Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1888-05-26
MISSOURI REPUBLICANS.
Strong Hopes That They Can Garry Thcil
State This Year.

The Republican party, according to the st.
Louis Gtoto-OsnocrGt, has some hopes OF
carrying Missouri this year both for Presl-
dent and Governor. Missouri, it is true,
has been Democratic for many years. 1t
gave its electoral vote to Grant in 1865, but
since then it has been uniformly Democratic
in Presidential contests. In the popular
mind, indeed, throughout the country, Dem
ocratlc aScendency in this State has come
to be considered as much matter of course
as it is in Mississippi, Georgia or Texas. 1t
has been assumed TO be politically if not geo.
graphically part Of the solid South, whose
vote was assured for any candidate bearing
the Bourbon label. This conception, as may
readily be shown, is scarcely in harmony
with the facts. The Democratic majority in
1872 for President in Missouri was s., 443,
and 5S,O43 IN 1876 In the Presidential years
since 1876, more than two tickets being
voted for, the Democratic plurality in the
State was 55,042 in 1880, and 33,059 in 1884.
1t will be noted that the decline in the
Democratic preponderance in Missouri has
been marked and continuous ever since
1876 Tho plurality for Cleveland was but
little more than half as great as the major
ity given for Tiidcn eight years earlier. 1t
is true there was an alliance in 1854 between
the Republican and Greenback parties in
the State for both President and Governor.
But making fair allowance for the Green
back votes cast for the Republican candi-
dates in that year, the actual Republican
gain must still have been great. AS the
vote for Governor in 1884 showed, the De-
mocracy held the State by slender major
ity. Marmaduke, the Democratic candi-
date, obtained q plurality of 1896 over
Ford, the Republcan-Greenback nominee.
But in the same election 10, 429 votes were
cast for Brooks, Prohibitionist. This made
the Democratic majority in the State four
years ago just 517.
The Republican leaders base their hopes
of party success in Missouri in 1888 on three
influences chiefly. These are the tariff, pro-
hibition and immigration. The assaults
made, under the Presidents inspiration, on
the iron, steel, lead, zinc and wool indus
tries by the free-tradc faction of the Dem
ocracy has alienated thousands of men in
this State who have hitherto voted the Dem
ocratic ticket. This year most of these men
WILL it is probable, support the Republican
candidates. The vote given to st. John in
the State in 1884 was 2,053, but this was
only about quarter of the Prohibition vote
cast in that year. Brooks, the nominee of
that party for Governor, las before mentioned,
received 10, 40 votes. The recent contests
involving the local-option issue, indicate
that the Prohibition strength has increased
materially in the past four years. Most of
the Prohibition votes in this State are drawn
from the Democratic party. immigration
into the State has been active within the
past two or three years. Nearly al of the
new settlers have come from Republican
localities iu the East and Northwest, and of
course bring their political preferences with
them. These considerations show that there
are good grounds for the belief that the Re-
publican party will carry Missouri in 1883.