Year: 1874

lftom tne CLEVELAND heIhlu, Ocb lSh.I


Speculation is at work all over the
country divining the causes Of Republi-
can defeat in Ohio, Among other causes,
a special from Washington to one Of our
exchanges says. 1.-THE drift Of opinion
here is that the result in Ohio is not so
much due to the temperance issue as to
the circumstances that the people have
opened their eyes to a realization of the
time and state Of affairs, have thrown off
the office-holders yoke, and have begun
to think and act for themselves"


That '!drf" does not tell the truth.
The main cause Of Republican defeat
was the temperance issue No one in
Ohio can question that fact. Still "there
is something" in the assertion that the
rank and hle have become restive under
party rule Of officials. Offie-holders run
the primary meetings and run the nom
mating conventions. That is so, and
scores Of Republicans on election day
broke away from party nominations, be-
cause those nominations were the work
Of mere party machinery manipulated by
office-holders. And yet office-holders
are not alone in fault in this matter. Of
6ce holders are very heavily taxed for
election expenses And ofice-holders
are expected to do the electioneering
work, and the consequence naturally is
that a ring is formed, and, for the time
being in every county each man who
holdsan Office must belong to that ring,
II we could return to the old way, when
man who sought nomination, or after
nomination advocated his own election,
was damned by so doing, we should not
suffer from office-holders' rings. But as
it is now, men are selected more from
their merits as mere electioneers than
most any other cause. A poor man
stands no chance for prominent political
position by the side Of rich man, and a
man who is good on the stump" dis
tances the modest man who cannot make
a speech,


Party politics are in the hands Of office
holders or Of office-seekers. And that's
what's the matter to-day with our polit-
ical affairs. II it could be so contrived
that office-holders would let the people
manage the party machinery in the pri'
maries and in the nominating conven'
tons, it would be a great improvement
But we expect no such thing, and there
fore will accept the tidal wave" theory
as a settled matter in American politics
and he who is wisest will not plant his
hopes as to be terribly disappointed every
now and then by being taken square of
his feet and stranded high and dry away
above the water line, whence it is very
questionable if water is again evel
reached"


The above tells much that's true. Tht
facts are that the significant defeat Of th'
party in power is not owing wholly tt
any one cause. Each has had its effect
But it must be apparent that the cause
which have been unsettling public con
fdence in the leaders and policy Of tn
party in power, have been in operation
for years-long before the temperanc
movement alarmed any one. The resul
in Ohio last fall, and other states since
especially the New England States, Con
necticut and New Hampshire last spring
emphatically demonstrates that grea
change was rapidly approaching. Tn
temperance movement may have had
effect in localities, but as general caus
has had little or nothing to do in bring
ing about the late Republican disasters


In Stark county. for instance, VIII
should Page beat Bour l2I6, if the ten


perance issue was the only one ? And
Mahoning why should Woodwork bel
Wilson 1877


The public sentiment may be date


from the financial collapse last fall. o.
people are practical people-judge an


act from actualities. They conclude thi


the condition Of the country--the disa
tiers Of business, the enormous burden
, the corruptions, the lawlessness and Il


general decentralization are all attributi


BILE to the policy Of the party in powe


These are undoubtedly the main caus'


OF the revolution that has set in and TIL


is likely to continue till a complete chang
S effected.