New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-11-04

TIE PRESIDENT HOLDS HIS OWN SIAIF'
The Demo rats retain New York. Governor
Hill has been elected by figure so handsome us
to make the beggarly plurality which the state
gave President Cleveland almost lnVlslDle'
The return of voters whom Mr.. Blalnes cam
dIdacy alienated did not make good to the
Republican party the loss this year OF voters
whom that candidacy attracted. In fact, the
gain does not seem to have equalled one-thlrd
OF fourth of the loss.
The danger against which THE TRIBUNE has
earnestly warned the Republicans has proved
the fatal one. The stay-at-home voters ue-
cided the matter the vote was light, Duu 'ho
Republicans who did not take the trolble
to vote Outnumbered the Democrats The
apathy naturally following the extraordinary
strain of last year affected the party
then defeated, while the Democrats were
flushed with their first Presidential victory for
quarter of century. A very much smaller
vote than was cast for Mr.. Blaine would
have sufficed to bury Mr.. Hill, but the
Republicans were not aroused TO cast
such vote. Against them were all the
power and patronage of new Administration.
The Democrats know that they can afford to
neglect everything else, if they can hold New
York and the Solid South They have cOncen-
trated everything upon New-YOrk. Regardless
of precedent, they have taken from that State
not only the President but the Secretary OF
the Treasury and the Secretary of the Navy,
with their enormous patronage and power.
The Civil Service Reform Administration
fought nobly for Mr.. Hill, missing no OPP
portunity. from the pig railes in the Custom
House to the widely advertised sub
scriptions of the President and members
of his Cabinet. Indeed, not single
Republican subscription i'll this city, from
banker, merchant or sO-called millionaire,
equallcd that OF Mr.. Cleveland himself, or that
of Mr.. Manning or of Mr.. Whitney, and hardly
one equaIed that of Mr. Clevelands private
secretary. Thus forcibly were the virtues OF
suppressing offensive partiSanShlp III ONCE
illustrated.
But the Republican phalanx is neither routed
nor broken. As The significant gain i'll Oneida
shows, it is more heartily united than 1t has
been at any other time for many years, ana
though beaten on the State ticket, it holds both
branches of the State Legislature by strong
maiortleS. The severe storm in the INTERIOR
which made the vote lighter, did not cost the
Republicans any seats III the Legislature. The
plain truth seems to be that many Republican
voters did not expect to succeed this year.
against the concentration of power by the Adj
minlstra ion TO save itself, and therefore did
not make the efforts necessary TO success.
Curi0uSly enough, many other Republicans
after Ohio, and after the vOcifcrous return OF
certain newspapers, became Ovcr-c0niidcnt, and
hence a further loss Others thought an off
year was a good time to indulge in Prohibi
ton vote.
1t is not to be forgotten that defeat of the
Administration this year i'll Newlork would
have been a wonderful and almost unprece-
dented phenomenon. Not once, since present
political divisions have existed or for nearly hall
| century has an Administration been beaten in
the Presidents own State in the first year after
! his election. \ defeat 50 Illuminating, no Pres
idcnt Of either party since Van Bnrcn has had
to face. The Republican voters were not able
! to realize that. in a few short months, the
| new Administration had weakened itself
that full vote would have insured such
| phenomenal defeat. With no Congressman to
| be elected, with no direct issue to force Ma
| tional questions upon their attention, they
! have suffered the Administration to retain the
one Northern State upon which 1t has cOnccn-
! trated its power And vet il is now plain that
even the Presidents own State might have
been carried by the Republicans this year, had
they realized their opportunity.
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