in the Michigan
Legislature, but the margin between the two parties was so close that a
few men who had been elected as independent Republicans had the balance
of power. These Independents were opposed to the reelection of Senator
Chandler. That the Democrats should be anxious for the retirement of
such an able, active, aggressive, and influential Republican leader as
Chandler was to be expected. That party, therefore, joined with the
Independents in the vote for Senator which resulted in the election of a
harmless old gentleman by the name of Christiancy. The Michigan
situation was found to exist also in Minnesota, and the result was the
retirement of that strong and able leader, Senator William Windom, and
the election of a new and unknown man, McMillan.

What was true of Michigan and Minnesota was also found to be true of
Wisconsin. The same sort of combination was made, which resulted in the
retirement of the able and brilliant Matt Carpenter, and the election of
a new man, Cameron, who was not then known outside of the boundaries of
his State. Cameron proved to be an able man, a useful Senator, a good
Republican and an improvement, in some respects, upon his predecessor;
but his election was a defeat of the Republican organization in his
State, which, of course, was the objective point with the Democrats.

It was the State and Congressional elections of 1874 that proved to be
the death of the Republican party at the South. The party in that
section might have survived even such a crushing blow as this, but for
subsequent unfortunate events to which allusion has been made in a
previous chapter, and which will be touched upon in some that are to
follow. But, under these conditions, its survival was impossible. If the
State and Congressional elections of 1874 had been a repetition of those
of 1872 or if they had resulted in a Republican victory, Republican
success in the Presidential election of 1876 would have been a
reasonably assured fact. By that time the party at the South would have
included in its membership from forty to fifty per cent of the white men
of their respective States and as a result thereof it would have been
strong enough to stand on its own feet and maintain its own independent
existence, regardless of reverses which the parent organization might
have sustained in other sections. But at that time the party in that
section was in its infancy. It was young, weak, and comparatively
helpless. It st