Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-07-19

short in 1884, and should General Harri-
son do as well IN the Republican states,
he viii need just thatnumber. Of these,
Indiana, Harrisons own state, is counted
on to furnish 10. Cleveland, with Hen
bricks running for Vice President, car
ried it in 1884 by 6,512, but there was
then Greenback vote of S,293 and a
Prohibition vote of 3.02S Harrison viii
certainly be stronger In Indiana than
Blaine was four years ago, and the death
of Mr.. Hendricks has deprived the De
mocracy of that state of its most con-
spicuous, respected and efficient leader
At the last state election in Indiana, that
of 1886, the Democrats were beaten by
1924
The fifteen electoral votes of Indiana
would leave the Republicans within four
Of the number required to elect. These
are expected from the state of Connecti-
cut, which has always been remarkably
close, and which was carried by Mr..
Cleveland IN 1884 by meager plurality
of ], 284, with a Prohibition vote of 2,4S9
the greater portion of which will proba-
bly, fall back into the Republican column
this year. Connecticut Is a high tariff
state, and went against Hancock in 1880
by 1866.
Should the Republicans succeed, either
by good management, by the projection
of the tariff issue, or by the wholesale
expenditure of money, in securing the
electoral votes of Connecticut, they will
have more than majority, and will be
entirely independent of New York.
Under ordinary circumstances, al
especially with candidate like General
Harrison, whose record on the Chinese
question is not popular. there would be
considerable doubt of the ability of the
Republicans to maintain their ascenden-
cy in the three Pacific states of Nevada,
California and Oregon. But the recent
election in the last-named state, when
the same questions as will affect Cali
fOrnia and Nevada swelled the normal
Republican majority of 1900 to 1000,
gives a pretty fair indication of the re-
suit to be expected in November.
The leaders who handled so brilliant
ly, and at the same time so discreetly,
the interests of General Harrison in the
Chicago convention, show in the policy
which his nomination outlines a very
clear perception of the political situa-
ton as it is to-day; and while the adj
dition of Mr.. Mortons name to the ticket
may not be the means of adding very
many votes in the state of New York. it
will replenish the financial resources of
party out of office in a Presidential
election now for the first time in twenty
eight years.
It will not do for the Democrats to I'M
der-rate the political importance of the
Harrison and Morton ticket. While its
nomination makes Indiana and Con-
necticut from this time Oh, the veritable
battle-ground, New York is not with
drawn from the question; for while it is
absolutely indispensable to the success of
Cleveland and Thurman, its loss would
by no means deprive the Republicans of
their chances, or render the fight hope
less for them. They won the election of
1868 without New York, and might oe
able to do it again.
Underlying all this is the fact that
General Harrison, like General Garfield,
is an Ohio man, native of the Buckeye
state, and that Morton, like Arthur, the
vice presidential nominee of the ticket
of 1880, is New Yorker. Indeed, the
republican ticket of 1888 has many
points of resemblance to the republican
ticket of 1880. And, as all democrats
will remember, the latter won.
About the best thing the democrats of
the doubtful states can now do is to
cease contemplating the weakness OF inc
ticket which their opponents have put
up, and to develop What strength and
stability appertains to their own.
In another article the same paper says:
Free trade means putting all the labor
ing men of the world upon one level of
competition, Protection means restrict
ing the competition among laborers to
those living in their own country, and
the consequence of such restriction is
that the wages remain at high level;
whereas, if the competition of all the
laborers in the world were allowed to
operate here, they would steadily fall to
the lowest level. That is the reason why
the wOrkingmen OF this country are bet
ter paid, are more prosperous, live in a
better manner, are better educated, and
bring up their children with more of
hope and ambition than belongs to the
workingmen in any other country. This
is why the wor<ingmen of the United
States like the American system of pro-
lection, and dislike the British system
of free trade. The republican party is
for protection; the democratic for free
trade.