The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1890-09-10
The Election.

LOO. Mr.. Pages majority is there
fore about 1880 on an aggregate vote
of $1,000. We observe with some sur
prise that the Free Press and Rutland
Herald, among the state papers who
were conspicuous in their opposition
to the nomination of Mr.. Page, con-
trary to previous practice, have COM
pared Mr.. Pages vote with the gov
ernor vote in the last presidential year
instead of the last "off year." In this
respect those papers have this year
chosen to pursue the invariable course
of the argus and Patriot and its COM
peer in Vermont politics, the SPRING
field Republican. Such comparisons
are manifestly unfair. They are intel
ligible in partisan democrat or a
political nondescript, but it is surpris-
ing that republicans should adopt
course so unusual, and should exhibit
spirit so fractional. The 81. Adams
Messenger alone among the state dailies
was just in this respect, and compared
Mr.. Pages vote with the vote for Mr..
Ormsbee in 1886, the last preceding
" off year" election.
The "off year A" vote, from Governor
Proctor's election in 1878 to the pres
ent, shows that it is at the elections
coming between the great national con-
tests that Vermont republicans make
local and state interests their particu-
lar concern. In presidential years
national issues come to the front; in
the " off year" national questions have
about as much to do with elections as
the phases of the moon. The hula
baloo of the state democracy and its
allies outside has always been vocifer-
Gus over the "off year " returns, but
their shouts die away and hope for a
season bids the democracy farewell
when the old historic majority comes
surging back at the next election. So
has it always been; so is it now, and
so it will be in 1892.
In view, however, of many things
that are being said and printed-all in
the interest of King Buncombe-a
comparison or two, and the statement
of one or two circumstances and condi-
tons, will deprive the late election of
what little significance the enemy is
so Historically anxious to pin to it. In
1878, in an aggregate vote of 81 ,956,
Governor Proctor had 81 ,312, or a trine
over sixty-four per cent; Governor !"
Bingham, democrat, 1882, or about
thirty per cent. In 1882 Governor
Barstow had 81, S39 votes, or sixty-nine
per cent of total of 81 ,S4S; the democ-
racy had 4,466, or twenty-eight per
cent of the whole vote. In 1886 the
aggregate vote was 57,099, of which
Governor Ormsbee had 37,709, or
sixty-six per cent; Mr.. Shurtleff had
II ,1S7, or thirty per cent. AT the late
election the total vote was 53,700; Mr.
Page has $4,000, or nearly sixty-three
per cent; Mr.. Brigham has 10000, or
about thirty-fve per cent. Mr.. Page
has come well up to the percentage of
Governor Proctor, one of the most
popular and most efficient executives
the state has ever had, and is not eX-
actly distanced by his " off-year "
predecessor. Considering all the cir
cumstances and all the influences that
were uniting against the republicans,
the surprising feature of the returns is
not that the majority is somewhat
smaller than usual, but that it has been
so well sustained. 1t is undeniable
that the legislatures for the biennial
terms of 1886 and 1888 appropriated
money with free hand. Taxes have
been largely increased at time when
the farmers income has been greatly
diminished, and when he had right to
expect that he would be practically
free from direct state taxation. Moth
ing but the loud protest of republicans
themselves against the course of the
legislature, and the nomination of 6
candidate pledged to reform and re-
trenchment, saved the party from 6
Waterloo in the election of last week.
Very likely some high-license repub
licans voted for the democratic candi
date for governor. 1t is true also tina
small percentage of republicans wht
were opposed to the nomination of Mr.
Page either voted for the Democrat,
candidate for governor or scratched
the head of the republican ticket
Furthermore, by all the fraudulent de
vices known to political management
split tickets, " stickers," etc., etc.-th
democrats sought to gain republican
votes. The slight increase in thei
percentage is the measure of the sue
cess of their devices and of the eXten
to which republican malcontents wen
over to the enemy. With the prevail