 
 and see that the financial policy of the Re publican party was an honest and sensible one. Then, too, some Republicans had be- come displeased with the Grant administra- tion, and believing that Tilden would, if elected, administer the Government ably and wisely, voted for him. There were quite a number of such votes cast in this city, and many in the rest of the State. But perhaps the most effective work for the Democratic plurality was done through the law permit ting certificate voting Under this law many fraudulent votes were cast in the cities. It is very significant that New Haven and Hart ford gave Tilden all but 37 of the 2,9OO votes which constituted his plurality.
 The above is fair statement of the condi- ton of things that enabled the Democratic party to carry Connecticut in 1876. This year there are no hard times to influence votes in favor of a change. The financial policy of the Republican party has been tri ] umphantly vindicated, and all the Democrat cannot make that policy seem anything but | wise. Those who were out of work in 1876 | are now employed, and wages are good. The l administration of President Hayes and the 1 nomination of General Garfield have united | the Republicans, and there is no certificate | voting law by which Democratic plurality 1 can be made or increased
 It is difficult, therefore, to see how ex- l Governor English and his Democratic | friends can get certainty of victory that | will bear analysis. What good reason have they for supposing that Connecticut is Democratic in 1880 because she appeared to | be in 1876? Have they taken note of the fact that in 1878, in the four Congressional I districts where the real fight was made, the | Republicans had a plurality of 2,s5s, and a | majority over the Democratic and Greenback vote combined lave they been able to | discover, since the present campaign opened, that locking of Hancock veterans" and | others to the Democratic ranks which was SO | freely predicted7 Has the desire for a |