Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1884-02-20
aunraster .gntelligeneer.
,.,.n,r.nAy ,. rvHrrNc, FEB. 40. iss4.
The RcsuIt In the CITY.

The overwhelming and disastrous dc
feat OF the Democratic party and It's
candidates in this city yesterday, sur
prisiur even the victors by the extent OF
Il. In difficult Of adequate explanation.
II it were q matter Of small majority II
would not be difficult to account for by
any one Of half score Of explanations,
which taken altogether scarcely serve to
make plain the causes of this complete
rotlt OF the Democrats In city which
has been such hotly contested fighting
ground for some years past. It is Idle for
any Democrat to close his eyes to the
fact that the natural changes In the
political complexion Of Lancaster are
largely to the advantage Of the opposi
tion. The increase In the population
mostly comes from the surrounding
county and partakes OF its partisan
character very considerable share OF
Il is made up Of county Office holders or
Office hunters. The districting Of the
city, so as to give the Republicans seven
out of nine wards, Is largely In favor of
their organization, and the increased
vote yesterday benefited them three
fold. Their train band of Office holders
operating in every ward supplies them
with an organization that volunteer
effort can scarcely compete with.
The Republicans entered upon their
work yesterday with resources that they
have never had here before, and applied
them with desperation of prodigality
previously unknown even to themselves.
The practice Of hiring spoil commit
tees,n which has come TO embrace the
wholesale corruption Of voters, and
which both parties have INDUCED in
here for some years past, prevailed yes
terday to such degree that the Demo
Gratis suffered disastrously from 1t. IL
Is idle now to undertake to fix the re
sponsibility for this evil ; neither party
has been free from reproach for its con
tiuuance both, we have reason to know,
are heartily sick of it. The Republicans
paid dearly for their whistle yesterday
the Democrats owe their defeat largely
to this use of money, from which
their own skirts are not entirely free.
Now is the time to act for its suppress
sion it can easily be done by the co
operation of influential men on both
sides let the work be begun at once.
But, in spite OF all these influences,
the majority for Rosenmiller could not
have been magniled to such figures as
mark it, except he received the almost
united support of his own party AMI
Mr.. McMullen suffered from treachery
in his own. Why the business men,
property holders and those of the Repub
lican party who profess to regard the
moral interests of the community, should
support Rosenmiller is more than We
can fathom it may Hereafter be dis
closed. We will be agreeably surprised,
and he will have to improve his past
record, If his administration does not
afford them reason to regret their sup
port of him. On the other hand, Mr..
McMullen was an irreproachable candi-
date, of tried fitness for the place, and
the administration of the Office by a
mayor of his own party for over six
years had been eminently satisfactory.
Why he should be "cut" by any but
the mercenary element Of his own party
is just as inexplicable. Here and there
the selfish motives Of local candidates
may account for 1t, but the detection
was too general to be thus explained.
Time proves all things, and it may yet
disclose who struck Billy Patterson.