Year: 1877

| There appears to be woful lack OF har-
mony in both parties in this State just now.
If either were united it would be sure Of
carrying the State against its quarreiling
opponent but as matters stand the
| shrewdest political calculators are at a loss.
| Each party points to the faction fights
among its opponents as evidence that 1t
will carry the State but we doubt If either
| believes confidently in success. What
with Tilden and anti-Tilden, Tammany and
anti -Tammany, new candidates and re-
nominations, the democrats are badly split,
and though they have the art of patching
up truce before election day there are
this year many discordant elements and
some scarcely appeasable hostilities. AS to
the republicans, they also are torn to pieces
by the quarrels of their leaders, and their
Convention threatens to be like Barnum's
Happy Family, in which each was but too
ready to eat up the other.


But these internal dissensions are not oil.
To them must be added the troublesome
fact that the people are taking very little in
terest in the election. 1t is, as a republican
politician remarked the other day, "one OF
the most fearfully Off-years in politics
that ever was known" Secretary Evarts
shrewdly says, in an interview which we
print elsewhere, that the people are not in
terested just now in partisan politics. They
are looking for reforms, and ready to ap-
plaud them regardless of party. They feel
that for once they have truly national
administration one not bound by party
bonds, but aiming to serve the country.
Mr.. Evarts believes that the country is to
return to prosperity during the present ad-
ministration. That means that he, who is
at tho head of the Cabinet, means to do all
he can to help the measures necessary to
bring prosperity. 1t means we take it, that
he is assured of the cooperation of the rest
of the Cabinet. 1t means, undoubtedly,
that the President and his advisers intend to
spend their time and efforts in the service
Of the country, and not for the advancement
of party interests. If they do this it may be
bad for both parties, but it will be good for
the country, and, whoever may oppose the
administration, it will have the cordial sup
port Of that great third party, the inde-
pendent voters, whose faithful organ the
HERALD is.


Meantime, if we were asked to advise the
political managers we should say to them,
"Let your platform give the strongest possi-
BILE approval of the Presidents policy"
That is the way to the hearts and votes of
the people this fall. We believe that if the
republicans should, at their convention,
oppose the President and the democrats
should give him their approval, this fact
alone would give the State to the demo-
Gratis. II, on the other hand, the republi-
can convention should adopt hearty and
sweeping approval of the President and
his policy, we believe that would do
more than anything else they can do to Sc
cure them the State, and for the reason that
there is in fact no other positive platform
on which they can stand; and a unanimous
and hearty approval of the administration
would rally to their party the independent
voters, who hold the balance of power and
who universally approve of the President,
but will not take much trouble to support
o platform which opposes or coldly sup
ports him. That, in our Judgment, is the
key to State politics this fall.