Year: 1874

THE NEW YORK "TTMEs"


The result of the elections Yesterday IN
this and other Eastern States will not be
surprise to anybody, except, perhaps, to
a few persons at Washington, and it GER
tainly will not surprise any of our readers,
who have been kept tolerably well informed
as to the causes which inevitably tended to
produce the present overflow of the Re-
publican party. All that could be done
hoGorably to avert this defeat has been
done by us, but since the last Presidential
election, many Of the party leaders have
been deaf alike to advice and remonstrance.
They have apparently believed that the
people would quietly submit to anything
and everything, and that the party which
they represented was indestructible. Moth
ing short Of the events which we record
this morning could have opened their eyes
to the truth


The great and signal defeats of yesterday
virtually began last year. The panic did
much injure the Republican arty, but the
effects OF that disaster might have been
greatly lessened had wise course been
adopted by Congress in relation to the
finances. All through last winter we
begged Republican Congressman to do
something, and to do it quickly, and we
pointed out the certain consequences Of their
mistakes and delays. In return for perform
ing that unpleasant duty We were simply
told that we were traitors" to the Repub-
lican party, and that we should be instantly
stamped out Of existence. The misInanagc-
ment at the Treasury, the Sanborn frauds
and the general series Of blunders in nearly
all the public departments were in the
meantime causing incalculabie mischief
The first two nominations for chief justice
were shocking blunders, and disgusted the
whole people


The administrators was making enemies
and losing friends every day. The party
was handed over to the Platts and Buffers
And just when the disappointment and
irritation of the people became most mark
ed, the paper at Washington, which has
come to be known as mere speakingtube
Of the White House, was set to work cry
ing out for General Grant for third
term What could any sane man antici-
pate from such astounding folly except the
over whclming defeats Of yesterday? In
this State Republican majority of %, 600
has been turned into Republican defeat
Of i, ,000, change of 81 900 votes. The
gentlemen who have had the Republican
party in charge during the past two years
will be obliged to admit to-day that they
have nearly strangled it.


It would be useless to dwell on these
obvious lessons except in the hope that they
viii be thoughtfully pondered at Washing
ton and elsewhere. IF the greatest party
ever known in this country is to be saved
from utter destruction two years hence, and
if it is not to pass from history disgraced
as well rs defeated the leaders and managers
must make thorough change in their
policy. 1t would be still wiser to change
many of the leaders themselves. Fortunately
the people have disposed of Butler as they
would have swept away some other
prominent persons, in both House and
Senate. if their votes could have been
brought to bear directly upon them. There
is vet time to prevent a still more crushing
blow in 1876, but to do that will tax the
combined efforts of the best minds III the
Republican party The opposition will now
have an opportunity of producing policy
of their own, and they will find it harder
to do that successfully than to attack the
measures of Republicans. We shall
probably witness the development of the
ideas which were put forward in the plat
forms of Ohio and Indiana and the effect
Of that upon our entire financial system
cannot fail to be very great. The West
and South always controlled the Democratic
party, and they will continue to control it
What these sections OF the country
demand now is imitation, combined with
partial reputation. Whether the people
will deliberately approve of that policy
when It is submitted to them without any
disguise still remains to be ascertained
When We see the great city OF New YORK
deliberately voting to be put back under
the rule of Tammany, it must be admitted
that even the cause Of common honesty
does not appear to be highly popular. We
probably have before us stormy era, III
which many questions which the people
imagined were finally settled will be dealt



with anew and in way calculated to sur
prise the world. The legislation which
has been carried out since the war, on
questions Of finance, reconstruction, and
the negro, and the constitutional amend,
ments of the same period, are not beyond
the reach of Democratic majority Ill


Congress and the country. The history
of the rebellion and its consequences Is by
no means completed. For the sake Of the
country, it is to be hoped that the Demo,
Gratis will use their victory in spirit oi
moderation and prudent craftsmanship
We doubtless see to-day the Democratic
Presidential candidate for 1876 and if
the Republican party is not conducted with
greater wisdom and good fortune during
the theme next two years than it has been during
the last two, Mr.. Tilden is the most
nrobable successor of Gen. Grant