New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-10-20
DEFEAT THAT BROUGHT VICTORY

DEFEdT THAT BHO GGHI TICIOKI.
Old politicians have remarked that in every
Presidential campaign there is sure to be a
reaction of some kind period OF great cia-
ton of spirits beng succeeded by one OF cor
responding depression, and following that
sill another reaction. IL is characteristic
feature of all our stubbornly contested Cam
paigns that between August and November
each party is pretty sure 10 have both ups
and downs. If Vermont and Maine show
results encouraging TO Republicans in Septem-
her, the October States are liable to give them
| n setback III the shape OF losses or reduced
maioritics, and put them more on their mettie
| for the contest in November Ii does not
seem possible for party to march along with
uninterrupted successes, or without serious
| reyerses, from beginning to end of a Presi
dental canvass. Political parties i'll this coun-
try are obstinate and plucky to the last degree.
They sometimes fall back, but they never flee
| the field. They hold their lines with sullen
determination and wait for chances to
dash in and seize advantages which their add
yersaries, demoralized by victory, may leave
omen TO them. 1t happens sometimes under
| these circumstances that success is misfor-
| tune, and that temporary check, which at
| the moment seems almost disastrous, is i'll the
| end of highest service to the imperilled cause.
| Bunker Hill and Bull Run were counted as
| defeats, but they were worth much more to
the country than any victory at the time.
| We had sort of Republican Bull Run last
| month in Maine The canvass had been, up
| TO that time, so full of promise, affairs seemed
going on so swimmingly everywhere, that we
were all confident, and perhaps little in
clined to be bOastful. Only few keen, prac-
teal men appreciated the actual situation and
realized the danger lurking i'll this over-c0n-
fdence. All over the country the feeling was
that the tide was so strongly i'll favor of the
Republicans that success was sure, and
there hardly remained q doubt of Gar
fields election. And it was supposed
that Maine, under this popular impulse,
| would lead off with large Republican gains
and swing back to her old place among the
absolutely certain Republican States. so we
discounted Maine. 1t was a somewhat rude
awakening from this Over-coniidence that we
had the morning after the election. We had our
reaction there and then. From the heights Of
citation and over confidence many Republicans
dropped in IL moment to n corresponding
depth of depression. But we struck bottom
In few hours and began again to rise.
The darkest hour there has been or Will be in
this campaign was the day after the Maine
election, when the Democrats were claiming
5000 majority, the Legislature and four Con-
| gressmen They followed tho Republican
blunder and struck in at the top. We have
seen how beautifully they have tapered off
from the first CLAIMS. And no one doubts
now, in the light Of what has been done in
Ohio and Indiana, that the temporary check
in Maine was the best thing that could have
bappened at that stage of the campaign.
II reused men to thinking. 1t set them to
considering what would be the effect of Dem
ocratc success upon the business and the
credit of the country. Ii alarmed business
men. awakened the apathetic, stimulated
those who had been over-cOnfdent to greater
zeal and was the means OF grand Republi-
can uprising. In another way 1t did good.
In the exhilaratiOn of the hour the Democratic
leaders, who are only dangerous when on a
/" still hunt" gave tongue and revealed them