Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1883-10-11
Aancaster fnteIIigencer.
THURSDAY EVENING. OCT. II, 1888.
The Political DIagno osIs.

The Republican politicians are en-.
gagged in the interesting and profitable
inquiry Who Killed Cock Robin ?"
We know what the sensation Is, having
at divers times had occasion to make the
same post mortem examination. 1t is
not cheerful business, but serves coed
end IL only as natural distraction to
the distressed mind. There appears, rs
usual, to be quitea variety of opinions as
to what caused the Republican party to
come to grief in Ohio and in the same
newspaper divers editorial views will
be found on the same page. The Phila.
delphia Times, which, while not Re.
publican journal, hangs out rs proles.
sional expert in diagnosing political
diseases, seems to say in one expression
OF opinion, that the liquor question did
the business in Ohio, while the editor in
chief elaborately expresses his conviction
that it had very little, if anything, to do
with the result. AS he telegraphs from
the battlefield he ought to know
more about it than we do away off
but sometimes the smoke of the
conflict obscures the vision of the
close at hand spectator, and this
is likely to be the case here. 1t is very
unlikely, in view of the immense vote
cast for the prohibition amendment that
the temperance issue did not largely af-
feet the gubernatorial vote. Col. Nc
Clure argues, from the comparatively
small Democratic majority in Cincinnati
and Cleveland, that the liquor interest
was not solidly engaged for the Demo.
cratic ticket, as it was expected to be.
But this may be an error, as the dimin.
ished Democratic majority in these cities
may as readily be accounted for by
charging il to the alienation of the
Democratic temperance sentiment.
The remarkable thing about this Dem
ocratic victory is that the very strong
temperance sentiment, as expressed in
the vote for the amendment, did not
defeat the Democratic ticket which was
the one most acceptable to the liquor
interest. 1t is evident that the Demo.
cratic voters, of temperance sympathies,
generally contented themselves with
voting for the amendment while sup.
porting the ticket. But the floating and |
independent vote which is not held down |
by strong party ties, but is cast according |
to the sympathy of the hour, must |
have been greatly affected by the TEN
perance issue and naturally gravtated |
away from the Democratic ticket. 1t |
would not go to the Prohibition ticket, |
because that had no chance of election /; |
and the Republican ticket would natur.
ally have received this vote. 1t is true
that the straight Prohibition ticket |
would take more from the Republican
than from the Democratic vote but
it is not likely that this vote was very
large and the lesson Of experience
would be that the Republican party was
benefited rather than hurt by its sup
posed sympathy with the popular ten
perance movement.
AS the Democratic ticket did not owe
its success to this issue, its victory is all
the more important as a gauge of the
general political sentiment of the cOuE-
this illumination, to be advancing in the
anti-Republican line upon which it some
time ago started. There were questions
in Ohio of local Importance. outside the
question, which helped along
the Democratic movement. The reduc-
tion of the duty on wool, for instance, is
credited with reduced Republican vote
in the wool growing districts. But all
such local influences are but an aid TO
the general tendency. If the country was
not tired of Republican rule, these par
tlcular causes of discomfort would not he |
potent. They are now but part Of
the great bill of Indictment drawn up
by fretted and tired nation agans.
,he ruling power, which tells it that it ,
nustgo. 1t has often been worse in the !
past than in the present. TO day there
ire not the striking issues between the t.;
,reat parties that have often been Ir,-
'ented there is no fresh great outrage
against the people, such as the seating of
Hayes, for which to arraign the party in
)ower. Its president is the most re-
spectacle one we have had since John
son. But now it is condemned and
hrust out not as the result Of any one
revocation, but as the final sentiment
revoked by the whole record. The
easOn of its downfall is general dissatis "
action.