Year: 1879

Cultivate Con6dencs-Two Ways of Look


ing at the Political Situation.


DEAR HERALD: No one who has
talked (or rather listened) much on
politics in this State can fail to have
noticed amongst a.portion of the
Democracy disposition to give
the Presidential battle up in adj
vance. Few Californisns expected
to see the party develop the tre-
mendous vitality shown in the elec-
tion of Mr.. Tilden in 1876. 1t is no
exaggeration to say that two Cali
fornians out of three supposed that
Grant would succeed himself as
President up till the moment it be-
came apparent that Republican
sentiment would not endure this
outrage on our immemorial nation
al usage. When these persons saw
that Hayes was nominated they
concluded as q matter of course
that he would be elect ed.


THESE WORTHY DESCENDANTS OF


cAssANDRA


Are largely represented in our
ranks to-day. They regard Gen.
Grant as already as good as nomi-
mated and elected. They point to
the result of the election in New
York as confirmation sure as proof
of holy writ that the Democratic
party is hopelessly demoralized-
that there are so.called Democrats
who are ready to slaughter the par
ty in the house of its friends. They
give up the whole struggle in ad-
vance. They refer one to the pro-
digious power, the perfect organiza-
tion, the unlimited peeuniary re.
sources of the Republican party, as
irrefragable evidence that 1t will
prove irresistible in the coming
struggle. They abound in evil fore
bodings of imperialism. They al
ready see Grant in the White
House. In their lively Imagination
he is installed there for life, with a
happier experience than Macbeth,
q son of his succeeding. 1t is diff
cult to say precisely how much
these nerveless and respondent peo-
pie have had to do in softening the
additionally strong backbone of
the Democracy of this State. They
are the Jonahs of our political craft,
and if they could be either silenced
or thrown overheard the party
would get along better. To let it be
seen that you are pretty confident
that your adversary is going to
Click" you is bad spirit in which
to enter political fight. The closed
visor and the lance couchant is the
attitude which any one who ex-
poets to win ought to take up.


ON THE OTHER HAND,


fnd amongst the most discern
ing men of the party a spirit of the
utmost confidence as to the future,
both in the State and nation. As
to the New York election, they
dwell upon Its perilous closeness.
The combined vote of Kelly and
Robinson would have left Cornell
beaten by a majority of thirty
seven thousand, and that notwith-
standing the fact that the mere
plight in which the Democracy
was left by the Kelly bolt was
equivalent to q loss of fifty thou
sand votes. With defeat preor-
dained for the Democracy, tens of
thousands of good but disgusted
Democrats stayed away from the
polls. All the time-servers rallied
to the side of the party which, it
was seen, must inevitably be sue
cessful. Cornell was, par excel
lence, the representative of the
third term, and the smallness of
the vote received by him is a pre-
cursor of the tremendous Republi-
can bolt which would greet the
nomination of Grant. They say,
and truthfully, that no election
that was ever held in that State
showed better how reliably strong
the Democracy of New York is. 1t
demonstrated the fact that, united
with the ordinary conditions of
campaign, the party cannot be de-
feated. Kelly can never again lead
away any considerable number of
Democrats. New York and In
diana being all that are needed to
assure the election of the Demo-
cratic candidate, the percentage of
chance is still largely in favor of
the Democratic party, es-
pecially should Grant be
the nominee of the Republicans.
Probably every Democrat in Cali
fornia knows of two or three Re-
publicans whom he has heard an
nounce an unslterable determine
tion never to vote for Grant for a
third term. This feeling is even
stronger in the East. Grant, as the
ostentatious candidate of the mon
eyed men, and of those who are in
favor of a strong government"
would be amazed at the defections
from his party which would be re-