The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1883-11-17
The November Elections.

luO 1llOOblOuOs
Interest in the late elections center
ed mainly in the contests in New
York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts
and Virginia. The tidal wave move
ment of 1882 had put on record a
Democratic plurality for Governor of
1854 in New York, 40 ,202 in Penn
sylvania, and l9,949 in Massachusetts.
The significance of this phenomenal
mob movement in politics was enc of
the questions to be passed upon, and
if returns may be trusted, it has,
with the future of the two parties in
mind, no significance at all.
In Massachusetts, General Butler
had for three years kept up war in
the Democratic ranks. In 1882 the
Democrats simply used him to defeat
the Republican candidate, and it so
happened, that while Buffers plural
ity was 1890, the Republican plural.
ity or other State officers was over
$4,000. Yet the triumph of Butler
was heralded as a triumph of the
Democratic party.
This year, the Democrats of Mas
sachusetts had no use for Butler,
which did not involve some risk in
the future. If they made him Gov
ernor for another term he would 60
into the Presidential campaign as a
disturbing element. The result shows
that Butler was deserted by either
the Republicans who voted for him
last year on personal grounds, or by
Democrats who, hating him person
ally, voted for him year ago on po-
litical grounds. In either case the sig
nificance of the result is the same. L
is clear now that the strength of Re-
publicanism in Massachusetts, is not
to be measured by the eccentricities
of 1882.
In Pennsylvania, in 1882. some So
900 Republicans voted for the indie
pendent and the Democratic candi.
dates for Governor, and in trying to
get out of the frying pan that was
not quite to their liking, jumped into
a fire that was irritating, beyond any
thing they had ever experienced.
But on this vote of 1882, PennsyIva-
mia was considered a doubtful State
or 1884. The vote of 1883 corrects
this impression. Although it was an
off year in that State, Pennsylvania
swings back into the Republican line.
with a majority as large as that giy-
en- for Hayes in 1876.
In New York, in 1882, the Repub-
licans played into the hands of the
Democrats, in such way as to make
1t extremely difficult to recover lost
ground. Cleyeland's plurality for
Governor in 1882, was f92,854 and
the election gave the Democrats a
majority of in the State Senate, and
of 40 in the House. The real test in
recovering lost ground was, of course,
the f1ght for the Legislature, and
here the Republicans have made
such gains as give them a working
majority in both Houses. But when
this is supplemented by the election
of the Republican candidite for Sec
rotary of State, by a plurality more
than half as large as that of Garfield
in 1880, and by close vote on candi-
dates for other State officers, the re-
versal of the record of 1882 is COM
plete. If this election has any mean
Ing at all, it means that the Republic
cans have as good a chance for carry.
ing the State on National issues in
1884, as they had in 1880.
In Virginia, the fight being be.
tween the Readjusters and the Dem
ocrats, had less significance with
Presidential issues in mind than in
the other States. 1t was a test Of
strength on the part of General Ma.
hone. who lei in one of the most ex.
citing campaigns that has ever been
made against the Virginia Bourbons
In effect his defeat, by the means EN-.
ployed, will do quite as much tc
strengthen him as leveler as a vic.