The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1888-09-20
A NOTEWORTHY REFORM.

THE presidential election of 1888
will be remarkable, says an exchange,
for the fact that it is preceded by no
great October election" Ohio was
the last of the important states to
abandon the old system of holding
two elections within few weeks OF
each other-the first for state officers
and the second for federal. Ohio had
her October election" as usual in
1884, but only year later the people
adopted an amendment to the consti-
tuition abolishing the system. Indi-
ana had an October election in 1880,
but did away with the plan before
1884. Iowa and West Virginia fell In
with the tide in 1884 Pennsylvania
had led the way in 1873, when the
new constitution was adopted. The
only northern states which still hold
preliminary state elections in the fall
of a presidential year are Vermont
and Maine, which are too one-sided in
politics for the result to carry much
weight, and in these, for some time
past, there has been a growing agita-
ton for the abolition of the duplex
system.
The change which has thus been
brought about is a reform of great i'm
portance. Under the old policy the
elections in the October states lost
their true character as controversies
over state issues, and became merely
the first engagements of the presiden-
tial struggle. The question was not
as to whether a certain candidate or
a policy were better than the candi-
date or policy on the other side, but
how the party might secure the larg-
est possible share of moral effect
upon voters throughout the Union
"As goes Pennsylvania, so goes the
Union" used to be the most familiar
of notices, and the Floating vote
throughout the country was expected
to be carried along with the tide
which swept over the Keystone state
Before the war the state was Otter
very close, Harrison carrying it IL
1910 over Van Buren, by the narrow
margin of only 349 plurality. Aftel
Pennsylvania dropped out of the DC
tober procession, popular interest cen
tered upon Ohio and Indiana, espe
cially the latter, as always a close ant
doubtful state. The demoraliZin&
fight for its control in October, 1880
was one of the most discreditable in
cidents in our political history.
There was never anything to bt
said in favor of the October election
or of state election at any othel
time within few weeks of the presi
Dental election. 1t was expensive
without rendering any return for the
money invested; it changed the ISSUE
in the state from the proper basis o.
state questions to the national contro
versy; it distracted the attention o.
the rest of the country; and it ex
erted an influence beyond the STATE
upon the discussion of the national
controversy Swhich was disturbing
Instead of carrying on a reasonable
campaign in all the states, the party
managers massed their forces in two
or three, and the others were expected
to be, and too often were, profoundl.
affected by the result. In 1880 tn,
result of the presidential election wa
practically decided, and was generall
felt to be decided, when the verdict O
Indiana upon the state controvers
was rendered.
1t is in every way great gain to b
rid of the whole October business. II
general elimination is an exceller
illustration of the way in which con
mon sense triumphs over tradition
When general Harrison's grandfathe
ran for president, the people did NJ
vote for president throughout I'll
country on the same day. On I'll
contrary, the balloting began in Penn
sylvania and Ohio upon the La
Friday in October, and closed
North Carolina upon the secon
Thursday of November. Such sy'
TEN was even less defensible tina
that of preliminary state election
and it did not long survive. III
October election" folly had more v
tality, and a struggle was general
required to put an end to it. III
gain to the cause of good politics |
its abolition is so great that it is hal
to overestimate it.