The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1885-10-13

it is. generally believed very large
vote will be polled. The fight is TRAN
eular. the temperance people taking
mart in the contest, not with any idea
of winning anything, but for the pur
: nose of showing that they are gaping
and that their cause really forms an
element in politics. 1t was for this
same reason that ProhibitiOnists. last
veal. nominated st. John and went into
the campaign as if they intended to
win. The Ohio temperance people, like
the national Prohibitionists of 1884. can
do nothing for themselves, but they
may defeat the Republicans as st. John
beat Blaine. Perhaps three-fourths OF
the temperance voters will come from
the ranks of the Republicans; Demo
Gratis, who are good and pure and
patriotic, are not, as rule,
we believe, fanatically addicted to
the use of the beverage that teetotalers
advocate, and besides they do not think
that certain of the inherent rights of
the individual citizen should be inter
fered with or abridged by the State.
] There are quite as sober and temperate
men among the Democrats as among
! Republicans, and men who would be as
well pleased as any can be by the sup
preston of the rum traffic, but 1t is
fact that the prohibition voters come
largely from the ranks of the Republ-
can party, and as a consequence, the
larger the temperance vote in Ohio TO-
day the smaller will be that Of the
Republicans. If the temperance bal
lots number 10000, the Democratic
ticket will be elected; if they fall far
shert of that number, we guess Hoadly
will have to retire as Governor in favor
of Foraker. A telegram in this issue
of THE HERALD says both parties are
claiming the Legislature, but this claim
on the part of the Democrats seems
ridiculous. The State has been SO
wickedly gerIymandered in favor of the
Republicans that with large majority
of the aggregate votes on their side, the
Democrats would still lose the Legisla-
ture, and therefore not enjoy the privi-
lege and delight of electing a successor
to John Sherman in the u S. Senate
The chances seem against Democratic
success on any point. 1t will be an
agreeable surprise if they can reflect
the Governor; and to elect a majority of
the Legislature would astonish them
quite as much as it would the Republi
cans. Ohio is a Republican State, and
there is no reason why it should change
its politics on this occasion. The
national administration has en- the
Democratic party no~enco ement;
on the contrary, its infuen as been
exercised in such wayas e injuri-
Gus rather than beneficial to the Dem
ocracy. The few Democrats who have
been appointed to Federal offices in Ohio,
likeCleveland'S; opointees generally feel
themselves handicapped by the Presi-
dents non-committal and non-partisan
policy, and they have not been able to
work as they should and would have
done if they had felt free to labor for
the success Of their party. The Federal
official influence and power remain
largely with the Republicans, who are
not afraid to use them in behalf of
their side. If the Democrats do not
win in Ohio to-day, they may charge
a large share of their defeat.to the in
activity and disinterestedness of Presi-
dent Cleveland, who had it in his power
to continne the Democratic State adj
ministration, and to gain a Democratic
Senator in the place of the bltterest Re
publican of them all-John Sherman.
We are not certain that Democratic
defeat will be a thing to occa-
sion deep regret it may prove
a benefit and blessing by making the
President understand that he owes
something to his party. If it will teach
him that the country expects Demo
cratic administration to be Democratic
in something more than the simple pro-
fession of the President, it may cause
him to act in time to save the party
from the overwhelming defeat three
years hence 70 which his course is
inevitably leading.
Quite as important as which party
shall win is the question to be decided
by to-day's voting, as to whether or not
tho October elections shall be abolished
in Ohio. Ii the people decide to abolish
the elections in this month, they will do
the country at large great service, and
take from Presidential contests an eIe-
ment that is annoying to say the least. |
President CLEVELAND has at last
made an appointment to a Federal
Office in Utah before the incumbent's
commission had expired. Yesterday a |
Mr. Dement,, Of Illinois, was appointed
Surveyor-GeneraI. in place of General |
Solomon, who has held the Office so
long. It's to be regretted that the first |
Republican removed should be one
of the two or three "xbita,I ,,,o,, /