Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-11-05
TERMS OF THE DISPATCH.
THE STATE ELECTION.

In the course o. 4 long experience in the
receipt OF election returns, The DISPATCH
has never known such remarkable features
in the way in which the news of a State
election came in as those which appear up
to this writing, at A. NJ. Special tele-
grams from Republican leaders making
claims early in the evening of
10000 majority for Delamater, grad
uaIlv diminished until at one o'clock
fhev had got down to -, 900, and finally an
admission from Senator Quay that it re-
guired %, 600 IN Philadelphia and 5000 in
Allegheny 10 save The State.
In the meantime reports from the smaller
cities and the counties throughout the State
continue to show stream of gains for Patti
son, largely exceeding even the prior esti-
mates of Pattison's supporters. Concur
reutly with this was the singular, and what
Democrats assert is a sinister, absence Of
returns from Philadelphia far past the hour
when in former years the result in that city
has been practically known, and two hours
beyond the time when nearly all the results
in PIttsburg were reported. When the
sparse returns from Philadelphia did come
IN, generally at a very late hour, they failed in
most cases 10 show any such Republican
-aiu as viii be sure TO offset the sweeping
-aln for PactisOn throughout the other parts
Of tie State. Still, so large a share of the
Philadelphia vote is still wanting that any
positive estimate Of the result at this hour is
hardly possible. The only figures given out
rom the master OF the Republican organi-
zsIion at Beaver is that if Philadelphia
lives Delamater 10000 to $4,000 and Allie
-aeuy county gives him 1900 or 5000 the
~.ate IS safe. But as Allegheny does not
come to that standard and philadelphia still
-emalus an unknown quantity, it appears
wen from Senator Quay's standpoint that
lae State is in a parlous condition.
Tie tenor of the reports up to this hour
with the indications of a heavy reduction
Of the Republican majority in Allegheny,
The general gains for Pattson in oil and
coal districts and throughout the rural
counties, and the absence of any compensa-
tory gains for Delamater so far as the def
cient Philadelphia returns show, make one
conclusion possible. even from the most
cautious point OF view. That is, either that
PatJison is elected, or that he has made
such a severe inroad on the large Repub-
lean majority which he had to overcome, as
60 make the result a practical protest
against the features of Republican manage
uent which produced the Independent move
ment. The uudoubted close result shows
that = large element Of the Republican party
are ready to disregard party lines for the
sake Of independent aud clean administra-
ton. That many people are ready to
burst the bonds of party tor the State issues
involved in the campaign is an indorse-
ment Of the position which The DISPATCH
has taken from the first in support of Patti
sou and the principles he represents.
Whether we have pattison or Delamater in
ia. rubernatorial chair for the next four
years the election will show that the su-
f.relnacy OF the Constitution and the public
interest cannot be disregarded BY any party,
however strongly it NAV deem itself to be
laJrenchcd behind a large majority on ma
rioual issues. At least these principles
cannot be ignored without invoking disas-
Ter or sucn au approach to it as must answer
me same moultory purpose.
From whatever standpoint it is viewed,
and whatever narrow margin the final
ugures may show, the result is an emphatic
vIndication o. the Independent movement.