Daily Kennebec journal., 1882-11-10
fFrom the New York Times, Nov. sth).
The work OF Retrfbution.

The Work OF Betrfbution.
Tte mjority by shich Mr.. Cleveland is
elee&d qoveslnf q tlsis stass over Judge
Folger il absolutely unprecedented in the his-
tory Of State elections. In New York and
Kings counties alone il is over III 900, and
the votes Of Queens, Suffolk, and Richmond
carries it to the neighborhood of l25, 900.
The indications are that there is to be no eff
fort against this beyond the Harlem River,
but that the majority is to be increased rather
than diminished. Nothing approaching this
has ever before occurred in this State. When
Mr.. Tilden was elected Governor in 1874 on
a reform platform his plurality in New York
and Kings counties was II, ,742, from which
over II 900 was subtracted BY the result in
the rest of the State. As candidate for
President in 1876 these two counties gave
him plurality of 72.459, but this was re-
duced by about 40. 900 in the State at large.
When Mr.. Folger ran for the office of Chief
Judge Of the Court of Appeals in 1880 he
proved to be an exceptionally strong candi-
date. His majority over Rapallo was A, l6O,
while that of Garfield over Hancock was only
2l. .O33. Notwithstanding his popularity
when standing on his own merits, only two
years ago, he has been buried under an ad-
verse majority absolutely unparalleled in the
history of this or any other State.
1t needed no great sagacity to foresee the
general consequences of the faulty of the
managers OF the republican party. 1t was
perfectly plain months before the convention
was held that the republicans of this State
would put forth their whole strength only in
case Governor Cornell was renominated
He had made a record for the party on which
IL rOuld aofalv 90 info no
could not re-elect him it could name no can
didate whom it could elect, unless by some
stupendeus laundering of the democrats.
When he was attacked by Mr.. Conkling, as
the instrument of Jay Gould's wrath, for no
offense but an unflinching performance of
his duty, it became doublv evident that to
set him aside would be to throw away the
chances of the party. An issue was made
between his nomination and its defeat and
no candidate, however merItorious, could fill
his place in the contest then presented The
national administration made the case still
worse by its interference to aid in the work
of Conkling and Jay Gould.
Had the republicans been left to express a
free choice through delegates elected without
coercion or interference they would have re-
nominated the faithful and courageous
Governor and carried his prestige into the
campaign. They not only felt the hand of
the national administration and the intrigues
of the machine managers in their caucuses
and local conventions, but they saw the same
influences exerted when their delegates had
gathered at Saratoga. Forgery and corrupt
bargaining were resorted to for the purpose
of making sure of majority for a candidate
forced upon them against their will. Mr..
Folger, as we have seen, had stood high in
the esteem Of the party. and even when he
consented to act the part assigned to him by
worse men, nobody felt inclined to depreciate
his ability or assail his character, but there
was principle at stake which thousands of
resolute republicans determined to vindicate
at any cost.
Never before did a set of professional poll
ticians exhibit such blindness to the currents
of popular action, such deafness to the voice
of public opinion, such callousness even to
the demands of expedency. The gods seemed
to have resolved upon their destruction.
From the very opening of the preliminary
canvass to the eve of the election we did our
part in endeavoring to open their eyes, to
penetrate their ears. to reach their sensibli-
ties, but in vain. We set forth to them in
advance the consequences of the course which
they chose to adopt, and have not tried to
conceal that these consequences were work
ing irresistibly to the consummation which
dppedTe III yestcIOdy NOtc- II Is uSSieSs W
attempt any ANALYSIS for the purpose of re-
vealing the operation of other causes, such as
have produced effects in other States. Here
all minor causes have been swallowed up in
the dissatisfaction produced by the tyranncal
effort of political machine to override the
will of great party.
The whole disastrous result in the State. in
the Congressional districts. and even in cities
and towns. is to be attributed to the blind
infatuation of selfish politicians. 1t gave the
democrats the opportunity and the incentive
which united them in all their party purposes.
1t gave them the power to overwhelm the
best efforts to regenerate the government of
this city which have been made in ten years.
Moreover, the conduct of the national admin
istration in using its power to overrule the
will of the people here had no small influence
in bringing about the result in other States
which we have to contemplate this morning.
President Arthur and the machine managers
NAV be left to contemplate the ruin which
they have wrought. Republicans generally
will find consolation in the hope that these
men will have learned their lesson, while the
party will find publication and regeneration
in this self-inficted chastsemeDt.
The managers of st. Marks Home ac-