Year: 1876

Inc preQlCtlODS OF Tile TTeslueiltial Son-


test, are commanding he attention Of the


press and politicians with more earnest


ness now, than previous to the elections OF


last Tuesday, for it must be known, that


though great political fight, that outside


Of 1e local interests and issues it involved,


it was devoid Of political significance. 1t


had no bearing upon the Presidential


contest, and cannot be taken in any sensible


view as bearing upon the contest Of next


x1nu-ior the Democracy. West Virginia is


more strongly Democratic than it was in


1874, when it went Democratic the first


time after it was cleft from the old State.


Indiana is Democratic, under the most dis


eouraging circumstances thatever surround


cd the Democratic party in that State.


Blue Jeans Williams, was the favorite Of


the workingmen, the masses of farmers and


those who are taught by the enmity which


will always exist between aristocracy and


labor but to the more intelligent classes


he was Objectionable; his honesty was not


doubted ; his fidelity to Democratic princi-


pies are beyond questioning, but it was


difficult to relieve his aspirations from as
sociation with demagoguery, and that the


party might have presented a candidate
more acceptable to united strength of the
party. Williams therefore did not receive
the full strength Of the Democratic vote.
His majority was not SO great as it would
have been had not these discouraging cir
cumstancs surrounded him. Wespeak in
depsndently, and believe this to he the
truthful statement without any further
disparity towards Mr.. Williams, than that
he was not the most acceptable candidate
that the Democratic party Of Indiana could
have presented. and that the party on last
Tuesday polled only about one third of its
strength.


The manner then that Republican pa
pers and Republican politicians have Of
making up the electoral vote with Indiana
among the doubtful, for Tilden, or certain
States for Hayes, is as preposterous, as it is
false in the face of certainty. In
diana is Democratic State, and Hendricks
s man that cannot be defeated there. He
g acknowledged by all as the most popular
nan in the State, and there is no more
between his popularity and that
If Williams, in reclining upon the Presi-
iential contest, than there is room for
between he and Morton. It is
conceded BY the independent Wpers, those
hat are untrameled by any partisan feel
ngs that Hendricks is to day the most
'opular man ia Indiana, and it is an i'm
to carry the Stale against him.


The New York Herald, which MAIN
aimed an independent course in the recent
ontsst. treads cautiously upon the ground,
nd rather than appear incautious, puts '
indiana down among the doubtful States
ut ut the same time says that "Hendricks
the most popular man in the State TO.
ay, and the Republican party would he :
,sing ground to fight the battle over again J
,ere." The Presidential contest is there !
re virtually decided as far q. Indiana,
Vest Virginia and Ohio are concerned C
he two former are pledged by the results
last Tuesday to Tilden and Hendricks,
ID the latter TO Hayes aud Wheeler. The - -
suit in West Virginia is the first voice v
,m the solid South, and there is no II
ubt that it speaks for solid South, m
tn the exception, perhaps, Of South
rolinaain which Federal bsyenets may 81