Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-08-30
FACTS AND FIGURES.
An Argumentative View of the Causes of
the Republican Defeat Last
Spring,
Republican Apathy and an Obnoxious
Local I>>u" Combine Ia -" III" Bust
ness \ Calm Discussion BASED
on Currrct Figures.
From sundays Edition

ca the Gth Of last April the new was
flashed With lightning like rapidty over
ohIu. and even 10 the Tar away eastern and
western states that Springfield tins
great republican stronghold Of the Buckeye
state had been captured by the democrats
at the rI,r.tiuu hrid the previous day. Poi
itican> over the state wondered at the It
suit Of the election and were puzzled 10
know how a city giving republican ma
iurltN ut one thousand un round numbers
could hav been taken 10y the enemy.
II required hlg political disturbance to
change a republican majority of one thou
sand /" a heavy majority against the repul'
hcan ticket. but the disturbance in Spring
tirId al last springs election Was equal t"
the emergency.
After the republican nominations f"r mt
nclal offices had been made. a low mur-
mur Of dissatisfaction began to be heard over
the city. and II soon became manifest
that an effort of some sort wuuld he made
To- defeat the republican nominees. The
tTuuhic all grew 0ut ut the labor difficulties
which were then agltatlng the city. The
men VIII" had been locked out Of the Cham
pruu shops had their friends and. combined,
they presented formidable front. Some
uf the candidates on the republican ticket
All good men. tuO--wrTe thought by the
Wurkngmrm OF the city to favor William y.
WhiteeN'> method ot dealing with. and
dicIatiug t0. his hands, and they at once
determined tn down tho>, candidates il il
was a Vn~Shlr thing.
The fun began in the Eighth ward. where
q ''ciiiztu~ caucu>' was called tnr tn" puI-
pose Of putting in nomination candidates
Tor the ward offices known to be Oppn>rd Ia
the WmtrryS. The caucus was held and
the candidates were nominated by d
comparatively small number "t
the residents of the ward.
Gradually the ''Citizrn" movement began
tn assume definite shape. CaucuSeS wrrt
held in every ward in the city. and the
"Citizen'> Ticket, when it was fully made
up. presented a motley crowd of Repub-
Ucan>. Democrats and PruhibuoniSts IL
some of the caurII~t.> the Democrats -tvel
willy and watchtul had attempted I" run il
their men A. candidates. In some instances
they were successful. while in others they
were most beautifully >nuhhed.
The result was that in some wards three
tickets were presented Republican, Demo
cratic and ''Citizens while in Others only
the Republican and ''CitiLen's" ticket wer,
.'fusionistS." as they were dubbed by Somt
on account OF their coalition with the Dem
ocratS in some Of the wards. had very littl,
hope of winning. even on the very eve I"
the election. although they. of course, KEEP
,tiff upper lip and claimed tn,
earth. When the result was announced CI
the night of election republicans and 'citi
Zcn>' alike were bewildered. They cnulC
scarcely believe the evidence of thei
senses. The latter were wild with cNult
ant enthusiasm. while the former realized
when it WAS too late that over-comfdenC,
and too heavy banking on big majorit!
had lost them the day.
The defeat was sweeping one. and Onil
republican here and there managed Il
crawl out of the debris, and those who die
get Out squeezed through very small holes
The reason assigned and accepted 10
such an overwhelming defeat WAS that th'
''citiKrnS" had drawn heavily from th,
ranks "f the republican party. thus over
coming the republican majority. The Tca
son was plausible. and in both local an,
outside papers il has been published a. tn
literal truth.
1t has remained for the GIoRF REPUR
IIC 10 show lot only that the ''citizrn>
ticket was moi heavily supported by rePub
hrauS, but also that the republicans u
Springfield city and township sill present
solid front 10 all other parties.
4 representative of this paper has beel
figuring ON the vote of last spring and ha
obtained some interesting results, a will b
shown in the following table, and the de
durtium> 10 br drawn from it;
The ir>t column. lSS5. i the republican
vote cast Tor Governor Foraker in eacl
ward and precinct of this city and town
shin: the Second. lSs6 j. the republican
vote cast for John w. Parsons, for town
ship treasurer, in the corresponding ward
and precincts; and the third shows the dif
ference in each ward and precinct betweel
the votes of ISs5 and 1856: