Los Angeles herald., 1890-11-07
LESSONS OF THE ELECTION.

Tuesdays elections has no parallel in
the history of the country. Its effect is
most apparent and most important in
the house OF representatives although
other effects are not to be lost sight of.
The control of the executive department
of government in several states that
have been in the hands of the Republi
Can party party iiss iiss enc of these Another is
the possession OF a majority of the legis-
latures of similar states. In several
cases this will give us seat in the
United States senate filed by Repub-
lican exclusively, or nearly so, for rs
or 80 years. New Hampshire, New
York, Colorado and Wisconsin are such
instances. In the case of New York
this matter is all the more important,
for the reason that the empire state has
been for years so gerrymandered
that her population has been
practically disfranchised in the senate.
A fair apportionment of the state would
insure the return of Democratic sena-
tor year in and year out to an indefinite
date. Thus Tuesdays upheaval lays the
foundation on which may be built a
Democratic senate in time. 1t will not
be for years, of course, for the reason
that it now consists of eighty-four mem
bers, of which forty-seven are Republi-
cans and thirty-seven Democrats.
Should Teller, of Colorado, Farwell, of
Illinois. Blair, of New Hampshire, and
Evarts, of New York, be succeeded in
the Fifty-second congress by Democrats,
taking four members from the Republi-
can side of that body and putting as
many on the other side, the majority of
the dominant party will be but two. If
Powers were to lose his place in Mon
tana, that would make the senate tie,
and if the Farmers Alliance should un-
seat ingalls, in Kansas and replace him by
an independent, that senator would have
the balance of power. If Palmer should
be returned from Illinois, the Demo-
cratic party would have slender ma
jority. But it is not to be hoped that
all these expectations will be filled.
Should half OF them carry it would be
much; and if we hold our ascendancy
among the voters three to five years
would make the senate reliably Demo-
cratic. 1t is hardly to be expected that
we will hold our own in all cases in the
election of legislatures to choose senators
in 1898. In our own state the next leg
islature will be overwhelmingly Repub-
lican, and the holdover senators will
give that party long start in the race.
1t is quite likely that in 1898, California
will have two Republicans in the
United States senate. Therefore it may
require four or five years for our party
to obtain control of that body.
In laying plans to gain such control,
we must first learn what produced the
change in the political complexion Of
the country last Tuesday, what causes
led to the revolt, and how we are to
maintain our hold on the voters OF the
several states.
The forces which caused the changes in
the political complexion were Republ-
can votes cast for Democratic candidates.
That is simple enough. The causes that
led to this change of front on the part
OF SO many thousands of voters are more
complex. Mr.. Mckinley says the tariff
alone produced the revolt. 1t is natural
for us all to think we are bit too near
the center of the universe, and there is
no reason to think that innate modesty
saves the author OF the tariff bill from this
weakness of our common humanity. No
one cause produced the effect in view.
Speaker Reeds attempt to SUBJ
vert the proper autonomy of the
house did some of the good
work. Lodges efforts to interfere
with the rights of the states to conduct
elections as they see fit did its share.
The failure of the Republicans in the
last session OF congress to pass proper
silver bill did as much in making Dem
ocratc votes as anv other cause. There
were local issues that, joined with these
others, worked to the same end. In
Nebraska and Iowa, the fact that large
number Of the Republicans are prohibit
tionists, and that the party coquette
with this crank element, was such an
issue. In Wisconsin the contest CEN
tered largely in an attempt on the part
of the Republicans to dictate to people
how they shall educate their children.
The question was not simply compulsory
education, but what branches of study
shall be pursued in the public schools.
In Pennsylvania the unblushing eff
frontery of Mat Quay and his kind in
their attempt to run a political machine
in order to defeat the will of the honest
voters had some effect in creating Patti
sons majority. And as general cause
operative over the whole length and
breadth of the country was the Lillipu-
tian dimensions of the national admin
istration being run by the little man
overshadowed by his grandfather's hat.
The charges against the culprit at the
bar of public opinion were many, and
the verdict of the people was against
the multitudinous misdemeanors of the
Republican party.
The question is, how shall we hold
tns-s new allies and make them per-
manenH> and component parts of our
x,urtvo Tn a xuord hv romanh nhoriuO tho