St. Paul daily globe., 1890-11-04
THE CAMpA1GN CLOSED.


The fiercest political battle ever
fought in Minnesota closes to-day. The
campaign work is done. and the voters
will now assemble at the polling places
| to record the popular verdict.
/ On the part of the Democrats. the
| campaign has been one of intelligent
discussion and an appeal to the reason
| of the voters. The Democratic candi-
dates and managers have just reason to
congratulate themselves upon the clean
methods they have pursued. Whether
successful or defeated. they will come
out of the canvass thinking as well of
themselves and standing as high in pop
ular estimation as when they went into
the campaign. The Democratic cam
| paign has been singularly free from
clap-trap and from the trickery and
| Skullduggery usually resorted to in times
of intense political excitement. They
have relied on fair presentation of the
| issues involved in the election. and are
willing to trust to the intelligence of the
! people for a verdict in their favor.
! The Alliance leaders have likewise
| followed clean course. Like the Dem
the campaign, nor would they have re-
| sorted to corrupt measures if they had
been loaded down with wealth. Their
candidate for governor has won the
respect of the people wherever he went,
| and has made proud record for him.
| self.
The Republican campaign manage
ment has been of the regulation Repub-
| lican type, neither better nor worse
| than usual. Money and the machine
are always the main reiiances for Repub-
lican success, and both have been ex-
erted to the full capacity in this elec-
ton. The Republicans have had fine
| party organization because they had the
| facilities to effect good organization.
| They have had an unlimited supply of
| money at their disposal, and have had
| all the forces of state and federal pat
| rOnage to further their plans. 1t has
been easy campaigning for them in
comparison with the Democratic and
Alliance parties; and yet, in spite of that
fact, they are trembling with dread for
fear that their candidates will be buried
out of sight beneath the shower of bal
| lots that will fall to-day. They have
| left no stone unturued to retain power
| in the state. They have put their best
| speakers in the field. have imported the
best Republican campaign orators from
other states, have manifested an ac-
tivity that has never heretofore
been required of Republican cam
| didates, money has flowed like
| water, and yet they tremble for
the result. Instead of appealing to
the reason and intelligence of the voters
| they have sought to obscure the real
issues, their field campaign has been
one of coneealment rather than an open
battle on live issues. they have resorted
to tricks and stupid roorbacks. and yet
| they are not hopeful of the result.
" hateyer the result may be, it is an
| encouraging sign when party gorged
! with excessive feeding at the public
crib and corrupted from too long-con-
| tinued power is made to realize that 1T
has no certain tenure of its hold on the
| government. The scare the Republicans
| have is almost equivalent to victory
| for the people over the machine bosses.
But, whether Gov. MERRIAM is re-
elected or not, there is one thing to-
| days poll will demonstrate. Itis that
a majority of the voters of this state
are opposed to Republican rule. The
votes against the Republi an party will
| far exceed those cast for it. Nor will
| this opposition be founded on personal
| prejudice against tne Republican candi-
dates. Gov. MERRIAM is as good rep
resentative of his party as can be
found. He is possibly the strongest
| man his party could pick up to lead
their cause. And yet large majority
| OF the votes of the state will be cast
against him. Ii he is defeated it will
be because he is the representative of
| aparty whose principles are not indorsed
| by the people of this state. If he is re-
elected it will be by such slim plurai-
ity i. will leave the moral results of the
| election in favor of he Democrats. So
that. whoever may be voted in or voted
out, to-day's election is bound to result
| in splendid triumph for Democratic
DriDciDieS