Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1886-03-04
Missouri Democracy.
From the Jefferson City Tribune.

~PHi' A'&JS'ieJ =" WV hoAe 1S6
islature." the ''split" and the ''strife
and bitterness of the approaching
campaign" of which 50 much is said,
has no foundation whatever in truth |
and in fact.
The first time the democratic party |
of this state was arraigned against
the opposition after the enfranchise-
ment was in the election of 1872. In
this year Greeley carried the state
over both Grant and O'Connor by al
majority of 27,S09 votes, and Gov.
Woodson's majority over Henderson
was 5,442. The legislature elected
this year with half the senate holding
over, was composed of 122 demo-
Gratis, 49 republicans and 8 liberals, a
democratic majority of 60.
In 1874, the opposition under the
name of the peoples party, but bet
ter known as ''tadpoles," tried hard
to defeat the Democrats, and if pos
sible to control the legislature. Their
efforts, however, were as futile as in
1872. Hardin was elected governor
by the handsome majority of 81 ,462
over Gentry, and in the legislature
the democrats had clear majority
of S3, on JOINT ballot.
In 1876 the Tilden and Hendricks
ticket, in this state as in the other
democratic states, received an unex-
pectedly large vote. 1t carried the
state over all opposition by a major
| ity of 54,791, and Phelps for COVER
nor, over the combined opposition,
had a majority of 1924. The leg
islature was composed of l29 demo
Gratis and 4S opposition, a majority
of 81. This was the election follow
ing the adoption of the present con-
stilution.
In 1878 the vote for Norton for
judge of the supreme court, over
Denny (republican) and Gillstrap
(Greenbacker), was 57,054. The
Legislature elected this year, and
which met in 1879, consisted of 133
democrats. IL republicans and rs
greenbackers, a democratic majority
on joint ballot of SO. At this cleo.
ton the greenbacksrs polled the
largest vote ever cast by them in
this state. 1t reached 81, 900.
| III 1880 the Hancock vote was
1887 over the Garfield and Weaver
vote, and the vote for Crittenden fol
governor over Dyer (republican) ane
Brown (greenbacker,) was 1886
The legislature of 1881 was made VI
of 1923 democrats, 4S republicans ant
l6 greenbackers. The first breal
made by the greenbackers to the ole
parties was at this election, the ma
ljority of those voting. the republican
| ticket, however.
l. In 1882, for judge of the suprem
| court, Judge Sherwood headed tn
Z democratic ticket. He was electe'
by majority of $685. over tn
8 combined votes of Wagner. republi
can, and Rice, ereenbacker. Th
+ legislature of 1883 was composed G
q 1856 democrats, 80 radicals and
+, greenbackers-a majority of 9S.
Il In 1884 the vote for Cleveland wa
l235,9S8, and for the anti-bourbor
a Blaine-Butler and St. John ticket
b POS, ,OS2, a straight democratic maj"l
!? ity of 30,906. In this year nearly a
h the candidates on the democrat
Il state ticket were elected by major
: ty of $4,000 over all opposition I
# fusion and prohibition. The legisl
q. ture which met in 1885 consisted I
# 1926 democrats, 40 radicals, 4 greer
|. back-democrats and 5 greenback-rad
+, cals-a democratic majority of S4.
" This much for the "decadenc'
ID and ''split" Now as to the ''oppos
It, ii N majority in the next legislature
a. The senators holding over and clas
ce ed as opposition, are Senators Pare
in err, Jacobs, Ryors, Gideon, Webst
y, and McGinnis, republicans; Senat
I'd Davidson, greenback-republican al
. Senator Kelley, greenback-democrs
er All the even numbered senatori
So districts elect this year. OF t
is seventeen only two are hopeless
,r, opposition. These are the -Four
mt and Twentieth. The Fourth is
en- presen; represented by republic
el. and the Twentieth by a democr
ed This will be loss numerically of O
n senator to the democrats, but is
ch gain to the opposition, the distr
being now and always largely al
Ter democratic. 1t is one of the distri
in which the commission in rediotricti
lily the state, in their generosity, g'
the opposition. At the time 1t b
}. 8 an opposition majority of over 2,(
w. and in the election of 1884 it
carried against Cleveland by L.
n 8 majority Senator Baldwin, der
his crat. carried it in 1882 ny plural
oe of 38. as between himself and
~" s opposition candidates. In the th
i've St. Louis districts which elect sc
}. 1 tors this year the democratic maj
of ties on the vote for president in Is
aie were: In the Thirtieth district, 4
-, in the Thirty second, "a. and in
Thirty-fourth, 309-suffieient for
purposes, considering that in !
the vote for the democratic tic
~, both state and national in st. Lo