The Indianapolis journal., 1890-11-06
THE CAUSES OF DEFEAT.

A victorious party never stops TO look
into the causes of success, but it is quite
natural for a worsted one to endeavor
to ascertain the causes of defeat. In
attempting to ascertain those of the Re-
publican defeat on Tuesday it must be
remembered that in nearly every State
where they suffered losses there were
local causes at work. In Massachusetts,
there was local dissension, in Pennsyl-
vania dissatisfaction with the Quay
regime, in Kansas and Iowa the prohi-
bition question, and everywhere the
farmers movement. All these local
causes will be short lived, and will prob
ably not figure at all in the next
presidential election. Experience
proves that the people always take
off years to show their independence
on local questions, and it is generally
Republicans who do it. Democrats
sometimes talk independence during a
campaign. but they never show it OF
election day. They often profess it, but
they never vote it.
There is scarcely State where the
Republican losses of Tuesday are not
largely attributable to local and transient
causes. In this State there was dan
gerous degree of apathy in the Republic
an party. due partly to reaction from
the great effort of 1888, and partly to
personal dissatisfaction growing out of
the distribution of Offices. No party
ever made greater effort or won
grander victory under disadvantageous
circumstances than the Republicans of
Indiana did two years ago. 1t was in
evitable that so tremendous an effort
should be followed by reaction, which
must take time to recover from. There
was also the inevitable dissatisfaction
growing out of the distribution ofoffices,
which, though greatly diminished and
rapidly decreasing, is still felt. Two
years hence there will be nothing left of
that.
The only cause of national character,
and of general operation, and one almost
invariably assigned, is the Mckinley
bill. Unquestionably that measure was
RocoCu anu tOOh ChCOu Qt Qn
time. Had it come few months before
the election the result might have been
different. But it came just in time to
give the opposition chance to flood the
country with campaign lies in regard to
its scope, operation and effect. Every
variety and device of misrepresentation
was used, and, with the aid of Demo-
cratic importers and merchants, great
many people were made to believe that
there had been or was about to be a
general advance in the cost of almost
everything of common use. The first
effect of these Misrepresentation was
doubtless unfavOrable to the Republic
ans in many localities, and there was
not time TO correct the impression be-
fore the election. Long before another
election the people will see that they
have been gulled and therbeneficial eff
fects of the Mckinley law will be
recognized and admitted by all, except
professional free agitators. If the
law fails to accomplish what Republic
ans expect and believe it will, and if the
country does not enjoy an increase of
general prosperity, the ultimate verdict
of the people will be against it. Eut
we feel confident it will be the other
way. The principle of protection is
right, and it was never so well embodied
in any tariff law as it is in the McKin-
ley law.
There is nothing in any or all the
causes that contributed to the Repub-
lican defeat of Tuesday to forbid the
hope of great Republican victory two
years hence.