The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1882-11-22
The Democratic Governors.

It is not a case of thunder oat Uf q
clear sky. There have been. as the doc
tors say, a great many premonitory
symptoms. At any other time the cleo
ton of such man as Ben Butler to be
Governor of Massachusetts would fill
the country with something between
laughter and CONSERVATION, but even
that grotesque result will not greatly
affect people to-day in the presence of
really more serious calamities in other
States, and after the Generalization
which has seemed to be creeping
through the Republican party for
months past There is little to be sur
prised at, but great deal to be regret
ted.
1t happened that the very first Re-
publican convention OF the year was
held in Pennsylvania as far back as the
10th of May, and it also happened that
the result of that convention was split
in the party of one of the most important
Republican States 1t is too late to dis
cuss the wisdom of the Independents in
taking course which was avowedly in
tended to end the control of the Cam
eron party, even if it had to be done at
the cost of throwing the election into
the hands of the Democrats. They put
UP ObCmdLb mlluOu OAPCCbhbiOn VI CACSt-
ing him. They believed and said that
Pennsylvania would be hopelessly lost
in, 1884 unless the Republican party
could be taken out of what they called
the boss manipulation. General Beaver
the regular candidate for Governor, was
personally unexceptionable, and it is
doubtful whether any other man could
hare been selected who would have made
so strong run in his place. The Demo
Gratis were quick to take advantage of
the situation, and, strangely enough
for them, they fixed upon q candi-
date in the person of Controller Patti
son of Philadelphia, who was recognized
as a repre- sentative of the better ele-
ments of their party. There were some
who expected that in spite of all this
General Beaver would pull through, up
to the time OF the Ohio election. Since
that event the Democratic success has
been conceded on all hands, and as if to
remove the last prop, Governor Hoyt
last week wrote a letter committing
himself and his influence to the 1nde-
pendents. So cautious a politician as
Colonel Mcclure. of the Philadelphia
Times, did not hesitate then to say that
Pattison's plurality would probably not
be less than 10000.
The ri:t that was stared in Pennsyl-
vania extended over into New York.
Governor Cornell had made record
that was alike ereditable to himself and
his party, and was besides entitled by
usage to denomination. His antece-
dents were of what is called the Stall
wart order, however, and there was no
time at which he seemed able to COM
mand the support of the ultra Inde-
pendents. Up to about the middle of
August. nevertheless, it seemed tolera-
bly, certain that he would carry the con-
vention which was to meet at Saratoga
on the Goth of September. An adverse
movement, backed by Jay Gould, came
to the surface about that time. and the
struggle ended in the choice of Judge
Folger, who was. like General Beaver,
personally acceptable to the great body
of Republican voters. A vigorous at
tempt had been made to unite
on General Wadsworth, but in
convention his candidacy made
feebler showing than people who were
outside the state, at any rate, had
been led TO expect. When the conven-
ton adjourned the break in the Repub-
lican party was complete, and the re-
turn of the Tammany forces to the reg
ular Democratic fold a day or two after
wards at Syracuse left the Republicans
without any reasonable prospect of sue
cess. 1t is no doubt true, however, that
the disaster in Ohio. coupled with a
knowledge of the impending catastro-
phe in Pennsylvania, went far to pro-
duce the tremendous majority by which
the State has been swept. -
General Butler is always dangerous
candidate when he makes strike for
an office, and he has twice before come
within sight of the Governorship. In
1878 the total Democratic vote was
about 120, 900, of which Butler got 1l0,-
coo. The Republican vote was about
135, ,o0o. In 1879 Butler held his own,
though the aggregate vote was less.
He and the respectable Democrats to-
gether kept their 120, 900. and the Re
publican vote fell to about 123, 900.
This year Butler had the solid Demo
cratic vote in addition to the Greeback-
Labor vote. and the Republicans suf-
fered their usual loss by the PRESENCE
of Prohibition ticket. In addition to
the other drawbacks Mr.. Crapo, who
was beyond question the strongest can
didate who went into the Republican
Convention was thrown overheard be-
cause of the cry that was raised over
his vote in favor of the River and Har-
Dor bill, and weaker man was put in
his place. sys
In Connecticut the Republican candi-
date came into the nomination by q sort
of inheritance through the Lieutenant
Governorship, while the Democrats put
up a fresh imam of the people" who
was once New York news-boy, and
full of ambition and enthusiasm. The
result in the Congressional Districts,
however, indicates that the State would
have gone Democratic in the g tidal
wave even if the candidates for Gov
ernor had been different on both sides.
California elections are usually de-
termined to large extent by Influences
that do not extend east of the Rocky
Mountains, and they do not therefore
possess the same National significance
as those of States that do not belong to
the Pacific slope. In 1876 the majority
for Hayes was less than 5000, and in
1850 the Democrats, aided by the bogus
Morey letter, carried it by majority oil
thirty-nine in a total vote of over 160,
600, One Republican Ele tor, however.
was chosen, and Republican Go ernor
was elected in 1879, whose term expires
on the first of December next, when
his Democratic successor win step in.
The loss of the State viii cause no SUI
prise, ssl
The other States which have elected
Democ -atic Go ernors are those which
are recognized rs belonging IN the
Democratic ranks.-Detroit Post and
Tribune.