Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1884-07-18
NO. 40.

occurred on the very eve OF the
financial distress of 1857. The
Democratic canvass had been made
while there was yet no suspicion OF
impending panic and revoasion-
made indeed with constant b0asts
of the general prosperity and with
constant ascription of that pros
perity to the well-defned and leRg-
continued policy of the Demoer1-
tic party. From that time the
Democratic party became embar-
rassed in Pennsylvania. With a
tariff of their own making, with a
President of their own choice, with
both branches of Congress and
every department of the Govern
ment under their control, a serious
disaster had come upon the cOun-
try. The promises of Democratic
leaders had failed, their predictions
had been falsifed, and as a conse.
ouence their strength was shat
tered. The Republicans of Penn
sylvania, seeing their advantage,
pressed it by renewed and urgent
demands for a protective tariff.
On the other issues of the party
they had been hopelessly beaten,
but the moment the hostility to
slave labor in the Territories be-
came identified with protected la.
sor in Pennsylvania, the party was
inspired with new hopes, received
indeed new life.
sit was this condition Of public
opinion in Pennsylvania which
made the recognition of the pro-
tective system so essential in the
Chicago platform of 1860. 1t was
to that recognition that Mr.. Lin.
coin in the end owed his election.
The memorable victory of Andrew
G.. Curtin, when he was chosen
governor by a majority of $4,000,
was largely due to his able and
persuasive presentation Of the
tariff question, and to his effective
appeals to the laboring men in the
coal and iron sections of the State.
But for this issue there was in feet
no reason why Curtin should have
been stronger in 1860 than WilmOt
was in 1857. Indeed, but for that
issue he must have been weaker.
The agitation over the repeal of
the Missouri compromise had some
what subsided with the lapse of
years; the free-State victory in
Kansas was acknowledged and
that angry issue removed; while
the Dred Scott decision, failing to
arouse popular resentment at the
time it was pronounced, could
hardly be effective for an aggres.
sive canvass three years later. If
Governor Curtin could have pre-
sented no other issue to the voters
of Pennsylvania, he would un.
dOubtedly have shared the fate
which Wilmot met when he had
these anti-slavery questions as his
only platform. Governor Curtin
gave a far greater proportion of his
time to the discussion of the tariff
and financial issues than to all
others combined, and he carried
Pennsylvania because a majority
of her voters believed that the
Democratic party tended Ito free
trade, and that the Republican
party would espOuse and maintain
the cause of protection.
"Had the Republicans failed to
carry Pennsylvania, there can be
no doubt that Mr.. Lincoln would
have been defeated. An adverse
result in Pennsylvania in October
would certainly have involved the
loss of Indiana in November, be-
sides California and Oregon and
the four votes in New Jersey. The
crisis of the national campaign was
thefore reached in the triumph of
Governor Curtin in the State elec.
ton which preceded by four weeks
the direct choice of President. 1t
would be difficult to compute the
possible decentralization in the Re.
publicans ranks if Pennsylvania
had been lost in October. The d.
vision among the Democrats was a
fruitful source of encouragement
and strength to the Republicans,
but would probably have disap-
peared with the positive assurance
of success in the national struggle.
Whether in the end Douglas or
Breckenridge would have been
chosen President is matter of
speculation, but it is certain that
Mr.. Lincoln would have been de-
feated. The October election Of
Pennsylvania was for so long a
period an unerring index to the
result ofthe contest for the Presi-
1ency, that feeling almost akin
to superstition was connected with
t. Whichever party carried it
was sure, in the popular judgment,
% elect the President. 1t foretOld
he crushing defeat of John Quincy
Adams in 1923; it heralded the
disaster to Mr.. Clay in 1874; it
General Cass in lS4S.
rhe Republicans, having elected
heir candidate for governor in
1854 by a large majority, confident.
y expected to carry the State a.
yainst Mr.. Buchanan of 1856. But
he Democratic party prevailed in
he October election, and the sup
)orters of Fremont at once recog-
lized the hOpelessness. of their
,ause. The triumph of Governor
Curtin was the sure precursor of
Ilr. Lincoln's election, and that
'ery fact added immeasurably to
lis popular strength in the closing
month of the prolonged and excit.
Dp STRUGGLE.