New-York tribune., 1884-03-03
A FREE TRADE WATERLOO.
HAsKELEs SUCCESSOR A REPUBLICAN.
DEMOCRATS AND GREENBACKERs IN KANSAS COM.
BTNE AGAINST THE TARIFF AND ARE BADLf

tBY TELEGRAPH TO THE rRrBUSE.l

BTSE AGAINST THE TARIFF AND ARE BADLf
BEATEN.
tBY TELEGRAPH TO THE rRrBUSE.i
WASHINGTON, March 2-Seldom. if ever, before
has the result of election in Con gressonal dis
trict been awaited with such anxiety by politicians
IN Washington as has been the result of the special
election held yesterday in the la Kansas Districs
to choose successor 70 the lamented Dudley q.
Haskell The free trade wing of the Democratic
majority in the House ha, shown intense
interest IN the contest. and its leaders have
confidently asserted for the last two months
that Riggs the candidate Of the united Democrats
and Greenbackers, would be returned by a rousing
majority and that his election would be the hrsu
gun in the Revenue Reform" campaign of 1884.
"Wait until yOu hear from Kansas before you decide
upon the Morrison bill" said a leading free trade
Congressman two weeks ago. "1he issue there has
been squarely raised by our side In behalf Of
Revenue Reform and on it all expect TO
win," said another Democratic Congressman
early last week. A month AGO Senator
Plumb expressed grave fears as TO the result bus
more recently he had said that the Republican can
didate would be elected. Some of the Kansas Rep
resentatives have been less hopeful and within
day or two have privately said the prospects were
most unfavorabe.
THE BASIS or DEMOCRATIC EXPECTATIONS.
In 1882 Haskell received 2360l votes, the Dem-
ocrato candidate received 1915 votes
and the Greenback candidate $40 votes.
HaskelPs majority over the Democratic
candidate was 4,4S5 but he received l,225
votes less than the combined opposition vote. Tho
district cast than 20 per cent of all the votes
cast in the State at that election. The free trade
Democrats, therefore, had three things TO enconr.
age them TO put forth every exertion 10 capture
the district. In the election 1882 the Democrats
! and Greenbackers cast ,225 moro votes than did
the Republicans and this year they united;
they had succeeded in makinga "square issue for
Revenue Reform" and if they could carry tho
district il would indicate that they had fighting
chance" IN the State on the same issue.
The canvass was an earnest and energetic one
the part of the Democrats Money was freely con-
ributed and freely spent to keep speakers in tho
field and pay other campaign expenses. Largo
sums were sent to Kansas from other States, and
considerable amount, it is said, from Washington.
Free trade literature was freely distrIb-
uted throughout the fifteen counties conf
posing the district and free trade lee
lures were delivered in every county,
by Republicans as well as by Democrats. Senator
Plumb said to-day that while these free-trade lee
turers who professed to be Republicans did not
openly espouse the cause of Riggs, the free trade
candidate, some of them held forth from the
same platform, and at the same meetings with Dem
ocratic free traders who did advocate his election
in their addresses.
GRIEVOUs FREE-TRADE DISAPPOINTMENT.
The contest was one between the protective tarif
and free trade and the champions of the latter ap-
| parently had every advantage. Chairman Morri~
son and his colleagues felt sure of victory. and
the result is, therefore, unexpected and griey-
| Gus disappointment to them. " IL Riggs had been
elected, MOrrsOns backbone would nave been
| sitter and more perpendicular than eyer,D said .
| prominent Senator Tonight 81 expect Randall
| and his crowd will put on their spurs now and
| force the fighting against the Morrison bill SO wa
shall probably see another exhibition or har-
| mOny' in the Democratic campaign"
THE EXTENT or TIE PROTECTION VICTORY
Senator Plumb said 1--WE shall not get full re-
turns from tho district probably before Tuesday.
but am confident Funston's will not be less than
| $500. and it may reach $500, letter from ons
of my correspondents expresses the opinion that
the Republican majority will be very large. An
estimate | received day OF two ago put Funston's
| majority at 8 800. In that estimate the probable
Republican majority in Douglas County was put as
! 200, and in johnson County at 300. According to
| the dispatches received the maiorites in thoss
counties are 900 and 800 respectively. indicating
| large ReDubliCan gansO