Year: 1875

the 18th inst, to be followed by several in


October, of which that Of Ohio transcends all


the others in importance, and is, indeed, of


greater interest than the New York election


in November whose result it may decide.


The preceding elections have no importance,


except so far as they lead up to and tend to


influence the contest in Ohio, which may


control the issues and determine the selection


OF candidates in the Presidential campaign Of


1876. The triumph of the Pendleton-Allen


inhatlonists would give new complexion 20


our national politics by making the currency


the master issue and covering the shore with


wrecks of Presidential candidates II would


dispose, for instance, OF Governor Tilden.


whose hopes of the democratic nomination


are so high; for if the inhati0niStS carry Ohio


they will be strong enough in the National
| Convention to defeat every pronounced hard
money candidate. The two-thirds rule,
which long usage has made the common law
of the democratic national conventions, will
render the nomination of Mr. Tilden
impossible if the inhationists of the West
and South are emboldened by a victory in
Ohio to deploy their whole strength. The
worst effect of such victory would be its in
fuence on the democratic leaders. No demo-
cratic aspirant for the Presidential nomina-
ton would thereafter avow himself resump-
zionist, and the aggressive infationists would
have their own way in the Convention. The
effect would be as bad or worse on the repub-
lican side. Neither Blaine, nor Wilson, nor
Washburne, nor Conkling would have any
pretensions to lead a campaign against the
infationists which could compare with those
of President Grant The probable conse-
quence of an initiation victory in Ohio would


be third nomination of General Grant and


his defeat in the election by the invincible
! opposition of the people to a third term.
The Ohio election is the key of the political
situation not only for this year but the next


and until it is over, it will be regarded by
both parties as the central point of view in
our politics.


The State election in California to-day is
not likely to have much effect in Ohio, go
which way it will California seems outside
the general arena for several reasons. 1t is so
distant that it is not in close political SYM
pathy with the rest Of the country. 1t has
set of interests peculiar to itself The cur
rency question, so prominent in Ohio, has
no meaning for the people of California,
among whom there has never been any
division of opinion on this subject. The
California election turns on local issues, and
parties ale so split that to people at a dis
tance the canvass is scarcely Ineligible
1a 4 roi1 r. fha of No1i 70
and death of it's President introduce new
element Of uncertainty; but if these events
had not occurred the democrats would have
carried the State. Mr.. Ralston, heretofore
republican, giving a jealous support to the
party, had been abetting the democrats in
the late canvass, and had the recent events
been postponed for another week he would
have turned the scale in their favor
against the divided opposition. California has
long been a ring-ridden State, and in this
canvass the railroad, mining and local rings
have been acting in concert and thought it
for their common interest to quietly help the
democratic party as the organization most
likely to succeed Mr. Ralston wished to
control the State Legislature, and especially
the municipal government of San Francisco,
as he was scheming to sell the water works,
in which he had large interest, to the city
for twenty million dollars or more and |
thereby extricate himself from his financial
difficulties His failure and death may make
difference in the result of the election. He |
had been aiding the democratic canvass with
contributions of money, but his death on the
eve of the election may not have crippled |
the party since he would naturally have |
given his money at an earlier stage of the |
canvass. But the intense feeling excited by |
his death may upset all political calculations. |
There are four parties in the field in Cali
fornia, with four sets of State candidates
namely, the democratic, republican, inde-
pendent and temperance parties. The last is
of little account, but the independent party |
was strong enough last year to elect Gov
ernor Booth to the United States Senate, and
if the democrats should not succeed in the |
election to-day the Independents probably |
will The candidates of the respective parties
for the Governorship are William Irwin,
democratic Timothy G. Phelps, republican ;
John Bidwell, independent and W. Z. |
Lovett temperance. Besides complete set
of State officers and q new Legislature four
members of Congress are chosen to-day in
California. But the success of none of the
tickets can be of any national importance.
The Governor and Legislature will be elected
with sole reference to local State issues, and
the democratic party will be SO strong in the
next House that gain Of one or two Con-
gressmen or even the loss Of the one Cali
fornia seat they had in the last Congress
would make no difference in their working
strength. The result in California is not
likely to have any influence on the canvass


in other States, and it would excite little


curiosity if the recent catastrophe had not so


strongly directed public attention TO San