Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1885-11-05
THE DEFEAT.

The defeat OF the Republicans in New
York and Virginia is accounted for in
various ways. To account for defeat in
any matter is hard. and the explanations
offered are generally far more apologetic
than explanatory. The fight in New
York was strictly upon party lines, while
in the Presidential fight of last year large
numbers OF either party crossed the lines,
and were found fighting in the ranks of
the enemy and against former comrades.
One reason which may be given for the
election OF Hill on Tuesday is that he was
maligned and slandered by his opponents
without any just cause, as he was not the
spokesman he had been represented to be.
Various parties had sought to make cap
ital for the Republicans and to weaken
the Democratic party by saying that the
President, Secretary Manning and Col.
Lamont did not desire the election OF
Governor Hill. This was totally untrue,
and yesterday those so accused proved
the assertion to be untrue by voting the
straight Democratic ticket. Another
cause for the defeat of the Republicans in
New York was the fact that the Republi-
can State Central Committee made n
grave mistake in inviting such men as
Sherman, Logan and Foraker into the
State to stump for Davenport, because
each one Of these men had no word to
say on the question as to which party
would give New York the best govern
ment under the two candidates, but they
all confined themselves to the Haunting
OF the bloody shirt and the revival of Sec
tional issues. The bloody shirt and sec.
tional issue had nothing to do with the
question at issue in New York, and it was
bad policy to try to make it an issue
Sherman went to Virginia with the same
argument that he and Logan and Foraker
had used in New York; and he went tc
Virginia to pledge the Republican party
OF the North to the support not only ol
Wise, against whom there seems to be nc
objection personally, but OF Malone. Ma
honeis the very personifcation OF an un-
scrupulous political boss, and it is a
matter of history that he gave his vote in
the Senate in exchange for the Federal
patronage OF Virginia. The manner in
which he has used that patronage is q
disgrace to American politics. Another
reason why the support of Malone by
Sherman was obnoxious to the Republi-
cans of the North, is the fact that Malone
is II repudiator OF the worst type, al
though Reputation infects both parties
in Virginia.
These, we believe, are among the chic
causes for the defeat Of the Republican
candidate for Governor of New York or
Tuesday. The defeat of the Republicans
in Virginia is readily explained by tht
fact that Virginia is Democratic by d
large majority, and that the doings o
Malone have disgusted the better clasi
OF people. But it was good thing t.
have a son OF Governor Wise run rs
Republican candidate for the Governor
ship of Virginia against son Of Genera
X. +. Lee, for it shows that the new ers
and changed condition OF things are ac
cepted on all sides. In country gov
erned by parties it can never be desirabl,
to have one party so overwhelmingly il
the majority that it may come to domin
eer without fear OF public censure or pos
sible defeat.