Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1883-05-26
EXPLAINING THE THIRD DIsrRICT
VOTE

EXPLAINING THE THIRD DISTRICT
The Wheeling REGISTER and others
of the press in the upper end OF the
State seem to think than an explana-
riOn is in order why Mr.. Snyder's ma
iority was not greater. We rise hum
bly, TO explain. As predicted by us the
morning after the election, the majority
would not be as large numerically as
Mr.. Kenna's, but that in proportion TO
the whole vote cast il would be as large,
and 80 it is as far as we can learn. Hun
dreds upOn hundreds Of Democrats re-
manned at home at work. There WIS
no danger, and they felt it. This IS an
"off wear" and it has been but a few
months since We elected Congress
man by rousing majority, and the
thing is getting monOtOnous. There
were no offices to be filled but a
let of school offices, about which
the people don't care so much.
The election was held-nOt in Au-
gust as usual when the farmers have
nothing much to debut right in the
busiest season of the year. We have
had a particularly backward spring and
every fair day was worth thousands OF
dollars to the farmers. The returns
will show that although the Democratic
vote was light, as rule the full Re-
publican strength was polled every
where. Ii the full vote Of the counties
had been cast and the result showed the
Republicans had increased and the
Democrats had decreased, then there
might be some cause for the silly nOn-
sense of the Republicans in claim
ing Republican gains" and the
early downfall of the Third district
Democracy. 80 far as heard from
all the Republican precincts in the
entire district pOlled their vote
usually pOlled in campaings OF the
fieTcest kind. The whole explanation
IN a nutshell is this, the Democrats
largely remained away from the polls,
only sending enough to elect Mr.. Sny-
der by handsome majOrity, while all
the Republicans nearly voted. Outside
of the natural increase OF voting pOpu-
latiOn there were no "Republican
gains" whatever, and the official result
will show ii. We trust we have an-
swered our friends who naturally Won
drred why We didn't make it 5000 as
we'll us ,OD majority when wc could
have done - easily Mmdwhd IN
c'ftC.
AS we have before said in reference to
the Third district vote, if Mr.. SNYDER
should show majority of 1000 votes
out of the very small total that was ex-
pected to be pOlled, no explanation
would be needed, Tor Democrats ought
{, he satisfied.
But from what We gather from the
G0:"ttc'S explanation, and from other
sources, we are inclined to the opinion
that larger aggregate vote was pOlled
than is admitted 10y the G0@"ttc. 1.-THE
Republic ms" says the Gr-e'tc, "polled
the vote usually polled in campaigns of
the ticrrest kind.
Mr.. SNYDER'S majority is estimated
at between |, 200 and l,jO0. That, we
have said, is about the majority to
which he was entitled on about half an
average vote. If the Republican vote
was out to its average capacity and the
Democratic vote below its average
capacity it may be all right.
But this is the time for looking at the
situation rs it is. We want to know ex-
actly how we stand in the Third dis
trict. There are some phases of the
situation that are not explained by the
GU-ctt", and cannot he fully understood
until the entire vote is in, even if that
can make it clear.
What we want TO know is where that
Greenback vote of the Third district
was when the last voting was done?
Did it help TO supply the deficiency in
the stay .at-hOme vote Of the Republic
cans and thus show for them an aver
age vote, or did it keep company with
the large stay-at-home vote Of the DEM
Ocrats"
In the Presidential election Of 1880,
the Third district polled an aggregate
vote Of 23,36T. HANCOCK had a plural.
ity over GARFIELD OF /, 500 votes. The
Greenbackers in that election pOlled
2,STl votes.
In the Congressional election last fall,
the aggregate vote of the district was,
in round numbers, 1000. Mr.. KEN
MAS plurality over BATRICK, Rep,
was /, 49, votes. The GreenbaCkers
polled, in round numbers, 400 votes.
Thus the proportionate vote of the
district in the two elections was about
the same.
But in the last election there was no
Greenback candidate. There were,
presumably, about 1000 Greenback
votes lying around in the district. Over
1000 of these were in Kanawha county.
If they east their votes with the Demo-
Gratis there was a possible majority of
over 5000 in the district for Mr..
SNYDER. Ii they cast their votes
against him il would reduce the usual
Democratic majority to about 900.
Now, what We want the Gd5cHe to
explain is, where this Greenback vote
went. Where did it go in kanawha-
where Mr.. EENNA had plurality of
about loo votes and Mr.. BRowS had
about that majority over Mr.. SNYDER?
Yet, Mr.. SNYDER says he polled as
arge = vote "a Mr.. kENNA did