Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1885-10-22
a Bad Beat.

Ohio election, the NcUS and Couyici
considers it o needed, Lesson. :, tn,
] election was peculiar in two respects.
I Colored voters in large numbers voted
the Democratic ticket, and Prohibi
tionists and Germans in large mum
bers voted for the Republican candi
dates. This'i reversing the ushal
order of things, but, in the North, the
white vote is more important by far
than the colored vote, and the new
recruits were not sufficient to count
erbalance the losses by change oi
front. Theirs WAS a confident expecta.
ton that the Prohibitionists who'ab-
stained from voting for DR.. Leonard
would join the Democrats by way OF
avengiug themselves .pon the Repub-
licans. The calculators were at fault,
however, and, in spite of the heavi-
ness of the Prohibition vote, which
was expected to be drawn mainly
from, the Republican ranks, the Demo
Gratis Were unsuccessful.
There will be 10 lack of explana-
tions and excuses. The weather will
come in for a part of the blame, and
the lavish use Of money by the Re-
publicans will be alluded to in no
gentle terms. But the Democrats are
usually reader to brave the weather
than the Republicans are, and the
Democrats, it must be confessed, use
at elections as many dollars--ailver
or otherwise-as they can beg or bor-
row. The ruddy tinge impaired to
the canvass by Mr.. Sherman was not
sufficient to color the result. There
is something beyond and behind these
things, and it is wisest to state it
frankly in order that the rock ahead
may be avoided at future elections.
Our conviction lie that the Democrats
We're defeated in Ohio because, in the
opinion Of the voters, they did not
deserve to be continued in power. 1t
is charged that the Legislature was
corrupt, and 80 extravagant that in
creased taxation is necessary. The
repeal of the license law resulted in
depriving the counties of gross rev.
enue of two million dollars year, 40
that the incorporated cities were COM
PEELED to issue bonds to raise money
for the support of the infrmaries and
police. 1t is undeniable that the Dem.
ocracy eignalized their victory last
year by casting out Senator Pendle-
ton-the father of civil service reform
and an accomplished gentleman-and
electing in his stead Mr.. Payne, who
has no other distinction than such as
is given him by his auriferous con-
nec4;on with the Standard Oil mo-
nopoly. The legislative hinges were
freely oiled when Mr.. Payne was elect
ed. This and the open hostility to
Judge Thurman may well have dis
gusted the quiet and disinterested
Democratic voters Of Ohio. It was
evident to them that the State Gov.
ernment was run by machinery, and,
in the North and West at least, there
are Democrats who think for them
selves and will not blindly vote fer
party candidates who are unworthy |
in character or conduct.
Ohio is warning. The Democrat |
ic defeat in that State will be followed |
by Democ: attic defeats in other States,
unless the Democratic masses make
their wishes and determination known
and gag the loquacious spoilsmen who
sneer at the reform of the civil SER
vice and hint that President Cleve
land is unfaithful to the Democratic
party. Mr.. Cleveland to day is strong.
er than the professional leaders Of the
National Democracy, and we firmly
believe that there wonld have been a
different result in Ohio if The Presi-
lent himss!f ksi .hsaa ah ts;a1s -. :.
The Victory Of the Republicans ia, il
fact, more Of a protest against Demo
cratic acksliding and rebuke to
Democratic malignidg than an indi
cation Of want Of confidence in the
President and his policy.
What, By the way, would have been
the extent of the Republican majority
in Ohio if President Cleveland had
worked the public Offices in the in
terest OF the Democratic candidates
in the manner iu which the Offices
were worked for the party's candi
dates by his Republican predecessors