Year: 1876




six thousand of her republican majority
of four years ago; Indiana losing thirty-two
thousand; Iowa twenty thousand; Michigan
fifty thousand and Wisconsin fifteen thou
sand In the East We find the republican
majority of four years since reduced in Con-
necticut seven thousand; in Maine eighteen
thousand; in Massachusetts, thirty-tour
thousand, and in Vermont ten thousand.
In the Middle States we find the enormous
losses Of the republicans since 1872 to be IN
New Jersey twenty-five thousand; IN New
New York eighty-four thousand, and in
Pennsylvania one hundred and twenty-four
thousand. On the Pacific side California
shows republican loss in fouryears OF nearly
eight thousand, and Oregon of three thou
sand"


There are several instructive lessons to be
| drawn from these figures. The first and
most important seems 10 us to be that they
establish the existence in this country OF
very large number Of independent voters,
men of intelligence, neither the crea-
lures nor the slaves of party, who ex-
ercise their individual Judgment in voting,
and have ut heart mainly, and before
everything else, the welfare Of the country.
! These men may be democrats or republicans
By usual affiliation, but it is evident that
they leave that party which they believe to
be injurious or no longer useful to the
country and go to that which, at
any election, they may believe prom
ises good government and the reform
of abuses. 1t is certainly a good
thing that the country possesses SO large
number Of such voters, of independent
judgment, who look only to the country's
welfare and exercise their political power not
to further the personal ambition of po-
litical favorites or the fortunes Of party,
but to secure the best government and to
check abuses. Party government ceases to
be dangerous to nation when consider
able proportion of its citizens are thus inde-
pendent and intelligent critics Of political
action.


The independent voters appear at this
last election to have very largely supported
the democratic ticket. There were many
reasons to lead them to this course. Ger
tain reforms were urgently desired by
thoughtful people, but the republican
leaders made the blunder during the can
vass of saying little or nothing for these
reforms. They seemed to hold in contempt
the letter and the record of their candi-
date, and only here and there was Governor
Hayes even mentioned. 1t is now gener-
ally acknowledged that this was o blunder
Of the first magnitude; and we do not
doubt that if it had not been for
the manly and statesmanlike letter of
Governor Hayes, which made fixed impress
sion on many minds, the republicans would
have lost number of Northern States be-
sides those which did 60 over to the demo-
Gratis. Their small majority in such States
as Ohio and Pennsylvania shows how nearly
disgust for and lack Of confidence in the
men who managed the republican canvass
overcame the respect inspired by the charac-
ter and the letter of Governor Hayes.


So far the democrats may take comfort
from the action of the mass of inde-
pend snt voters. But no truer word was said
this year than Governor Seymour's remark
that 1.-THE country has lost confidence in the
republicans without gaining confidence in
the democrats The half million of North
ern independent voters who this year swung
over to the democratic party did SO provis-
ionally. They said to themselves, ''We
will give the democratic leaders
trial we will give the republican
leaders a check. II the democrats be-
have themselves we will continue to support
them I; if they do not, then we have new
election two years hence" Nothing, in
fact, is clearer, or should be more con-
stantly borne in mind by the democratic
leaders than that though they have gained
this important accession Of the independent
vote it will swing back to the republicans the
moment the democrats misconduct them
selves The past record of the democratic
party does not inspire confidence Its blund-
ers and its unpatriotic conduct during the
war are remembered against it. Its toll
erance of abuses and corruption in
our larger cities is not forgotten. It's
professions of reform are not more than half
believed. It's hunger for Office and its pro-
clivity to the low arts of demagogues offend
the public taste. Its lack of discipline and of
settled and statesmanlike purpose in the last
House brought it into contempt and distrust
with considerable part of the public. It's
nomination of greenback candidate for the
Vice Presidency with a hard money head to
the ticket once more lowered it in the public
esteem and confidence.


Under these circumstances it must be
plain to the democratic leaders that they
cannot afford to blunder for if they do the
half million of independent voters will sweep
back into the republican lines at once
| That force, so formidable, so necessary to
the democratic future, SO indispensable to
them. they can lose far easier than they