Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1889-04-10
A Series of Democratic Victories.

The democratic successes recently in
municip elections in various parts of the
East, North aud West are very suggestive.
The fist potable gains and victrrits were
in the town elections of Connecticut and
Ohio, bnt these have been lost sight of in
the later fl .od of democratic IMPURITIES in
Other States. ST.. Louis, for example, gives
Il democratic majority of l,629 instead of
the overwhelming republican majority of
last N0vem Der. o her i'm FDrtabt towns of
NJ issour report similar results. More sur
prising still, Chicago elected the democratic
municipal ticket from top to bottom by a
maj ,rity of over 1850. Nor vas the
movement which gave the capital of the
Northwest to the democracy confined to
Chicago. bat extended to Springfield, Illi-
nuis, where the whole democratic ticket
was chosen. Leavenwoith, Kansas, Do
buQue and KeOkuk, Iowa, and Evansville
Indiana, were the scenes of similar dem
ocratIc triuujphs during the present week
To crown the trophy detected democrats
will be disposed to erect over ese cheer
ing successes comes the remarkable dem
ocratic victory III Rhode Island, where the
democratic candidate for Governor has OBJ
tanned plurality of over 600. Even the
Legislature is I'm doubt, with a probability
that the democrats will control it on joint
ballot. Providence, under the recent ex
tension of the franchise, has ranged itself
nnequivOcally in the list of democratic
CITIES Almost the whole number of re-
Gently snfrauchlsed voters, 1t may be OBJ
served, voted with the democracy. Expia-
nations are forthcoming III abundance to
account for the fact that so many towns
and cities Of the d 81 Importance aud in
one case an entire Safe how give demo-
Graf ie ulajrnities in lieu of the republics IN
majorities of N ,vember last. Que c'ass of
explanations brlrgs local causes solely into
view. In thus place it was tho pestiferous
prohibit oIist, in that the evil-minded mug
wuup and in third The lab element that
did tho business for the republicans The
personal UNPOPULAR of the bead of their
ticket is often mentioned AS the reason for
dlmins shed vote, bu, the activity of the
saloon keeper is not forgotten. Those who
look to the Lsld of federal politics fur
reasons for he general republican diseom-
ii ure find them in the dlsappointmt of
flee seekers whose ''claims" spon Pres-
dent Harrison arc not yet s'IecOgniz d, in
the disgust of civil-seIvIce reformeIs at the
Continual d+capitatiOn of democrats t9
make way for hungry patriofs, in The dis
content prOduced by the many recent re-
duciions of wages ID projected Industries
and III the resentment IF fair minded peo-
pie at the Senate's rejection If Mr. hat
stead. All these factors opera; ed no doubt,
to some ex ;ent, to produce the widespread
disaster, buf collectively they were hardl,
adtq ua'e to effect SO much. The true
reason for the falling eff of the republican
vote was probably very simplT, and con
sisted in the fact that the corruption fund
was exhausi ed last November. The ques-
tion of r. ducipg TIA IF taxes WIS not the
prominent issue in The recent elections, and
| the tariff lo:ds did not therefore See he use
Of raising the br bery fund employed III
N ,vember. fbey refused to have their
Sat" tried out of them for local elections,
preferring tn reserve themselves emer-
gencies like presidential and congrtssi nal
elections. We have no account of Mr.
Wanamaker raising $500 600 for the
enlightenment in the recent cleo ions of
vo Ell ia doubt about the beauties of l.ro-
tec,ion. The ''foaters," III word, were
allowed this ine 10 vote their true Senti-
aeuts uui' fldenced by protectionist gold
or intimidalon. Something, it must be
C needed, was due to the circumstance that
the preseut IS an ''off year T" But it was an
#. IF year" III y double sense, and its ''off-
ness" az resp cts the tariff, is the sign f.
cant hing at'.nt il when tins weeks eiec
tions are tn be explained - Bali. Sua.
Apri 5k.