The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-10-15

Indiana on Tuesday IS 80 Ihr Unsatisfactory
that n ImperatiyeIy requires candid aDt
fearless examination iBto tho causes wbict
have made such result possible. II can
not be truly said that In.iiana has been pu
into the list Of doubtful. States BY this eIcc
ton in October, - Maine, for example
was put into the l.st Of doubtful States o.
the election In s,eptember. The Republic
can campaign "a Maine was conducted un
der condition. a 20 favorable to Republican
success thai. the downfall Of Senator Blaine
and bis r Artv in that State has made It mex
to impc ,s,Ible for the Republicans, under the
stress az general presidential action along
the whole line, to recover their control Of
NJ 1ine in November and TO secure the vote
81 that State for Garfield. II the Demo
cratic campaign IN Indiana bad been con
Quoted under conditions equally favoraDlt
| IN Democratic success, IL would not now be
necessary for Democrats to inquire into The
Significance OF the check which the party
has there received. Indiana, though q
Democratic State before the war, has only
returned TO the Democratic column with
| in the last decade. Maine had been
solidly Republican for more than TWEEN
Ity wears when the most conspicuous
living leader OF the Republican party,
and It's most popular candidate for the
presidency, found himself swept from
his feet by the inflowing surge OF
| popular disgust with the Republican party.
| RI the constitutional cause had been put in
issue In Indiana at the recent election 10 that
State as distinctly a. the cause OF centraliza'
| ton was put in issue by Senator Blaine at
the September election in Maine, the loss OF
the governorsbip by the Democrats might
now be Justly regarded as proof that In
| diana is drifting away again from the
| moorngs OF the constitutional cause ;
for the loss OF the governorship by
the Republicans in Maine is Justly re-
garded as proof that Maine has wearied OF
the excessive and exbaustIng Capitalization
on which republicanism lives, moves, and
has its being. This, however. Is far from
being the truth. The national issues upon
wi ich the presidential election is to turn
did not command the full and united atten-
ton OF either party in Indiana In the CAM
paign which has just ended. These issues,
OF course, entered into the campaign and
were considered by both parties. This APP
pears from the fact that the Democrats OF
Indiana have so strongly contested the
control OF the State Legislature,
which is to choose successor to
that able and conscientious statesmen
Senator Mcdonald. OF the State delegation
in Congress. IL the campaign had been
fought on those issues, as would have been
necessarily the case had the election been
held in November, no intelligent man can
doubt, in the face Of the returns which the
World has already LAID before Its readers,
that Indiana would have chosen Demo-
cratic Governor and whole State ticket OF
the same faith, as well as Democratic Lee
gslatnre and Democratic representation
in Washington.
But the Democratic party was handi-
capped from the outset OF the October con-
test by two things, either OF which would
probably have sufiiced to bring about an
unsatisfactory result. The only real cause
for wonder is that both OF these things
taken together should not have sufced to
aggravate relative Democratic check into
a sweeping Republican victory. In the
first place, great numbers OF Democrats in
Indiana not only regarded the holding OF
State election In October as unwIse
in point OF policy, but were sim
OF the Supreme Court OF the state
under which that election was held. There
can be no doubt that as a point OF policy
the holding OF an election in October drew
into the contest IN Indiana the whole force
OF the Republican machinery and enabled
the Republican managers TO concentrate
upon that State the vast resources at their
command OF all sorts, legitimate and illegit-
mate, as they could not have done and can
not do in the general election In November.
Whatever the merits may be OF the deci-
sion Of the Indiana Supreme Court which
made the October election neceSsary-and
upon that point the World need express no
opinion-it unquestionably irritated q con-
siderable and influential body OF the De-
mocracy OF Indiana and restrained its men,
bers from cordial cO0Deration in the con-
test.
In the second place, the well-known
financial opinions Of the Democratic candi-
date for the gOvernorshi2 Of Indiana are
regarded with extreme disfavor by great
numbers OF voters, and especially OF German
voters, who on other grounds would gladly
have given him warm support. This was
so marked feature OF the contest that the
adroilly enough threw the chief
weight Of their force against the gubernato-
rial candidate. On the day OF the election in
the Republicans openly offered
votes for other candidates for votes In favor
OF Porter in the ratio in some cases OF
twenty to one. This was OF course in keep
ing with the general Use by the Republi- |
cans OF all means OF political corruption,
but il bears witness also to their clear per- |
ception Of one OF the two weak points |
within the body Of the Democratic OrganI- |
zation In Indiana, TO which the result in |
hat State must mainly be attributed. For, |
though nothing was left uninterrupted in the |
way Of political debsuchery by the Repub- |
lean managers, OF whose use OF repeaters |
and OF illegal votes the Democratic mana
gers have positive documentary evidence.
yhich will in due time be- made public. all |
hese devices would have failed Of their ef-
ect had the Democratic voters OF Indiana
as fully and cordially for the
success OF the State ticket al the polls in
October as ii is quite sure that they will do
or the success OF the electoral ticket in No
,ember. 1t is well for parties, as it is for
men, to look facts ia .he face and to hold
themselves chiefly responsible in most
.ases for the misbaps which over
axe them. The result of Tuesdays
Election In Indiana does not prove that
he Republicans outnumber the Democrats
II that State. Still less does it prove that
he voters OF Indiana in November next
will prefer Garfield and Arthur to Hancock
nd English. 1t only proves that the Dem
cratic party Of Indiana is made up OF ear
TEST and independent voters, who have
lear and positive views OF political princi-
lies as well as OF political expediency, and
hat 1t is not safe to leave either political prin-
iple or political expediency too much out
4 view in organizing campaign which
, 10 be fought by such voters. The presi-
ential nominations OF the National Democ-
scy deserve The absolute and united sup
ort of all such voters. 1t is perfectly well
Understood, and has been from the day OF
he Cincinnati nominations, that the ma