The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1884-10-20
Mr.. Blaine's Party in High Spirits.


The special despatch from South Bend,
Indiana, published this morning shows the
god spiIi of Mr.. Blaine and his travelling
companions in view of the events of last
week. The results of the elections are
cheerful aud satisfactory to them, and what
conditions in Michigan and Indiana leads 10
conclusions which will have an inspiriting
effect on the party throughout the country.
The promise of $4,000 majority in Michigan
and of II, 900 in Indiana is perhaps only
what 1t is reasonable to expect after the
Ohio result; but in The conflict of opinions
and guesses, often coming from persons who
have Very imperfect knowledge, it is a graf
ifcation to Obtain confident assurances of
Republican success from source not likely
to be misinformed about the real condition
of tbiIgs in these two States.
Our corr espondent in speaking of the fact
that the vote for Congressmen in Ohio.
(which more truly represents the feeling of
the people regarding national question than
the vote for State oficers) shows that the
Republican majority comes within 500 votes
of the majority cast for the head of the Re-
publican State cket four years apo. Some
critical per son, we presume, will say it is
not fair to compare .he recent vote for Con-
gressmen with the vote fer State officer
four years ago. We always like TO estop the
carpirg of such people, and, to save the nee
essity of returning to the subject, will say
now that the Republican majority In the
election of Congressman in 1880 was 21 ,915.
which is 3,445 more than the reported
majority this year. But before any Demo-
Graf proceeds to draw an immense consola-
ton from these figures he will do well to
recoIltet that there has been an election of
Congressman since 1880. In the Cougre
sional election of 1882 the Democrats had
majority of 20,401. The Congress then
chosen has had one session and the effect of
its performance is that the Democratic ma
jority OF 20, 401 in OHIO two years ago is
changed into Republican majority OF 49,
476 That is pretty substantial verdict of
condemnation.
We do not quite understand how gain of
four Congressman in Ohio is claimed. The
Republicans elected eight in 1882. The
Democrats have unseated one leaving seven
Republicans In this Congress. We have
now elected ten Republicans to the next
Congress which is gain of thres. We ought
TO have gained more with net gain on the
popular vote of nearly 10000; and we should
have done SO but for the ingenuity with
which the State has been districted to give
the Democrats an advantage.
In West Virginia our gains are due large
ly to the disappearance of the Greenback
party as separate party. By this means a
large number who had broken away from
the Democratic party have come to act with
the Republicans not caring to go back to the
darkness aud bondage of bourbonism. In
1880 when the Democratic plurality was
about $1,000 the Greenback vote was about
$4,000. A large proportion of these has come
to the Republican party; but some have
Joined the Democracy or we should have
come nearer carrying the Siste than we
seemed to have done. But tn. reported
Democratic maj 'rity is rapidly Diminishing
as trust worthy returns come in, and It NAV
yet appear that the Republican position on
the tariff and the popularity of our candi-
dates have redeemed that State.