The Rutland Daily Globe

THE SUMMING UP

The smoke of the battle has sufficiently cleared and the hitherto conflicting dispatches have assumed that degree of consistency that we are able to state with some approach to certainty the results of the elections of a week ago. In brief, the result is about as follows: In Massachusetts, Alexander H. Rice, republican, has a minority of the popular vote of some six thousand, but is elected governor by a plurality of about the same number of votes over William Gaston, democrat, who was elected, last year, by a majority of seven thousand; the balance of the republican state ticket is also elected and both the senate and house are republican by increased majorities over last year. In New York the democratic majority of fifty thousand is cut down some thirty-five thousand, the republican majority in the senate is increased from three to two-thirds of the whole body, and the assembly is wrested from the control of the democrats. New Jersey has a republican majority in both branches of the legislature against a democratic majority in the house and on joint ballot a year ago. Pennsylvania gives a republican majority of fifteen thousand against a democratic majority of forty-six hundred a year ago. The democratic majority in Maryland is reduced by some seven thousand votes, while in Virginia the republicans have made gains in both branches of the legislature and the alliance between the conservatives and democrats seems to be at an end. Taylor's, democrat, majority of fifteen thousand in Wisconsin, two years ago, becomes fifteen hundred against him this year, while the republicans have doubled their majority in Minnesota securing the legislatures of both states, as they have, also, in Kansas, by increased majorities in both branches. Mississippi alone has turned her back on the republican party.

While the result seems to be satisfactory and to show large republican gains over last year, yet they are, at the same time, sufficiently close to be interesting. A change of some twenty thousand votes, properly distributed, would have given each and all of these states, with the possible exception of Kansas, to the democracy; while a similar change of democratic votes would have given each and all of the states, except Virginia and possibly that, to the republicans. A change of four, or an increase of eight, votes in every township and ward in Pennsylvania would have given the state to the democracy, and a little larger change or increase in New York would have secured the election of the republican state ticket. We believe that the result, as close as these comparisons show it to have been, is all the more satisfactory, all the better for the republican party and the country than a more complete and sweeping republican victory would have been. As it is, it indicates that the country is still distrustful of the democratic party, and that it is ready and willing to restore the government to the republicans if they should prove worthy of it. As we said, a week ago, it is not that they love the republican party more, but that they distrust it less. It remains for the republican party to determine whether this lingering feeling of distrust shall give way to confidence and so result in an easy victory at the polls next year, or whether it shall intensify and deepen and end in a disastrous defeat. A wise use of the fruits of this year's victory will bear good fruits next year, and the very closeness of the vote, last week, admonishes us to be honest and wise. The result is in our own hands, and it is for us to decide what it shall be.

An amusing feature of this year's result is found in the heartiness with which a certain portion of the so called republican press congratulate themselves on the result—of course the desire for office or its retention has nothing to do with it, oh no!—and in the self complacency with which they ascribe to themselves some share in bringing it about. And this comes from those papers which have been as dead weights to the party, stumbling blocks in the way of its progress and which have done their utmost—thank heaven it was but little they could do—to render a triumph impossible. Look back at the commencement of the year, and find these papers clamoring for federal interference in state affairs; applauding the "banditts" dispatch; favoring the summary hanging of citizens of Louisiana, Arkansas and Mississippi at the hands of a drum head court martial; lauding the president's Louisiana message as the greatest of state papers; sustaining him in his effort to overthrow the constitution of Arkansas; supporting force bills; assenting to the third term project; pinning their faith to Butler, Chandler, Carpenter, Ramsay, Harlan and "statesmen" of that ilk; sustaining George H. Williams and William A. Richardson; defending Columbus Delano; approving of such appointments as Rev. Governor Joseph Brooks and Volney V. Smith and, even, giving a satisfied nod when Zack Chandler was made the successor of Columbus Delano! For these papers to take to themselves any degree of credit for the results of this year's elections, save only those in Connecticut and Mississippi, is simply ridiculous.

Could these newspapers have had their own way, had they possessed the least particle of influence, we should still have been confronted with a third term ambition, had a south governed by bayonets, a cabinet of Chandlers and Delanos, and might have elected some so called republican members of congress; but, on the other hand, the democratic triumph of last year would have been made permanent and the only relief to democracy in Washington, if it would have been any relief, would be the sight of a score or more of disreputable carpet-baggers from the south, claiming to be republican members of congress and even these would have vanished after another year. But their advice was not heeded, the republican party dared to do and be right, it sent these bummers to the rear and the result is before us. We have regained nearly all that was lost—by a close vote to be sure, but still regained—and we can retain it only by a patient continuance in well doing, a pursuing of the same course that has been pursued since the party commenced, in February last, to throw off the dead weights, by being patriots not partisans, by keeping the bummers at the rear, by selecting only the best men to govern and legislate, by setting for the country and not for the party—and if we so do and act the country will take care of the party.