Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1880-11-05
aailrastcr futelllgenrer.
The Cause of 1t.


Our Democratic friends in New York
in not very amiable mood, keep on dis
cussing why it was that New York state
did not 60 for Hancock and hence the
defeat Of his election. 1t is conceded
that the Democrats have chosen 80 elec-
tors, and New YOrk's additional 81
would have been, enough. 1t is also seen
thai the interior of New York did not
Justify Republican calculations and that
the Democracy are not short rs many
votes in the whole state as they are short
of their expectations in New York and
Brooklyn. That is to say, if these two
cities had given the majorities for Han
cpck that the local leaders gave the ma
tiOnal Democracy reason to expect, Han
cock and English would have been
elected
This is the fact. The explanation Of
it is more difficult to get at.
If Mr.. Kelly's supposed candidate for
mayor had run ahead of his ticket, and
had been elected bya large majority, he
would have been open to the suspicion
of having made a trade, but this does
not appear. On the contrary, he mar
rowly escaped defeat. In the rural coun.
ties where Mr.. Tilden's friends have the
greater influence, the Republican major
tiles were kept down, and Mr.. Tilden's
immediate friends being in charge of the
national canvass, and his relations to
them and to the candidate being of the
closest kind, there is no good reason to
lay the blame at his door.
AS we said yesterday, we believe ef.
fective Republican rascality in New
is at the bottom of the reduced Demo.
cratic majority and largely increased
Republican vote there. The candi-
date for vice president, Mr.. Chester \.
Arthur, knows all the ins and outs of
New York city politics. lie has been
in direct personal charge there, and has
summoned 10 his aid I'LL the dubious
agencies capable Oi employment.
At the same time the quarrcls of the
New York Democracy afforded him am
pie opportunity to make his work most
effective. While We see nothing to CON
vict either faction to the New York
quarrel of treachcry to Hancock. yet
there is much in the condition of things
which their quarrel produced to have
enabled the Republicans to successfully
combat their disorganization. We know
very well that when the party
leaders are i'm state of constant ;,lterca-
tion the masses become dispirited
and ineffective for political action.
1t matters little which faction is on
top Or which is under, which has
the right or the wrong of il. The fac
tional fact is the disturbing and the dam
gerOus one. We happen to know that
Gen. Hancock himself, from the very
outset of the struggle, clearly recognized
the weak point in the line-thc delay in
the New York city Democracy getting
together in harmonious cooperation. He
had no desire that one or the
other get the advantage. Like other
sagaciouS leaders he felt that there WAS
far more ut stake in their differences and
their reconciliation than juggle for
municipal spoiis. Their first effort
should have been to lift themselves
above this, to make local nominations
of undoubted strength, that would at
tract to them the whole party vote and
to allow the local Democracy to orga-
nize for the natla,al campaign without
any municipal drawbacks. Herein they
failed and hence our woes.