St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-08-13
C0NNEcTTIIGGYy! SAFE.
Democracy Stronger There
Than It Was Four Years
Ago.
Cleveland Will Carry Oregon
and California, Says Gen.
Beapfleld.
Mr.. Mills Regains Nerve Force
Since His Bill Has
Passed.
Carl SchurZ Not Coming
Home for Politics This
Year.

the doubtful states that you got in 1SS4?''
is the query of every travel-stained
pilgrim from the West who drops in at
the headquarters of the Democratic ma
tional committee to get light on polit-
ical situation that perplexeS him. 1t
does not take the questioner long to be
treasured as to New York. There is
something in the air that inspires him
with the same confidence that is felt by
every New York Democrat, that the
Empire State is sure for Cleveland by
more substantial majority than that Of
1884. Nor does ii take him long to get
of New Jersey stands like
stone wall against the attacks of
the Republican enemy. There is no
break in the Democratic line in Jersey
that is worth taking into account. The
ProhibitiOniSts over there have deter
mined the fate of the Republican party,
and there is every indication that the
state will return one Of its old time DEM
ocratic maj0rities.
But what about Connecticut? The man
to whom all questioners are referred for
news about the situation in that snug
little state is the veteran chairman of
the national committee, William I'll.
Barnum. Even glance at the grim
features so full of force and determina-
ton is reaSSuring, but the visitor gains
more confidence when he hears the cool
and measured utteranceS of that most
aSUute of politicians: Tell your peO-
ple," says the griZZled chairman who
has led the party in so many fights,
THAT Connecticut is not doubtful; she
is all right. We are in
BETTER SHAPE
there than we were four years ago; we
have more voters with US; we have the
new crop of young voters; we have
more farmers who want less taxes; we
have more MugWumpS; we have what
we did not have four years ago, hun
dredS of Straight-Out Republicans who
have come squarely over on the tariff
issue. We would have lost some votes
if the Mills bill had been left as it origin
ally stood, but it has been amended so
that it affords ample protection to every
Connecticut industry, and as soon as we
have had opportunity to explain its pro-
visions to our people, there will not be
worth counting. There are some now,
but they will disappear as soon as the
situation is put before them as 1t is. 1t
does not take a sensible wOrkingman
long to decide between free whisky and
cheaper clothing."
Mr. Barnum himself is protectioniSt
on principle, but he supports the Mills
bill because of its moderation, and the
great body of Democrats in his state
agree with him. Mr.. Barnum's sum-
mary of the situation is perhaps as fair
a presentation of the outlook as seen
from the Democratic headquarters or as
one can get by more extended in
quiry. | met rural clergyman from
one of the Connecticut towns yesterday,
who, like all Yankee ministers, is very
well Informed about everything. He
told me that he thought three-fourths
of the ministers in the state would vote
the Prohibition tieket.In his own congre-
cation there were many Republicans who
voted for Blaine i'll 1854 who would vote
for the Prohibition candidate this year
because they
like the Republican platform. He knew
of some farmers who had hitherto been
Republicans who would vote for Cleve-
land because they liked his low tariff
bills and thought they weren't getting
their share of the benefits of protection.
This clergyman said that he took no
port in politics himself, and as between
the two big parties, thought there was
little to choose. He believed, however.
that as matters stood Cleveland would
carry Connecticut.
wump in 1884, but who has since wholly
allied himself with the Democratic
party, was visitor at the Democratic
headquarters on Tuesday in quest of
campaign literature to educate voters
on the tariff question. He said that had
the Republicans made a satisfactory
tariff platform, Harrison would have
drawn back into the party more than
half OF the Mugwump vote that
Blaine drove out. but as it
was there were more Mugwumps
this year thar ever before, In his ex-
perience he had never seen so many
young men interested in politics, and
they were all apparently for Cleveland.
He thought the manufacturers were
going to spend great deal of money
Harrison and protection, but he did not
believe they
COULD WIN.
The cOrruptible vote of the state is
not large, and the venal voters would
be closely watched to prevent their sell
ing their suffrage on any extensive
scale.
The vote of Connecticut since 1884
has shown pretty steady Democratic
gains. By an absurd provision of the
state constitution a candidate for gov
ernor cannot be elected OH a plurality
vote, but must have majority over all.
The result has been the throwing of
two or three gubernatorial elections in
which the Democrats had a substantial
plurality on the popular vote into the
legislature, and thus Republican candi-
dates, repudiated at the polls, have been
seated in the governors chair 1t is this
perversion of the popular will which has
given the state a Republican executive
on several occasions. The same Iule
does not hold as to the choice of presi-
dent, however, and if the Democrats do
as well in the state this year as they
have done in other years since 1884 they
will get the electoral vote of the state
by larger margin than they had four
years ago.
The cluster of doubtful states about
the great metropolis have like interests
and are affected by like conditions.
They naturally vote alike. As New
York goes so will go New Jersey and
Connecticut, and the Empire State is
for Cleveland.