Butte semi-weekly miner., 1886-11-17
THE LATE ELECTIONS.

THE LATE ELECTIONS.
The returns from the several States in
which elections were held the .2nd inst. are
now sufficiently complete to enable ono to
arrive at fair estimate Of their real 70
suits and their effect upon the two great
political parties. Most OF the. Republican
organs hold that the reduction in the DEM
ecratic majority in the House, and the eelec-
ton of Republican Legislature in North
Carolina, indicate triumph for their party
in 1888, while the Democratic press
throughout the country contend that Mr..
Cleveland has more than held his own. and
that should he again be nominated Tor the
Presidency he would encounter less opposi-
ton than he did in 1884.
Candidly there is nothing in the results OF
the contest on the End inst. to prove that
the Republicans are at all likely to win at
the next Presidential election, while the in
dicatious point to Democratic victory
and a Democratic President to succeed Mr..
Cleveland. This, also, seems to be the
view taken of the results Of the late elec-
tions by the Chicago Times, paper indie
pendent in politics, and hence in a position
to view the matter dispassionately. That
journal says: "The Republicans appear to
have been altogether too fast in claiming a
victory and the Democrats too fast in con-
ceding defeat in the recent election. 1t
looks remarkably as if it we're the other
way, as the results are more clearly defined.
The Democratic losses have been few and
not highly important. The Republican
losses have been numerous and some of
them of the highest Importance.
With a single exception the Democrats
have lost nothing which they gained in
1884, when President Cleveland was
elected. While they were busted in carry
ing the Indiana legislature they lost some
minor state officers by small and uncer-
tain majority. But they have held New
York, Connecticut and New Jersey, which
cast enough electoral gotes, with the Solid
South, to elect President. They have
done still better. They have gained Cali
fornia aad Colorado, with Oregon, which
elected Democratic Governor in June.
There is no reason to suppose that the
changes in these States is attributed to any
peculiar cause, or is mere popular freak
in politics. 1t is evidently q revolution,
and there is nothing to show that it will go
backward instead of forward.
If Presidential election had been held
this year, and had all the States gone as
now repol ted, Democratic President
would have been chosen by ZIG electoral
votes to 1873 for the Republican candidate.
In 1884 Cleveland had 219 electoral votes
and Blaine 1852. Deducting Indiana's fl
teen votes from the Democratic side would
leave 2O4, which would be majority OF
the electoral college. But to this number
is to be added votes from California,
8 from Colorado and 8 from Oregon, max
ing 218 in all-only one less than Cleve-
lands vote. The Democrats have, there
fore, gained national victory all but as
complete as they gained two years ago.
The Democratic administration has re-
ceived popular Endorsement and vote OF
confidence that are ineligible end decisive.
In another direction the Democrats have
made most important gains, and the Re-
publicans have suffered losses of the most
serious character. The present United
States Senate contains forty-two Republi.
cans. including Riddleberger, and thirty.
four Democrats. In the next Senate the
Democrats will take the place OF Republi.
cans from California, Indiana and New Jer.
sey. This will reduce the number of Re-
publican Senators, including Riddleberger
to thirty-nine, and increase the number oI
Democrats to thirty-seven. Riddleberger is
so uncertain quantity, and his political
future is 80 dependent on the Democratic
party of Virginia, that he is as likely to act
hereafter with the Democrats as with the
Republicans, as he has at times heretofore
done. Such a change would make tie be-
tween the parties in the Senate for the re-
mainder of President Cleveland's term
with chance that a seat on the Republi.
can side may at any time become vacant
which would render the government Demo.
cratic in all it's branches-on President and
in both houses OF Congress.
Still more may be added. In most of the
strong Republican states Republican
majorities have dwindled away to
small pluraities or to almost moth.
ing. Iowa has lost nine-tenths oi
it's Republican majority. But for the di.
version Of the labor vote-not the Socixl-
lists but the genuine workingmen-t sep.
arate candidate, Wisconsin would have
gone Democratic. The Republican major
ity in Michigan is slim and not reliable.
Ohio, notwithstanding the scandals and
frauds OF Democratic origin that have
weakened the Democratic party more than
can be described. is almost a doubtful
State. The growing tariff-reform senti-
ment OF Massachusetts is making it a Dem.
ocratic State. Probably the popular
Democratic majority in all the States that
have voted in 1886 is hundreds of thou
sands of votes.
On the other hand, the Democratic losses
are not great, and are not OF q vital char.
acter, like the Republican losses. The
Democrats will have smaller majority in
the lower House Of the next Congress than
they have in the present house. But 1T
will be sufficient, and can be better han.
died than larger majority. The loss of
the State ticket in Indiana is more than
counterbalanced by the gain of the United
States Senator, The popular Democratic
vote in New York is less than Governor
Hill received a year ago, but it is ten
tin'es greater than President Cleveland re-
ceived two years ago."
RISE IN SILVER