The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-11-07
IOWA.

wrought in Iowa on Tuesday is simply
astounding. The Democrats of the nation
will be as much surprised by it as are the
Republicans of the state named. We do
not know how the Iowa Democrats have
felt during the campaign regarding the
probable outcome, but the members Of the
party outside the state have never for
moment thought it was possible that Iowa
would be snatched from the enemy and
placed on the highway leading to redemp-
ton. The most that was expected was
lessening of the appalling maiorities which
the Republicans have been in the habit OF
rolling up. There was hope for that, as it
was known that discomfort prevailed,
good many of the people having grown
weary Of the methods and policies CT the
Republican organization; but the wide
spread disaffection and disgust were never
dreamed of outside the state.
Iowa has been uniformly and over
whelmingly Republican. Beginning way
back in 1856, with the commencement Of
the Republican party, it has prided itself
on the magnitude of its maiorities. In that
year, when the Republican organization
was hardly known throughout the country,
Iowa gave a majority for the party of
Z .767, and every year since the state has
been fanatically Republican. On one
occasion the plurality reached $4,000; in
1872 the majority was 1862; at the next
presidential election, in 1876, HAYES ma
iority was $1,000; in 1880, the GARFIELD
majority was 45,204. And so it has gone,
the nation at large looking upon Iowa as
territory in which the Democrats had no
business. Only on one occasion has the
Republican actual majority fallen below a
thousand, and even then its plurality over
the Democratic vote was ~, 193 That was
in 1879 when the temperance party put
forth their great effort, casting 1868
votes, and the Greenbackers made
their first big fight, polling S,22S
votes In that year the Republican
vote fell from 171,172 to 121, $40, and the
Democratic dropped from 112, us in 1876 to
1883. The Republican majority over all
was only 675. The next year the majority
was S,O55, and in 1879 it was 23,S2S, the
temperance people having returned to the
ranks, where they have since remained,
only now and then enough of them coming
out to form a ticket. One year ago the Re
publican plurality was 81, 112 and the ma
iority 10, 427, the labor ticket getting 4,OO5
votes. This immense plurality has now
been overcome, and the Democrats have
carried the state! The statement seems
almost like dream.
There are two lessons in Tuesdays great
victory. Iowa is a purely agricultural
state. 1t manufactures little. Its people
get their living from the soil. They have
just learned that while the Republican pro
tective laws aid none of their industries,
increase the wages of nobody in the state
and stimulate no Iowa industry, they in
crease by fully one-half the cost of all
articles which the farmer and laborer must
purchase-his blankets, his clothing. his
hats, the lumber with which he builds his
house and barn, and the implements, tools
and machinery he uses on his farm. The
laborer was told last year that the election
of the Republican national ticket would
provide work for all and increase wages; a
year has gone and labor has been scarce
and hard to get, while wages have steadily
fallen, the poor workingman being in a de-
plorable condition. The consequence of
the opening of the eyes of the farmers to
evil of high protection, and of the discov-
cry of Republican bad faith by the laborers,
is the result which occurred on Tuesday,
and which it is now believed will be lasting
in its effect.
The other lesson taught by the election
is that the people will not submit to the
rule of vain sentiment. Prohibition has
been thoroughly tried in Iowa, and as in
every other place where any considerable
number of people want liquor, it has proven
a failure. The people have grown tired of
the farce and have concluded to put stop
to it, even if in doing so they have to put
down the political organization which is
hiding so much corruption behind pro-
fession of morality and virtue.
The Iowa vote is protest against the
false doctrine of protection, and the foolish
one of prohibition.