Year: 1872

The Causes Which Controlled the


Result I'm PennsyIvania : Colonel


McClurc's Address.


The smoke of the battle in Pennsylvania has


sufficiently cleared away to enable us to under
stand the influences which controlled the re-
suit in that State. Colonel McClure, the chair
man of the Liberal Committee, in an address
to the people, charges fraud as the basis of the
republican victory; but if it was arranged in
advance to commit the alleged wrongs it was
also predetermined to make the long and Bit
ter howl which followed. There may have
been repeating, false voting and false count
ing in the large cities, and profuse use of
nobody knows better than Mcclure the effect
iveness of corruption fund in the mountain
precincts, and it would be singular, unless
there is more rhetoric than truth in his ad-
dress, that the fraudulent practices should not
ramify the State. We cannot regard the re-
suit as in itself positive demonstration of
fraud, and while we suspect there were isolated
instances of all of the alleged offences, we shall
demand something more certain than glitter
ing defamation before asserting to the truth
fulness of bundle of generalities, or brand
ing the people of great Commonwealth as
hopelessly venal and corrupt.


People at o distance from Pennsylvania were
taught to look at the contest through colored
spectacles. Hartranft was painted hue SO
terribly dark that the lighter shades and tints
of the picture were forgotten and the malev-
olence Of the artists who drew his portrait
entirely overlooked. He was loaded down
with more than his share of the vituperation
of campaign of vituperation, and he OBJ
tanned sympathy and votes on account Of
the extreme bitterness Of the accusations
brought against him. The character Of
his accusers had likewise something to
do with procuring him votes and pre-
serving republican fealty in the State. It is
difficult for the purest of men and the most
popular ofpoliticians to carry any considerable
number of voters from one party to another;
and in case like this, where the recalcitrant
leaders were charged with being greater sin
ners than the man upon whom their accusa-
tions were showered, the effect could not we'll
be anything but complete failure. This VIC
tory is less triumph for Hartranft than re-
buke to the virulence of his accusers, and it is
lesson which professional politicians are not
likely soon to forget in conducting campaign.


Aside from every consideration Of fraud on
the one hand and q revulsion of feeling in
favor of Hartranft on the other. it must be con-
fessed that in Pennsylvania there is a kind of
conservatism which prefers to keep the radical
party in power. The Quaker and bunker ele-
ments are always for peace and with them
peace generally means an indisposition to
change. The bunker vote, especially, is
large and when it can be brought out, which
is sometimes difficult, it always gives the State
to the republicans. Among this element Mr..
Greeley would nNt naturally be regarded as
fit candidate for the Presidency. Frugal in
their habits Of life and averse to pecuniary OBJ
legations of every kind, these people believe
the administration is paying off the national
debt, and they endorse its policy in this re-
spect. "We pay our debts" they say, 'and
the government ought to pay its debts" If
they were sure that Mr.. Greeley would do as
well they might be Indifferent to the result in
November, and certainly would have been in
October; but the feeling of uncertainty in re-
gard to his financial policy and the distrust of
his financial ideas brought to the polls on Tues
day many voters who otherwise would have re-
NAMED away. This refers particularly to the
German vote in the interior counties, though
it is Of course, also applicable to the Quakers
of Philadelphia. Many business men voted
the same way for reasons very nearly the same,
the silent influence of the banking and money
interests of the State being cast for Hartranft
in Grants behalf.


The tariff exerts more influence in Pennsyl-
vania than in any other State. Unalterably
opposed to free trade and revenue reform, tho
people compel all their politicians without re-
of protection. But this naturally gives the
republicans the advantage, especially when
congressman are to be elected. To successive
republican Congresses has the State owed the
enormous protection which has been accorded
to her iron interests. All that could be given
was given, and Pennsylvania is now anxious to
hold on to what she has by keeping in power
the politicians to whom she owes her prohibi-
tory legislation. Even Mr.. Greeley could not
count much upon his faith in pig iron to pro-
cure him votes when running on the same
ticket with men who sincerely regard pro-
lection as robbery. Pennsylvania is as wide
awake to all the influences which are likely to
affect the great interests Of the State as Wall
street to everything that may cause fluctuations
in the price Of gold, and if her voting popula-
ton did not act with full knowledge of their
interests in other respects they would be sure
to cling to the republican party as the party c.
protection with the same kind of blind force
which keeps the negroes in it as the party of
freedom. And the negro vote in Pennsylvania
is considerable, and it is cast for the republican


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