The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1888-05-19
souIHERN ELECTIONS.
a wholesome Lesson Taught by the Re-
cent Louisiana Victory.


cent Louisiana victory.
One of the staple Republican cries
is that the South maintained its solidi-
ty against the Republican party be-
cause there is not free and fair vote
in that section. They assume that the
number of colored votes in Southern
State represents the number of the Re-
publican votes, and that relatively
light vote is indicative of suppression
of Republican votes. Mr.. Vest, in the
United States Senate recently, showed,
by comparison of the vote with the
whole voting population in u number
of specially-selected Southern and
Northern States, taking in the whole
range from the lowest to the highest
percentage of vote to voting popula-
tion,. the Southern States chosen out
ranked, one by one, the Northern
States with which comparisons were
instituted. As Mr.. Vest explained,
the comparison was not wholly fair,
but il was in keeping with the Rcpub-
lican line of argument. Comparing
the general average of the vote in
Northern and in Southern States. and
there is an excess in favor of the
former of about six per cent
The fullness or want thereof of the
vote in any State, be it Northern or
Southern, depends upon the earnest
ness with which the political contests
in such State are waged. Michigan
was more hotly contested in 1884 than
in 1880. and the vote in comparison to
population was therefore relatively
larger in 1854. Ohio has voting pop
ulation but little in excess of that of
Illinois, yet the popular vote of the
former was 10, 900 larger than that of
the latter i'll 1884, and there has been
as great or greater disparity at every
election in recent years. According
to the Republican theory. as applied to
the South, this would indicate terri
bic suppression OF Democratic votes in
Illinois. 1t simply indicates, however,
that Illinois has not been in recent
years canvassed from end to end with
the vigor and persistence that have
been shown in Ohio.
The recent election in Louisiana is
noteworthy as having brought out by
far the largest vote ever pollcd in the
State. If fulness of vote is represen-
tative OF freedom and fairness, it was
exceptionally free and fair. The vote
is from CO. 600 to 10000 heavier than it
was in the Presidential election of
1891, and 10000 to so. 600 heavier than
that cast ut the election for Governor
i'll April four years ago. The Demo-
cratic vote in the State is nearly, If
not fully, twice that given for Cleve-
land, and 30,00 to 10000 more than
McEnery polled for Governor in April.
1884. The Republican vote in a num-
Der of parishes is heavier than it was
in either April or November 1884 and
the aggregate in the State will be as
large rs at either election. The great
er fullness resulted III an increase OF
the Democratic majority from 16. 900
for Cleveland to 80. 600 for Nichols.
One of the parishes most conspic,l-
Gus for the increase in vote was that
of Orleans, containing the city of
New Orleans. The vote of this parish
for President in 1884 was: Cleveland,
1886; Blaine, 6,82S. The New York
Tribune is authority for the statement
that the election in New Orleans was
absolutely tree and fair. There was
an exciting contest for municipal Of
ticcrs, which had the effect of bring
ing out vote nearly twice rs great as
that cast in November, 1884. There
was the greatest vigilance on both
sides. What was the result of this
full, free and fair votco Warmoth re-
eeivcd 4,500 more votes than were
polled for Blaine, but tile total of
Nichols was 1000 in excess of that
for Cleveland, and his majority of
nearly 1000 is larger by nearly 5000
than the entire vote cast for Cleveland |
i'll the parish. A full vote, it will thus
be seen. is even less conducive to Re-
publican happiness than a light one. -
Detroit Free Press.