Morning journal and courier., 1883-10-13
rrTu ARTTSar VOTERs

The election in Ohio was something of surprise to th- Republican managers, but by no means so surprising ss ButIer's election in Massachusetts or as the Independent strength developed in tho last elections in New York and Pennsylvania. Tho truth is, Q very large part of the voters have ceased to care anything about either of the political parties of the country. There are no very clear and distinct principles which separate Repubncanism from Democracy. It is non sense to say that the election in Ohio, or the last election in Massachusetts or New York or Pennsylvania turned on national princi- ples What are the national principles If the Ohio election means that the Buckeye voters have been converted to Democratic principles, tell us what they are converted to. What is Democracy? The Democratic press has been for months past trying to get up platform for the next campaign without hav- ing rndae any progress to speak of. Were the Democratic speakers in Ohio any better of? What national principles were discussed in that campaign and passed upon by the voters? So, toe, the elections in New York and Pennsylvania were
 
 Massachusetts did not represent Democratic principles. He did not represent any princi ples and never has. He was not elected by Democratic votes. for there are not enough of them He represented a revolt against the "croWd" that was running the State of Massachusetts. There was of course no hos tility against them on account of their Re- publican principles, but most likely because it was thought they hadn't any principles of any sort. The election in Pennsylvania was a similar revolt against Cameron. We do not know that even ths most enthusiastic Democrat has venturea to call the majority by which Cleveland was elected In New York a Democratic majority. The people have come to see Shat the parties represent 8 very small stock of principle, and local issues and even local fsuds now outweigh party eonsid- erations. It Is absurd to claim that there is great tidal we've of political conversion sweeping over the country when there is nothing to be converted from or to be con- Yerted to.
 It is to be borne in mind, however, that the Republican party is likely to suffer most from this dearth of principles. The party has been from the outset very largely made up of men who were influenced by 'tmoral
 ideas" The army of the stay at t'homes
 is mostly recruited from their ranks. After
 the close of the slavery contest there was little in politics which possessed any interest for them. The New York Evening Post in
 speaking of this class of voters says: 'fThe
 civil service reform movement in some de-
 gree at least touched their imagination, and proper mode eff dealing with 1t might have done much and strengthened their all
 legiance. But the persistence of the man.
 agers in floating and deriding it down to the elections of last fall had the unfortunate ef-
 feet of making it appear that the party was
 thoroughly controlled by trihers." The Re-
 publican party, ss the Post further suggests. is likely to fuffer from the want of some thing in the programme to awaken an en- thusiasm among thoss who constitute It's real strength and it intimates that new era of political organization is coming in-an icon oclastic period like that when the Whig party broke up and the Republican party was formed. Whether the Post is right or not, neither the Ohio election nor those of last fall were controlled by national politics or party questions If they indicate a break ing up of parties they give no hint of what is to come, nor much evidence of what Is to bs tbo result of the next presidential campaign. The country Is as much in the dark about
 that as if they had nos taken place.