Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-08-29

Frofn present Indication, It does not require eX-
trsordinary political foresight to predict the out
come OF the Ohio election Prior TO the opening of
the canvass the result was doubtful, with chances.
apparently, slightly fsvorins the democrats Now
IL Is scarcely probable thst any man OF sound
reason wouli stake q dollar ON the democratic
prospects, One bluni~r mas succeeded another
until the party Is almost even without hope. The
nomination OF Hoafiy . damper upon demo-
cratic ardor, to BEGIN with The pedient OF taking
up new converts had met with signal failure In
the TWO preceding canvaSSrs; yet II was again re-
sorted TO In the face OF IT, solemn warning OF the
ATTEST leaders In the state The fate OF Ewing and
Bookwalter had not taught the Ohio democrats
that republicans who d -sert their party do not
carry any votes with them into the enemy's camp.
IL has been concei-d by both parties that the
control OK the legSi and very likely che cleo
ton OF the ticket, Will depend upon Hamilton
county. The democrats carried It at the last cleo
tlon and upon that re ,t basel their calculations
OF success next fall But now the democracy OF
Hamilton county Is rent into two hostile fac
lions, and division OF the vote is almost certain
over 2,GgToters, representing the most respecta-
Die eiei1|ht OF the party, openly antagonizing
the HS4ean machine and Its ticket. These demo-
crsS hold that defeit Is preferable to the evils
I1At would follow the success OF such methods and
men as have obtained the supremacy in party af-
fairs. As citizens OF Cincinnati they are not will
Ing to aid in the establishment Of ring rule, even
to "save the party"
The consolidation OF the American Rapid, the
Bankers and Merchants and the Postal telegraph
companies will be consumm ,ted, ft is said within
lew days The combination thus formed will
start with wires extenilDg through the east from
washington northwardly, and running between
New York, Chicago, Cincinnati and Cleveland. 1t
VIII come at once into competition with the West
erh Union In portion OF that monopoy's most
profitable territory but there Is no assurance that
the competition viii last very long. The Western
Union officials Intimate that the consolidation is
simply another scheme to compel the existing
monopoly to rid Itself or opposition by purchase
There is however. some reason to hope that the
new project may really intend to be an honest
rival or the Western Union, because there Is
money To be made by active and adequate COM
petition In the telegraph service Besides, It Is
questionable II the Western Union can afford to
Duy up any more rivals 1t Is already gorged to
REPETITION In order to get rid of competition in
this way 1T is forced to pay much more than the
property purchased Is worth; and Western Union
STOCK Will not stand much more watering
The fact that the steamer Riverdale the boilers
o, which exploded on the HUDSON river yesterday,
was an Old vessel and not regarded safe, seems
TO have en- known to pretty much everybody
except the off1ci lis whose duty 1t was to know it.
AS the boat was nearly worn out, it Is quite prob
able that her boilers were in the same condition
Indeed. the explosion Is prinla fdcfe proof that
either the boilers were not sound or the engineer
not competent 1t Is not the fault of the inspec-
ton laws that unsafe ste imer5 are permitted to
ply our waters; the responsibility rests with the
inspection officials
King AlfonSo's ministers are raising row be-
cause he proposes to visit Germany. They do not
appear TO be equal 20 their opportunities. Why
don't they follow the example OF American Cabi-
nets, and take advantage OF their chiefs absence
70 have good time themselves?
Protection, which for years has been promi-
nent feature OF our tariff system. has hitherto
been applied for the benefit OF home indu .tries as
against those OF foreign lan1s; but now It Is pro-
posed to extend 1t to internal affairs and to pro-
tact one home industry against another The
trunk line commission On freight rates are consid-
ering the question OF Increasing the rate on CHI
cdgo drcsse1 beef not because the pres mt sched-
ule does not AFFORD the railroads satisfactory COM
pensation, but to protect livestock shippers
against the inroads into their trade made by the
dressed meat. This is protection with ven
geance- 1t Is equivalent TO a proposition to make
the consumer OF beef pay for the maintenance OF
the live stock trade after 1t has failed to sustain
itself.