The Brookhaven leader., 1884-03-20
The PrH-Idep tial Outlook New
Xark err Nothing.

make no inn rcssion upon the great
Republican States OF the NnrthwC st
this year. If il is to have q fight
ing chance fur success in the Pre- 81
dental contest soon to open it must
"ncamp TN the old ground and he
gin hOstilities un the old ines. There
is no escape from it, The battle
field must he where It was in 1880
and in 1876 From tie position
then Uccupie, by the party, and still
open tu II, success is possible. From
any ether standpoint Democracy viii!
wage from the first hopeless and
dcspairing warfare.
10 1850, as in the campaign OF
four years before. the Democrats set
out to carry the South, New York,
New Jersey. Connecticut and
Indiana They failed in lndirna and
ia New York. aud they therefore lost
the election. but they came nearer
To success in those states than they
did elsewhere. anl they still remain
dehatabc gr,uld. This cannot b,
SAID of any other Northern states.
The splendid campaign mapped out
! hv few Southern an Western
enthusiasts now in Washington
which cCn;cmplates the abandon.
meut OF New York to the Republi
Guns and the carving by the Demo
cra's of Michigan. Wisconsin, Iowa
and Nebraska on the reform issue
| =, pntl;nn. h,tt
hollow indeed. aS to it real promise
Of sui stantial results. There is
without question n demand in the
West for q thorough revision of the
tariff and for the looping off of the
countless special privileges conferred
upon protected monopoies of every
! description, but this sentiment has
not vet crv,t died, and among Re,
| publicans there is Il disposition to
| give their own party still tnrther
opportunities to head and act upon
the demands Of the people. A Pre>i
Dental campaign between the two
old parties fought cut in the West
would result in Democratic disaster,
| both East and West. Mr.. Conk
ling's contemptuous remark that
''anyhody (Republican) can carry
Michigan is as applicable to that
state today as it was in 1880, and
the same may be said Of " isconsin,
Iowa, Nebraska and all other West
ern states. They cannot he carried
| for the Democrats this year GU any
! issue, righteous or unrighteous.
Persistent campaigning in favor OF
revenue reform and tariff reduction
would produce results in time, but
not in one wear or in four years.
! Elections held last fail in the
various .tHe, cleared the political
situation OF many uncertainties.
Massachusetts, and Pennsl lyania
wheeled back into the Republican
colnmn, and New York. though
nominally Democratic, elected one
Republican candidate, the heal OF
the ticket Virginia, for me Years
in the hands of Mahone, returned 10
the Democratic fold, and Ohio, al
ways Republican in Presidential
years, elected a Democratic Gov
ernor. Probably no one will deny
that Massachusetts and PennsylVa.
MIA will remain Republican, as Viz
! ginia will remain Democratic, and
| doubtless, it will not anywhere be
/ maintained that Ohin will vote next
tall as it did last. These plOposi
| lions being granted, the situation
resolves itself dawn to this: The
Democrats remain in possession OF
the Sputhern and border states, and
the Republicans either hold or are
certain to regain all the Northern
States usually classed rs safe for
them in Presidential years. Neither
party has gained any lasting adj
vantage over the ether since 1876,
and both remain reasonably secure
in their oldtime strongholds, with
only New York, Indiana, Connecticut
aud one or two of the Pacific States
in doubt.
Unless, then, the Democratic part,
iuten Is hv new and radical de
parture on economic issues to engage
in campaign in the West which
cannot POSSIBLY he eaectual this
y ear, although given promise of vi.
innate success. it mast SO shape its
pol;cy with reference to candidates
and platform as to secure the cleo
torial votes Of New York, New Jersey
and Connecticut or California, The
Southern and border states, all GER
tainly Democratic, have l53 cleo
toral votes. The Democrats might
cary tn sc and Connecticut, New
JERSEY, Indiana, Nevada and Cali
tornia, and still lack enough votes
to elect President. With popular
candidate and "A sensible platform
they might easily carry all OF the
Northern States last named. but
where would the remaining votes
necessary to success come from?
They must he given by New York
q state that Is oftener Democratic
than Republican. Without that
state the Democrats cannot elect
their ticket. With the candidate n
that state they invariably carried it
.,I a. I