Year: 1873

4nS hCSu1I Ou1Us


The Democrats, on a small vote. have
carried the State of Ohio for Governor
and Legislature The Lieutenant-Gover-
nor and State officers are Republicans.
From returns received, the total vote we
Judge, will show a falling off of Is, 1000
The decrease is greater on the Republi-
can than on the Democratic side, and
this accounts for the election of Allen:
The Democrats gained nothing in Ohio
Their aggregate vote is less than it was a
year ago, and had the Republicans voted
Allen would have been beaten out of
sight.


But the Republicans have lost the
State, and for the first time in eighteen
years Democrat will occupy the guber-
material chair of Ohio This occurs too
in the face of a large Republican majority.
For the silent vote that secured the sue
cess of a minority party there is of course
a cause. Republican voters do power
ful amount of thinking, and they have a
way of expressing their opinions, some
times by positive voting and sometimes
by not voting at all In this case the lat
ter mode was chosen. Thus the people
have given a warning to the party in
power. They have as much as said Re
form abuses or retire from Office. We





party must clear its skirts of salary grabs
and Credit Mobilier scandals, and give
evidence of general reform, or we will
vote against it next time. For the pres
ent we will indicate our dissatisfaction
by staying at home. If this warning is
not needed, we will throw stones next
time"


This is the meaning of the election as
near as we can interpret it,


Pains were taken during the campaign
to show that Republicans and Democrats
were responsible for the salary grab and
the Credit Mobilier frauds; for land
grants and other extravagant measures;
but the Republican party had clear
majority in Congress and President pos
sessing the veto power, and therefore
they could have defeated all the objec-
tionable schemes, and, failing to do SO,
they are held responsible for them. This
is the way the people look at the matter,
and Republicans may as well underst tand
that so long as they are in power in the
nation the Republican party will be held
responsible for national legislation and
the general management of the public
business. This is the verdict of the Ohio
election.


Fortunately the Republicans have a
large majority in both branches of Con-
gress, and they will therefore have an op-
portunity to reform abuses about which
the people have expressed themselves.
If advantage is taken OF this opportunity,
the Ohio Republicans will fall into line
again next fall Otherwise the silent
vote which caused defeat this year will
assume positive shape next time.


This is not the first time that Ohio Re-
publicans have expressed dissatisfaction
without changing their party relations.
In 1861, David Tod was elected Governor by
SO ,2O3 majority. The management OF the
war was not satisfactory, and in 1862 the
Democrats carried the State by 5,577 ma
jority. The next year John Brough was
elected Governor by 10I.0 .099 majority.
Heavy Republican majorlties were sus-
tanned until 1867, when Geo. Pendleton,
on the greenback question, came within
5000 votes of beating Hayes for Cover
nor. The next year the Republicans
carried the State for President by Al ,42S.
In 1869 this majority dwindled to 1913.
In 1870 this majority was increased to
Governor by l6,0S4, and, in 1872, Grant
carried the State by 34,26S. Now the
Democrats elect their candidate for Gov
ernor by few hundred votes. Next
year, if our Republican leaders in the
meantime deserve success, the usual ma
jority will be obtained for the Republi-
crn party But to secure this result it
must be earned. The wishes of the peo-
pie must be respected. Congress must
give evidence Of honesty and economy,
and there must be no more appointments
of men who were connected with the
Credit Mobilier scandal, or the salary
grab, to Office. Upon this point the great
mass of the Republican party are in dead
earnest, and they can be neither coaxed
nor bullied into changing their minds


Never were the people more sensitive
on the question of corruption than at
this time, and the leaders of the party
should see that no man with even a
doubtful character is permitted to secure
standing in the party 1t is claimed
that the Republican party is capable of
purifying itself. This claim can only be
made good by doing the work. Congress
will have plenty of time before another
autumn to satisfy the people upon this
point, and upon the success of Congress
in this direction will depend the future
of the Republican party.