The "oppesition" In The National Canvass

In 18(58 General Grimt was elected ly a majority of throe hundred thouaand Lu i total voto of five inilliom and scvon Jundred thousand. Florida, Miwriwappi, Texas and Virginia did not vote: tlny would havo rednced the majority only a few thousands. The total vote of the country at the )at Congresssional efeotion was abont five ïnillioiia and tive hunlrod thouwvitd, and. the lvcpublican maority was little more than forty thousnd. TIn; Democrats had in two jrean LSined snv.nl States. Butthe Democrats and tho labor reforméis thifl year propose to unite with tho Kepublican "boltors" and makc a strongcr appe&l to tho coun try for roform. It is fair to say, therefore, that the coalition would start with more strength tlian tho Demócrata liad in 1868. If it had simply the strength of the Democrats in tho late Cdhgresaional elcctionB, upon the basis of tlie liew apportionmemt it would have 1 7ó of the iJv7 meinber of the electoral collego, or within four of a majority. In this count, Arkansas, Florida, and Ijouisiana are givcu tho liopublicans, making a differenco of sixteen electoral vote ; but thero is no doubt that tho votes of Arkansas and l'loiida aro improperio counted, and tho (juarrels in Loiusiana have tumed that Htato against tho administration. If it should appear that corrupt rings are to control it, tho liepublican party would, tlioreforu, bo 'm a miuority at the opening of the canvass. To be moro dofinite : in a canvass like that which is foroshadowed, the electoral votes of twonty-five States would bo sure to be cast as indieated in tho first two columns below, and the other btates would be a fair field for a contest : Aémimittratúm i fMiiUtm. Ciilifiirni;;, C AliilKimn, 9 [Uitlul, '21 Arkiiiisüs, B Lowu, 11 !)fjiwur', 3 Kansas, i Qeorgta, U Muilic, ' Kentnrky, l' tfiuaaehiuett! IS Mnryliuicl, Micliignn, H Missouri, 15 M hui -sota, ö North ('an)liiiíi, 10 M isi.-sippi, 8'Tenneweei 11 Niiniiskn, ïTexdUi Khode [land, 4 Virginia. 11 Soutli Carolina, ' ' Vermomt, Klcctors, VU Wiiiconsin, l Electora, IU h.fytfttl. Tonnpcticut, 0 .New Jersey, 0 FlorMft, 3 uhio, Dl [ndinno, 1 1 Oiegon. 3 Louisiuna, " Pennsrmnto, 58 Nevada, 3 West Yiigmia, '■ Ncwllamiwhirt', 4 New Yurk, 34 Electora, 138 California is classed among Eepublican States becauso it gavo a Kopublican majority last year, and because a new party would probably have little inftuepce there. South Carolina is claimed by the oppositioii becauso the corruptiou of tho SUvte goveiniuint has weakened the Republioaue, but it will probably support tho admiuistration under any circumstances. Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, and Texas have been lost by the Rcpublicans through tho cormption and quarrels of the party leaders. It is asserted by good iadsea that Louisiana and Florida should be classod with tho opposition States. The Kepublicans lost Missouri beoause of the in tui forencu ot' tho administration in local politics. Of the Rt.atos olassed as doubtful. thoso tlmt gavo Kepublioan raajorities at the last election re : Ccnnectieut, 556 ; Indiana, 4,690; Lonisiana, 27,000 ; Oliio, ltt,084; Pennsylvania, 14,000. Those which irtvr Dcmiir.riitic mujorities are : Nevada, 330; New Hanipshiro, 1,331 ; Orcgon, 543 ; West Virginia, 1,900. Florida has not had a fair trlaJ. New York gavo the Republicana a niajority of only 18,000 last fall in a total vote of more than seven hundred tbougand, and with all the enthusiasm of tho reform movement to holp tlu-m. New Jersey gave a liepubliean majority for membersof the Logislature, but eleoted a Dernocrat for Governor by xix thousand majority. Few judges of politics doubt that, if Congress fails to make the reforms which the country deraands, ncarly all these cloe States would support an able Bepublican candidate nomïnated by ft coalition as against tho candidato of tho Senatorial ring, whoever he might bo. These States will have 138 flectorol votes under the new apportionment, while it would bo neeessary to add only sixty-four votos to tho eoalition column to givo it a majority. The now movement would be strong in New York City, Philadelphia, New Orleans, Cincinnati, and Indianapolis, the principal centres of the doubtful States. In somo of these places it is already organizing, and its fnends are anxiously watching the proceedings of Congress. In the three great States of New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio, casting 1,800,000 votes, a change of less than 25,000 votos is required to cari}1 eighty-four electoral votes against the administration. But the blind leaders of tho party answer that no able and influential Kepublicans will join a faction which appears to bo a forlorn hope. This seeras to be reasonable. And yet there have been examples enough of Congressmen and other leading partisans whohavoleft their partie8. When the canvasses of 1850 and 1860 began the Dcuiocrats found themsolves rapidly losing their most prominent leaders. Should Congress adjourn in tlio spring without rejecting the spons dogmas of such as Snapp and Carpenter, niany of tho Kepublican Senators and niembers of Congress will find their allcgianoo tothe Republican party sensibly woakcned. Senator Schurz would load tho now party in Missouri and hold the balance oí power thero. The disaffection among the Republicans in Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio would break into open revolt. Now York seerus nearly ripo for h. similar chango. For weeks the question of the candidacy has been discussed by the committees of different parties. Two ideas seem to divido them. On tho ono hand it is urged that the candidato of the coalition should be a Republican radical enough tobe distasteful to oíd Demócrata - Mr. Charles Suinner, fur example. It ia thought that Mr. Sumner would be supported in New England better than any othor man, and that the frecduien of tho South would givo him a very large vote. He would gather around hira the old abolitionists and the independent thinkers who take little part in politics, while the Demócrata would vote for him because he has fought tho administration 80 stubbornly. On the other hand, it is urged that the candidato should be a conserv ative Kepublican, like Mr. Lyman Trumbull, or General Jacob D. Cox, or .Tudge David Davis, or üovernor John M. Palmer, bocause, although eithor one of these would draw oif fewer old Kepublicans, eithor would get votes enough to carry the doubtful States, and would botter represent the reformers of the country. This is tho ooalition canvass as it oppcars to-day. A few weeks ago the cant phrase of tho officc-holders to silence criticism was to assert that the malcontenta were only studying " How to beat Orant." If Congress continúes to drag along at the heels of the ring Senator, tho monopolista, the railroad lobbyist, and refuses to tako the Prosident's advice, the question will be troublcsomo to answer, " itow to beat tho coalition ?" The Republican party, as ropresentcd in. tho United States Sonate, is now weaker in tho country than it ha been aince 1860. It will find that delays are dangerous, :ml that what the people demand are not promiaes, but actual reforms. Hero is a Missouri papcr's notion of tho high oalling of journalism : " We are compollotl to mako this weok'a Í6suo almost uxclusivoly a local and advortisement papur ; but look out for next wook's. It will bo one of tho gayest, tioicest, hottost papors that evor went forth from an Aincrioan. news raggory." An oldovly gentleman travcling in a etage-coach was aniusod by the constant ftre of words kept up by two ladies Ono of theiu at lust kindly inquircd if thoir convorsntion did not niaku I'is head acho, whon ho aiiswored with a great deal of naivete, " Ño, madam, I havo beeu married ticonty-ci'jht yun '. "