Smyrna times., 1889-11-13
Two Opinions of the Election.
THE LESSON OF THE ELECTIONS.

THE LESSON OF THE ELECTIONS.
Baltimore Sun.
A majority for the Democratic can.
didate in Virginia approaching 10000
with the Legislature Democratic in
both branches Maryland and its
metropolis Democratic despite strong
efforts made to part it from the
solid south New Jersey Democratic
in the executive and legislative
branches of its government; the Dem
Ocratlc candidates for state offices in
New York successful, and the repub-
llcan majority in the Legislature ma
terially reduced Ohio Democratic as
respects both the governorship and the
Legislature, and even Iowa, a fortress
OF Republicanism, captured by the
Democratic candidate for Governor
such is the catalogue of Democratic
successes Tuesday for which the sup
porters of the tariff and pension pol
icy OF the present administration have
to explain. The explanation, to be
satisfactory, must be as general as the
facts. 1t has been said that the result
Is due in each case to local causes.
The President himself attributes the
detection of Iowa to the growing un-
popularity of prohibition in that State.
and the loss of Ohio to the opposition
OF the voters to the principle of a third
term. As for Malone, he denies that
ne was his candidate. Upon the whole,
he sees no reason to believe that the
defeats of his party Tuesday consti-
tutea verdict upon his administration
The President may possibly be right.
II Is matter about which oDiniOns
will differ. But it hardly admits OF
doubt that, if the defeats Of November
had been victories, the administra-
ton would have been quick to extract
from them moral of approval and
cOmmendation. The theory of local
causes will not however, fit all the
facts. 1t might account for the result
IN one or two states, but it is absurd to
contend that local causes, differing in
nature and force with the circum-
stances of each state could all at once
consplre to produce an indentical re-
suit III great many states in widely
separated sections Ofthe country. Not
only did the Democrats gain votes in
Democratic States, but they gained
also largely in Republican states. It
IS obviously impossible to any such
partial theory to explain why Massa-
chusetts should this year send a
largely increased Democratic represen-
tation to its Legislature and almost
elect a Democratic Governor. The
wiser view for the administration to
take IS to accept the result of TUESDAYS
elections a. a rebuke. The country is
not, it is clear, content with the CON
duct of affairs at Washington and the
tendencies exhibited by the party in
power. The raising of the tariff bv
executive rulings, the scandalous ex-
traVagance of the pension bureau, the
disregard Of the civil-seryice pledges of
the Chicago platform, the "Southern
policy" of the President, the sectional
legislation proposed by the majority of
the House, the increased waste Of the
public dOmain-these are cOnsidera.
tons that have doubtless weighed
heavily with the voters. There is. be.
sides, a general and growing feeling
that the existing tariff is a burden no
longer to be borne. A disposition 10
punish the beneiiciaries of the frauds
by which the elections of 1883 were
carried in certain States may also have
had its effect Add to this that il was
impracticable for Mr.. Quay to appiy
this year in many states the cash svs-
TEN by which lie last year carried the
two states recognized as pivotal. a"
The cash was not in his chest. and if
he had had it he could not have scat.
tered It with profit over ten States.