Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1885-01-02
TILE pREsLDENTLAL VOTE.
AN INTERESTING AND SIGNIFICANT STUDY OF
THE OFFICIAL NOVEMBER RETURNS.

THE OlElOlAl NONhmbkh hhANhNns
The New York Sun makes the following
summary and analysts Of the figures of the
November presidential vote as obtained by
the Boston Globe from the hand Of the Sec
rotary Of state in each Of the several states.
The figures given are therefore verified and
official. The Sun says;
The following is the result thus verified;
The whole number Of votes given for Pres
ident on the four electoral tickets was 10,-
O3G, O57, of which Grover Cleveland received
4, sI2, 202 James G.. Blaine, 4, $40, 2l9 Ben
iamiu F. Butler, 234, S48; and John p. st.
John, 14S, COS. To this aggregate there is to
be added 2, 262 scattering and defective votes.
In place, therefore, Of the 10000 to 1884,
600 plurality which has been computed in
various quarters for Grover Cleveland, it
will be seen that his actual plurality is but
80, 073, while in the entire country he is in
minority of 1853, 1856.
The Globe also notices the significant de-
crease in total pluralities in many Of the
states. Thus Florida, Georgia, Kentucky,
Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, South Car
olna, Tennessee Virginia, and West Virginia
gave smaller pluralities for Cleveland than
they gave for Hancock in 1880; while ILL
nois, Iowa, Massachusetts, Michigan, Ohio,
Rhode Island, Vermont and Wisconsin also
exhibit reduced plurslities for Blaine as COM
pared with Garfield Connecticut, Indiana,
and New York, which voted for Garfield in
1850, now choose Cleveland electors, while
Nevada and California which voted for Han
cock, now return electors for Blaine.
or the votes given for Cleveland, 1,012, $50
came from the secession states, and 8, $685.
472 from the remaining twenty-eight. The
solid South gave Cleveland Lie, 232 votes.
With such disproportion of votes in those
states, the question, though useless, 10 pretty
sure to be brought up, whether those states
have not at present more than their just
share of influence in the Electoral Colleges
and House of Representatives. Small as
was their vote for Cleveland, that for Blaine
was still smaller, showing that very large
proportion of the legal voters in those states
absented themselves from the polls. The
Globe indicates the actual number and
computes the percentage of the voters that
thus refraned from voting In Kentucky the
percentage was SO in Virginia it was 81 in
Texas, IS; in Arkansas, 43; in Alabama,
A in Louisiana, 90; in Mississippi, Sc; in
South Carolina, 90 and in Georgia, 66. The
extensive absenteeism certainly gives some
color to the charge that large proportion of
the voters are kept away from the polls by
intimidation yet a very potent reason for
the fact that the result OF the election there
was certain beforehand, so that there was no
occasion for any effort to bring out all the
voters.
Besides, this large percentage Of non-vot-
ers is by no means confined to the Southern
states. In Maine, where Mr.. Blaine resides,
80 per cent. of the voting population remain
ed away from the polls; in Oregon. SO in
Vermont, SO; in Massachusetts, and Colors-
do, 40 in Nevada, 4G and in Rhode Island,
90. Indeed, in seven states only is the de-
linquency below 20 per cent. In New York,
the battle ground of the campaign, whe re
the greatest efforts were made on all sides,
the absentees aggregated 1871, 23i, or % per
cent of the entire number of voters in the
state.
The percentage of non-voting citizens in
the country at large is 81, and the full num-
Der thus failing to vote 3, 754, 47S. Eight
states, namely Maine, New Hampshire, Yer
mont, Rhode Island Delaware, South Caro-
lima, Georgia, and Nevada, gave fewer votes
than in 1880 The states which we're regard.
ed as certain from the first, generally exhibit
the largest amount of absenteeism and
those in which the result was sharply con-
tested show the least.
A critical analysis of the returns makes
the fact apparent that the nominations of the
great parties we're not acceptable to the vot-
ers. The majorities Of Tilden in 1876 and OF
| Hancock in 1850 present an instructive con-
trast to those of Cleveland in 1884, and show
that the candidacy of the latter was by no
means we'll received by the rank and file of
the Democratic party. The election was car
ried only by reason of the faulty of the Re
publicans in placing in nomination a man
| identified with the worst elements of their
! party-the monopolists, defrauders of the
| government, and corruptionists generally
A powerful section of the organization re-
fused to support him, and that sufficed to
turn the election. A triumph achieved by
such means assures to the successful candi-
date and his supporters no rational prospect
of continuing in power beyond the next
Presidential term. The slightest dsaffector
will destroy whatever prestige he may pos
sess, and with it the ascendsncy of the party
which he represents.
For example, in the state of New York
where the battle of 1884 was decided, the
disatfection in the Democratic ranks was in
tense and unconceaed. The election of 1885
showed that the boom which had made
! Cleveland governor, was operating rs a boom
erang to destroy him. II the Republican,
had nominated an unexceptionable ticket
the plurality against Mr.. Cleveland would
doubtless have Appropriated that by which
he WAS elected governor-in other words
nearly 100000 The extraordinary efforts oil
the Democratic managers to keep Prohibi
ton tickets in the field and to capture votel
from the peoples party showed the straits t
which they were driven.
The Dragging of the Independents tina
they saved the election is absurd and unwar
ranted. The detection of the Stalwarts il
New York alone changed the political com
plexion of affairs and converted into a Dem
ocratic victory what had been regarded a. in
evitable Democratic defeat. The private sec
rotary of President Arthur is said to hav,
predicted before the election that 80, 900 Re
publican votes would be turned from Blain,
to Cleveland in this state, but undoubtedly
the number so voting was far in excess oil
this estimate Yet this revolt of the Stall.
warts gave the state to the Democrats by on
ly an insignificant plurality.
The breach thus occHsioned in the Repub
lican ranks is already substantially healed
The discreet bearing Of the Stalwarts during
the canvass has rendered their return to the
old allegiance easy. II no renewed bitter
ness is caused by the election of the new
Senator, they will be prepared to do battle
next November to elect a Republican gov
ernor. This would give that party the KEY
TO the situation for 1888.
The restoration of New York to her for
mer position at the head of the Republican
column would threaten not only the ascen
dancy, but the very existence of the Demo
cratic party as at present constituted TIL,
immense falling of of Democratic pluralitie
in the Southern states indicates that tn,
South will not remain solid for another fou
years; and there are few Northern states, i
any, that are likely to take their place on tina
side. The disintegration of the Democratic
party will then be probable and it is no
too much to say that it will require the creates
sagacity on the part of its managers, and pre-
eminently on the part of the new President
to prevent such a result.
The people of Stoughton, Mass, are in
state of great excitement over the lottery an,
rafting question. The Grand Army post o