Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1886-02-27
MISSOURI DEMOCRACY.
No Decadence nor Dry Rot in the
Party.
From the Past that Augur
Well for tho Future.

JEFFERSON CTTY, req.
correspondence st. Louis Republican. ]
The "decadence of the party" the
'sopposition majority in the next legls-
ture," the e'split" and the ''strife and
bitterness of the approaching cam
paign," of which so 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 en-
reimbursement was in the election OF
1872. In this year Greeley carried the
state over both Grant and O'COnor by
a majority of $500 votes ana Gov.
Woodson's majority W Henderson
was 35,442. The legislature elected
this year with half the senate holding
over, was composed of 1l2 democrats,
40 republicans and 8 liberals. a demo-
cratic majority of 60.
In 1874, the opposition under the
name of the peoples party, but better
known as "tadpoles," tried hard to de-
feat the democrats, and if possible to
control the legislature. Their efforts,
however, were as futile as in 1872.
Hardin was elected governor by the
handsome majority of 37,462 over Cen
try, and in the legislature the demo-
Gratis had a clean cut majority of SO, OIL
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 majority OF
54,79l, and Phelps for governor, over
the combined opposition, had a ma
jority of 48 1924. The legislature was
composed Of 129 democrats and 4S OPP
position, a majority of 81. This was
the election following the adoption OF
the present constitution.
In 1875, the vote for Norton for judge
of the supreme court, over Denny, re-
publican, and Gillstrap, greenbacker,
was 81 ,054. The legislature elected this
year, and which met in 1879, consisted
of 1873 democrats, 16 republicans and %
greenbackers, q democratic majority on
Joint ballot of SS. At this election, the
greenbackers polled the largest vote
ever cast by them IN this state. 1t
reached $1,000.
In 1880, the Hancock vote was 49,
997 over the Garfield and Weaver vote,
and the vote for Crittenden for
governor owe Dyer, republican and
Brown, greenbacker, was II, 1896. The
legislature of 1881 was made up of 1923
democrats, 4S republicans and 6 green
hackers. The first break made by the
greenbackers to the old parties was at
this election, the majority of those vot-
ing the republican ticket, however.
In 1882, for judge of the supreme
court, Judge Sherwood headed the
lo,oonu~ tobnk Glo moo nlnOfo6 bu
q majority Of 81, 1886 over the combined
votes of Wagner, republican, and Rice,
greenbacker. The legislature of 1888
was composed of 1856 democrats, 81
republicans and 6 greenbackers-a ma
jority of SO.
In 1884 the vote for Cleveland was
235, 1888, and for the anti Bourbon
Blaine-B Butler and st. John tickets 2O5,
OS2, q straight Democratic majority of
30,906. In this year nearly all the can
didates on the democratic state ticket
were elected by a majority of 80 200
over all opposition of fusion and pro-
hibition. The legislature, which met
in 1885 consisted of 1875 democrats, 40
republicans, ACCOMPLISHMENTS and
neutrality-suspicious. democratic
majority Of 81.
A LOOK AHEAD.
This much for the "decadence" and
"split." Now as to the opppos-
ition majority in the next legis
lature." The senators holding
over and classed as opposition, are
Senators Parcher, Jacobs, Rogers, Gid.
cans; Senator Davidson, Greenback-
panrh1Soor aud Sonof0u kalu Groan
back-D Democrat. All the ven number.
ed senatorial districts elect this year.
OF the seventeen only two are hope
Iessly opposition. These are the Fourth
and twentieth. The fourth is at pres.
ent represented by a republican and
the twentieth by a democrat. This will
be q loss numerically of one senator tc
the democrats, but is no gain 10 the op
position, the district being now and al.
ways largely anti-demOcratic. 1t is ont
of the districts which the committee il
redistricting the state, in their gener.
oslty, gave the opposition. At the time
it had an opposition majority of ovel
1900 and in the election of 1884 1t wa
carried against Cleveland by 1905 ma
jority. Senator Baldwin, democrat
carried it in 1882 by a plurality of 3S
rs between himself and two opposition
candidates. In the three st. Louis dis
tricts which elect senators this year tn,
democratic majorities on the vote fol
president in 1884 were: in the thirtietl
district, 494; in the thirty-second, 81
and in the thl~rty-fourth, S09-sufficien
for all purposes, considering that il
1884 the vote for the democratic ticket
both state and national in St. Louis
was very light and much below tn
strength of the party. The eighteenth
district had on the vote of 1884, an op
position majority of 1875. Senate
Bridges, democrat, was elected in thi
district by a majority Of $50, although
in the apportionment the district wa
coded to the opposition with a reason