The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-11-04
The Close of the Campaign.

The presidential campaign is nearly over.
The final appeals to voters will be made to-
morrow, and on Tuesday the contest VIII
be decided at the ballot box.
The campaign has been remarkable one
in some respects. There have been very
few personalities. and abuse of the opposing
candidates has been INDUCED in very spar
ingly. Although the line between the two
great parties has been very clearly drawn,
there has been noticeable absence
OF bitter party feeling. The
tariff issle and questions Ringing
upon it have almost wholly occupied the
attention of the stump speakers and the
public prints The stock of campaign false
hoods has been comparatively small, and
it is doubtful if they have helped or hurt
either party to any appreciate extent. The
campaign can be properly called an educa-
tional one, because the minds of the people
have been occupied with great economic
questions rather than with frivolous charges
affecting the characters and public records
of the candidates.
The result of the balloting will be awaited
with the most profound interest, and
although botn democrats and republicans
profess to feel confident of success, 1t will
hardly be denied that tie chances are largely
in favor of the former There are several
reasons why their chances are better. They
are in power, and there is nowhere any pro-
nounced dissatisfaction with their admins
tration of the government. Tie President
has pursued a safe and conservative course,
Il Full lodi
teresti of every section OF The
country. His administration has
been honest ard economical, ana under
it the country has enjoyed marvellous de-
gree Of prosperity. He has displayed ex-
cellent judgment in dealing with all mat
tiers, whether they related TO this country
or to foreign countries He has been the
President of the people end not of party
Throughout the campaign it has never been
seriously asserted by his political enemies
that he is not an able, wise and honest eX-
ecutive If there had been ground for such
an assertion, it would have been promptly
made
1t can be said in behalf of the President
that he has made duty his watchword, and
that he has done things which, at the time,
were not approved by many of his party's
leaders. and which be had reason to think
would injure his popularity with his party,
but which he believed were demanded by
the best interests of the people. His willing
ness to sacrifice party advantage
in order to promote the interests of
the public is conspicuously shown
In his reappointment Of republican who
had proved himself to be capable official
as postmaster of New York city. The post
office in that city has about 1000 employees,
and nearly all of them are republicans. 1t
could have been made source of immense
strength to the democrats in the present
campaign. This is only one of many
instances in which the President has placed
duty above party politics.
This election will te decided by the indie
pendent vote, the strength of which neither
party can estimate satisfactorily. 1t is
composed of thinking men of all classes who
are more DESTROYS of having the government
safely, wisely and honestly administered
than they are of the success of a party.
These independent voters have watched the
Presidents course carefully, and are salts
fed with it. Their ballcts will be cast for
him.
The tariff issue will, of course, have an
immense influence on tho election. In the
northwest particularly some startling
changes in the strength of the two parties
will doubtless appear, but whether they
will be sufficient to give any one of the
northwestern states to the democracy is a
question that will not be answered until
the ballots are counted. In tie eastern
states the tariff issue has made and lost
votes for the democ attic party, but the
election will doubtless show thai 1t has
helped rather than hurt the party. The
millionaire monopolists are arrayed
against tariff reform, and their money and
the means they employ to compel their fac
tory operatives to vote i'll accordance with
their Wishes may prevent the actual growth
of the tariff reform sentiment in these states
from becoming apparent.
There are other reaso s why democratic
victory may be looked for on Tuesday.
Those given, however, are suffcien. to in
spire democrats with confidence in the
success Of their party.