New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-09-16
NOPE "GAJNSp FOR GULLs.

CITY, directly after the Maine election, dis
patch was sent to papers of that party, claim
ing large gains in comparison with the vote OF
1872. Thereupon the deluded Democratic
organs lifted up their voices, and the familiar
fraud was heard once more. "Here we have
"a majority of the States already, and are
"ganing even in Maine !" Since that time the re-
turns have not stimulated the literary bureau to
any outburst of enthusiasm, and the Democratic
arithmeticians have taken rest The Demo-
Gratis have made gains since 1872, undoubtedly
The difficulty is that, upon close Inspection,
those gains do not look large enough to be OF
much use. There is a gain, comparing the
nearly complete vote of 444 towns this year
with the full vote of September, 1872, the
precise magnitude OF which appears from
the following: Total vote, 1872, 1885,
61S; Democratic vote, 54,701; percent
age of total vote, 1920. Total vote,
1876, 1864 Democratic vote, 5S,9O3 !;
percentage of total vote 4412; Democratic
gain .92 per cent--less than One-hmdredth OF
the total vote. Official returns may alter
slightly, but probably not materially, this pro-
portion. Now what is such gain WORTH 1t
does not quite carry Maine this year. In fact,
il an equal gGin were made every four years,
the Democrats might get beaten by very
snail majority tweDty-four years hence, in the
election of 1900, and some time during the
next century might hope TO carry the State
But what advantage in this century, and par
ticularly in the coming Presidential election,
is there in such gain !
At the risk of being tiresome, TO Democrats,
we recur to the fact that there were ak
States carried by that party in 1872, and Go
electoral votes. A gain OF less than L per
cent in four years, however, would give them
more than 6623 electoral votes, for the percen-
tage of the Democratic vote in Virginia was
1881 and in Delaware 1919, 40 that those
States, with Ia electoral votes, might be
gained At this rate, then, MIR. lilden
may hope for so electoral votes. But no
more. For there was no other State in which
the percentage Of Democratic vote III 1872
was as much as AS in New-York it was only
46.77; in OHIO, 16.i3 in Indiana, 46.7S; and
in Connecticut, 47.54. The Democrats may
be prepared to get beaten, therefore, not only
this year, but, ut the rate of "gain" manifested
in Maine, about sixteen years longer. III they
nominate good candidate, and have no bad
set-backs, they may succeed about 1892 a. d..
We do not advise the Republicans to stop
work entirely, on the ground that the Maine
election has settled the business. For about
twelve years they have allowed the Democrats
to amuse themselves in calculating percentages
of "gain,r while the Republicans have done
work enough TO win. Sensible voters are
quite satisfied TO have the Democrats make all
the "gains," provided some other party wins
all the victories. The upshot OF the Maine
business is just this. There are very large
number of voters in that State whose business
keeps them away from home much of the
time. There are over LOGO lumbermen,
9. 800 fishermen apd IL, 300 sailors, nearly all
of the voting age. 1t is the Democratic GUS
tom to expend "barT'l of money" in getting
these voters home, and when they get home
mt Democratic expense, the Republicans have
lznack of converting them by such speeches
as Mr. Blane's for example. This year, the
Democratic barT1 of money was rather larger
than usual, and il brought home more men,
The Republicans could not convert them all,
and the result is q Democratic "gain," the
immense significance of which those most fully
appreciate who paid their money for nothing.