The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1883-06-30
The Coming Contest.


The st. Louis Globe Democrat has been
prospecting the field of 1884, and arrives at
conclusions that may be summed up follows:
There will be 401 votes in the next Elec oral
College, POI being necessary for a choice.
The fifteen States of New York, Ohio, Penn
sylvania, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Maine,
Massachusetts,, Michigan, Minnesota, Ne
braska, New Hampshire, Vermont, Wiscon-
sin and Rhode Island furnish precisely the
requisite number. If the Republicans can
carry all of these, they can afford to let the
Democrats have the other twenty-three, in
GLIDING Indiana, New Jersey, Nevada, Col
orado, California, Oregon and Virginia
The only doubtful States in the list of fif-
teen enumerated above are New York and
Ohio. If the Republicans lose New York
and Ohio, they would have to carry all the
States mentioned in the second list, and
eight more votes besides, to win. There is
certain element, calling itself Republican,
which assumes that 1t will be good policy to
fiddle around with bargains and promises,
involving sacrifice of principle and weak
ening of the party at large, in order to stand
achance Ct securing Virginia and whatever
else can be got by trucking to Greenback-
ism and what not.
IT there is any one particular lesson
taught by the Situation it is that the party
shall devote its chief energies to the capture
of New York and Ohio. If the Democrats
carry both of those States, they will elect
their candidate hauon1 marc dvantura T,aar,.
is no chance of the Republicans gaining Con-
necticut, New Jersey or Indiana if they lose
New York and Ohio Indeed, if the Repub-
lieans lose either, their chance to recoup
themselves is very poor. The ground for
the contest is right in the he lrt of the thick
est population of the country, and the policy
for Republicans to adopt is clear and
straightforward and unembarrassed adhe-
renee to sound money, honest financial con-
duct, whether State or national, and the
conservation of the business and industrial
interests.
There have been opportunities enough for
Republican campaign managers to learn that
the full vote of their party can not be brought
out where there is a visible sacrifice of prin-
ciple. Nothing will cut that vote down
more than an evidence that the national
canvass is being conducted by mere schem-
ers. Should the party commit itself to Ma
honism or bosssm and reputation in the
probably vain hope of gaining Virginia-for
now the equal rights issue has lost its prom
inence-it would pursue course which
would be about as fatal in the case of New
York as were the forged proxies last year.
Respectable Republicans have grown very
sensitive to that sort of thing. In fair
open contest the Republicans can win the
next presidency. Their strongest weapon
is candor. Their best reliance is not in the
schemers and tricksters, but in the intelli-
gence and economic interests of the people.
The contest is not to be carried on by skir-
mishers and guerrllas, but by the methods
of honorable warfare. 1t is being discovered
that the masses of the party are not adapted
to any other kind of fighting, and that rath-
er than engage in any other kind many of
them will withdraw from the field altogeth-
e-.
There is every indication that the next
Presidential election in New York will be
regarded very much as that of 1880 was.
The winning card for the Republicans then
was the belief that a Democratic regime ]
would endanger The ssttsahility OF the 'y1siness
Interests. The Democrats b. zone moth
ing to strepg CITIZEN confidence in themselves
On the contrary they are in hopeless mud
die with reference to the tariff and to f.
nance in general. The people of the great
commercial and manufacturing States are
not willing to run any risks with them so
long as they have confidence in the Republi-
can party. II would be simply suicidal for
the party to weaken that confidence by alli-
ances with Greenbackers or regulators in
any form. The Democrats have in their IA
vor the natural tendency toward change of
party administration where one political Or
ganization has been long in power. They
have an executive record of over twenty
years to assall. If they only had reasona-
bly, decent and coherent public policy to
sustain, the chances would be very largely
in their favor. If the Republicans should
descend to their level, or even approach it
to any great extent, by communicating them
selves with demagogism and dishonest or
ignorant isms, the scepter would not be long
in passing from their hands.
The policy of relinquishing the main cita-
del in the endeavor to capture Insignificant
outposts has never been considered wise
one. And this is precisely what those par
ties advocate who lay SO much stress
IN the capture of Virginia and
perhaps North Carolina. A careful ex-
animation of the electoral votes of the sew
eral States is recommended to those who
think that energy can be spared from the
contests in New York and Ohio to be dissi-
pated elsewhere.