Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-07-25

Elsewhere IN TIE STAR to-day appears list OF
the changes which TOOK place In the political
complexion OF various Congressional districts be-
tween the Forty ninth and Fiftieth Congresses.
IL is o: interest TO students OF politics
generally. and its figures are capable OF being
30 arranged In groups as 10 1ortify great variety
OF prophetic theories regarding the current OF
affairs this fan comparison OF the votes in
years between presidential elections and the
presidential years themselves, shows that, as a
rule, the tendency OF popular feeling as evil
denced by the md-term votes Il reflected
In the presidential votes. though In some notable
Instances the calculations OF The political wise
acres have been IlaryelOus.y upset 2t the last mo-
ment by some factor which they ID been unable
70 roresee. The reduction in the democratic ma
Jorty Of the Fortynlnth Congress Is attr buted by
many republican campaign orators TO the discon-
tent Of the people at large with the agitation OF
the tariff question by the democrats In Congress,
Tnss might account largely tor the changes
In Illinois. Indiana, Michigan, New Jersey,
Ohio, and perhaps Virginia, for each OF
these states Is or less actively Interested In
the tarin, and In each the changes are exclusively
from the democratic % tie republican side OF the
House. But for that matter, California. Connec-
tcut, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nebraska, New
Hampshire and Pennsylvania are also thus inter-
ested, where the whole or the larger part OF the
changes were in favor Of the democrats; to say
nothing OF Iowa, New York, &C, where the CONVEX
siOns were about equally divided. outside infiu-
ences had good deal TO do with some Of these re-
suits. undoubtedly. In Virginia, for example, dis
satisfaction with the national administration
caused many lifelong democrats TO stay away from
the polls. In one Of the Illinois districts owing t.
the unexpected refusal OF the retiring member TO
run again, no democrat was nominated. and the
republican candidate had a practical wAlkOver.
Whatever part the protection issue may have
played IN the elections OF 1Ss6 II was evidently
not then the controlling issue IL Is to-day and
TO a certain extent the lessons Of the mid term
elections are lost in the present remarkable cam
paign- In this comparison OF the table OF repub-
lean with the table OF democratic converts in
1sS6 the republicans Will dwell upon the fact that
according 10 the precedents Tue figures point to a
popular tendency favorable TO their party, while
the democrats will emphasize the fact that not
withstanding republican gains the country by It's
md-term voting gave them a majority. 1t Is still
as doubtful as ever how far the healing Of breaches
In one party and the widening OF breaches
In the other, the possession OF the federal
Government machinery by one, and the dlseour-
agement VI recent defeat 70 tue other, will affect
the result Of confess which Is rendered al Iition
ally uncertain oy the fact tIat ~ turns upon a
question, never before male 50 directly an issue,
which concerns every mans pocket and Involves
the comparative msr1ts OF two dramatically OPP
posed sy stems Of taxation.