Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-07-22
Fifty Years Ago
I'm The Star

With the presidential campaign un-
der way and the possibility OF third
parties" being organized. it
National Is interesting to note that
p.r4r so years ago a third
1aIty' party" had been formed to
oppose the Republicans and the Demo-
Gratis. The Star of July Is, 1878, says:
"If. without disrespect to the Ma
tional party, 1t may be cor'p"r-S,
IN view of its relative size and order
of development, with the tail OF an
imaginary dog whose body is made up
Of the other political organizations, a
doubt may properly be suggested as
to the correctness Of Dundreary's con-
clusion that dog must wag his tai
because the tail can't wag the dog
The latter's operation seems to have
been successfully performed in Cali
fornia. and not few other States are
anxiously waiting to be assured that
they shall. not witness a similar per-
Torrance within their own boundaries.
An interesting fight may be expected
in Massachusetts,, II Gen. Butler. who
manages to see a good deal In his
obiiuue giances through the political
grlndstone. has not lost his shrewdnesS
and entirely miscalculated the strength
of the Massachusetts, Nationals. The
general will take great pleasure in hold
ing the balance of power in his State
and in debating the way in which its
offices and honors should be divided.
In PENNSYLVANIA there Is a delight
ful uncertainty in the political strug-
gle. The election of perhaps half a
dozen Congressman apiece by the two
leading parties may be counted ON as
certain. but in the majority of the q
districts the result is doubtful. This
chaotic condition of affairs, together
with the hot weather, Is expected to
cause an alarming mortality among the
Pennsylvania political prophets. Candl-
dates also will be in q distracted state
of mind until the drawings are made in
this grand political lottery. The figur-
ing in regard to Luzerne County. whose
vote Is put down just now as the factor
which viii; decide the contest, viii give
an idea of the data from which calcu-
lations as to the result must be de-
rived. In 1871. with total vote OF
26,774. the Democratic majority was
2,002 this majority decreased in 1875
and increased In 1876. In 1877 out of
a total vote of 25.398 the Democrats
obtained only 4.4lS. the Republican
vote being 6.405 and the Nationals
sweeping the districts With l4.575. AS
! this result may be changed at the next
election by the ballots of more than
10000 registered voters in the county
who failed TO get to the polls last year,
and as the most contradictory esti-
mates OF the strength that the Ma
tionals nave retained are made. 1t may
safely be asserted that 1t Is impossible
to determine what will happen at the
polls of Luzerne County next Autumn.
And III ne axSartad the raSt1lt Of the
PENNSYLVANIA election depends upon
the decision of this county We must
firmly refuse to point out the next
governor of that State.
In both Ohio and Indiana the man.
ayers of the two great parties have gone
s.wooing' to the National party. and 1t
is not yet evident which Is the favored
sutton. In New York. too, Ii has been
seen that prominent State officials are
not Indifferent to the newcomer among
political organizations. and the Ma
tionalS of that State may congratulate
themselves that they have at least
made many politicians decidedly I'M
comfortable. But il is unnecessary to
multiply instances where the growth of
the new party Is spreading consterna-
ton The avoidance by the Nationals
as u party of the errors into which
there is danger that they win be led by
some shouting demagogueS will make the
fears of the old parties we'll founded,
and II Is this alone which will cause
the increase of the new party 10 be
other than mushroom growth like
that OF other political organizations
which have temporarily cut a figure In
the history OF this country and quickly
passed away