Year: 1875

The Result OF the State Elections.


The elections which took place yesterday
prove that the so-called ''tidal wave" has
been arrested and that the democratic party
Is not SO strong in the country to-day as it
was one year ago. In the October elections
the democracy gained nothing and lost Ohio.
In the November elections it has lost Penn
sylyania; it has lost Massachusetts,; it has
lost quite proportion of its strength in New
York. The returns leave no doubt that
the democratic State ticket is elected,
but the majority is so much re-
duced that the victory can justify
no exultation. Another such victory, an
other victory at an equal cost of democratic
votes would leave the party powerless, even
republican majority, and if the Assembly is
democratic it will be by SO narrow margin
that the party will be crippled and humili-
ated. 1t is something to have saved the
State ticket, but this election shows that the
democratic party has no such secure hold of
the State that it may not lose it next year.


broad survey of the political field in the
light of these elections is not necessarily dis
couraging to the democrats, although it
betokens closer Presidential contest than
the democratic party would have had any
reason to fear if it had kept all the States it
won last year. The relapse of Massachusetts
is Of little consequence, Governor Gaston's
election one year ago having been merely
surprising accident, of which a repetition
could not have been expected in so strong
republican State. But the loss of the
two great States Ohio and Pennsylvania,
is q more serious matter. The democrats
might have entertained reasonable hopes of
holding both of these States, after having
once wrested them from the republicans.
But the loss of Pennsylvania and Ohio
makes great difference in the prospects Of
political party whose opponents have Sc
cure hold on considerable number Of the
other States. The republicans control
States enough to enable them to elect the
next President, with the aid of New York,
and the result of yesterdays voting is not
such as to take New York out Of the
list of debatable States next year.
The Presidential election will be
more equal and far more doubtful contest
than if the democratic party had continued
to hold all the ground it gained in 1874


The certainty of close contest will have
salutary influence on both parties, for
neither will think it safe to make bold ex-
periments on public feeling when few
thousand votes in some Of the doubtful
Al, Il
party will not be so anxious for President
Grant nor the democratic party to make an
initiation platform, nor will either party
dare to present candidates whose character
for integrity is not impregnable against all as
saults. A near approach to equality in the
strength of parties is about the best guar
antee of good government we can have under
institutions such as ours. When political
party becomes SO strong that it has no reason.
to fear it's opponents, and its nominations
are equivalent to an election without regard
to the character of the candidates, the gates
are flung open for the entrance of corrup-
ton. The most wholesome state Of politics
in a country where universal suffrage pre-
walls is such an approach to equality in the
strength Of parties that the transfer of
small number of votes from one side to the
other will change the result. In such a
condition Of parties it is always in the
power Of few honest, independent citi-
zens to give victory to the most deserv-
ing side. Neither party can afford
the risk Of putting forward bad candidates,
and the temptations of Office are more likely
to be resisted when the incumbents are
watched by an opposition powerful enough
to cashier them for slight deviations from
rectitude.