The Portland daily press., 1883-09-04
The Coming Elections.

The Coming Elections.
The summer is over and now the political
contests in States where elections will
be held this Fall will rage with new yigor
In the large Western States and in Pennsyl-
vania the candidates have been long in the
neld, the conditions of the campaign are al
ready well defined, and good stroke of
work has been done. In New York, New
Jersey and Massachusetts the conventions
have not yet been held, but the preparations
are far advanced, and when the battle opens
1t viii be sharp aud hot until the polls
close.
The chief interest of this Falls elections
Is conc entrated on three or four States. The
most important contest in its significance is
that IN Ohio. Ohio is great State with
large number of aspiring politicians in eth
er party who have won national reputation.
tis State in which the currents Of senti-
ment change easily, making it in a peculiar
degree an uncertain State Sometimes the
State is carried by the Democrats aud some
times by the Republicans, and whenever
there is decided change from one party to
another in Ohio it is safe to presume thai
there is similar tendency throughout the
great Northern State. Therefore it Is that
the elections in Ohio are always regarded
with great interest, and in the years pre-
cedng Presidential election this interest is
intensified.
Last year the Democrats made large gains
In Ohio as they did in most of the States;
but the signs are unmistakable that they
will be unable to hold their advantage, and
that the Republicans will recover the ground
lost, perhaps will obtain a victory SO decisive
az to leave the Democrats little hope for next
year. The Democratic party has placed it
self on the wrong side of some of the
vital questions of the time 1t is Oh
the wrong side of the tariff question.
or, at all events, has failed to make it clear
that il is or the right side. 1t is on the
wrong side of the civil service reform issue,
and has aenated the voters, a large body,
who regard that as the most Important issue
OF the present time. 1t is on the wrong side
OF the temperance question, having ostenta-
tiously coursed an alliance with the rumsel-
lers and antagonized every effort to regulate
and restrict the demoralizing traffic More
over 1t has offended the moral sense of the
plain people by open and notorious corrup-
ton in its management. Its State conven-
ton and the recent convention in Hamilton
County have made it quite apparent that no
honest purpose, no controlling principle,
governs it. Its nominations are not made
for merit but for price, and the ambitious
candidate who pays the highest price secures
the votes of the most delegates. The people
reason intelligently that party which bar
tiers its honors for money cannot be trusted
to conduct public affairs honestly Judge
Hoadley, its candidate for Governor is ut
terly broken down and has left the State. Ii
is doubtful if he returns before the election.
The Republicans are united, earnest, active.
and full OF confidence. They expect victory
and they are unlikely to be disappointed.
The next in importance of the elections is
that OF Massachusetts,, where last year
man without principles and without an hon
oraoie record, renegade, a demagogne and
bully, effected combination of the worst
OF the Republicans with all the Democrats,
and, favored by peculiar circumstances, Sc
cured popular majority for Governor. His
career in this Office, like his career in every
Office he has held, has been
shameful failure judged by any ac-
cepted standards of public honor and
decency. He is seeker of the Democratic
nomination for the Presidency. 1t is of vast
Importance to the good fame of the nation,
as well as of the Bay State, that he should
be defeated. The indications are that he
will be. He owns the Democratic party of
the State which has no will but his will, and
no principles but such as suit his personal
scheming. His overthrow will be Repub-
licau triumph and will do much to restore
the prestige of the party. He has given out
that he viii be the Democratic candidate
for Governor; but a convention will be held
as matter of form.
Last year the Democrats swept both New
York and Pennsylvania by immense majors
ties owing to perverse management on the
part of discl edited Republican leaders. The
Democrats made no substantial gains in the
voting but Republicans refused to vote at
all. The interest in the elections of these
States this year is because it will appear
whether the Republican party has rallied
the disaffected elements to its standard.
New York of course is doubtful State.
Pennsylvania is normally Republican State.
In neither of them is Governor to be elect
ed and it is improbable that full vote will
be polled, but nevertheless there will be af-
forded basis for opinions concerning the
issue Of the election next year. 1t will be
possible to judge with some, definiteness
whether the disaffection prevalent last year
continues, or whether it has vanished. The
campaign in Pennsylvania is well under way,
but in New York the conventions have not
yet been held.