Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1891-03-26
STRENGTH OF DEMOCRACY.


and fraught with great deal of i'm
pOrtance to democrats as indicating the
trend of popular opinion, that of the
forty-nine states and territories in the
United States, twenty eight (2S) of the
governors are democrats and twenty
one (2l) are republicans. Can anything
better show the drift of public opinion
and political preference? Add to this
the fact that of the total population Of
all the states and territories, (which is,
according to the 1890 census SO, ,622, ,25O)
the states having democratic governors
have Il population of 46, ,734 $50, and the
states and territories having republi-
can governors population of but
1887 ,260-just about one-fOurth the
total population and you can get a
better idea of the prevailing sentiment
OF our people as to political preference.
Remember also that the four territories
and the District of Columbia are gov
erned by republicans by appointment
OF republican president, and not from
choice of the people.
All OF the densely pOpnlOas states
are democratic; New York and Penn
sylvania with over five million people
each; Ohio with over three million;
Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri and
Texas with over two million each, and
fourteen other states with upwards of
one million each. Republican govern
Ors rule in only two states that have
over two million population each-Illi-
nois and Indiana; while but four others
of the republican states have reached
the million mark.
Are these not significant figures?
And ought not democrats be proud of
the wonderful growth of democratic
doctrines, democratic principles?
Let US go a little farther into figures.
In 1884 Grover Cleveland carried
twenty states in the Union and received
plurality over Blaine of 65,098 votes.
In 1883 his plurality was 96,65 over
HarrisOns vote; but because of the
treachery Of the mOnied democrats of
New York he lost that state and its
electoral votes, and though the choice
of nearly hundred thousand more
voters than wanted Harrison he was
not elected. But just the same, he was
the choice of the people; and he was
their choice because he was the repre-
sentative CT the principles which the
people endorsed, and the principles
that are becoming better and more
thoroughly understood every day.
Can any sane man study these sta !
tistics and facts and for moment en-
tertain the idea that democracy is not |
strong? Can you study the history of
the party for the last eight years and
find anywhere in that history wherein
the party has taken single step that
lowered it in the popular estimation?
We admire the spirit of party freedom
that prompts men to look into the facts
that surround all things whether poll
tics, religion or finances, and we invite
the most careful scrutiny of the state
mentS herein made.
AS we understand the principles of
democracy, the prime fundamental one
is that this government should be by
the majority of the people; not by any
class or cast. or by the favor of location
or money advantage. This being the
case, and with all the plain, undeniable
figures set forth herein, what claim can
the republican party set forth that it is
entitled to the power it now holds in
the person of President Harrison? And
what possible chance is there for that
party to gain the presidency in 1892?
Not the least Imaginable.
While republicanism has gone on
from year to year courting the favor Of
he money kings of the east; keeping
alive sectional hate that should have
been buried years ago-and would have
been but that it helped to serve the
purposes of treacherous party; while
the republican party has ignored the
people, trampled upon the common
herd" and catered to the American
lords and potentates, the democratic
party has gone steadily on teaching the
principles of right anG justice and
trusting that in time the people would
be awakened to the sense of the danger
that surrounded them.
And they are awake. They are
reading; they are studying the causes
of depression in all lines of business
except those of the money loaner. the
bondholder and the manufacturer.
LabOring men begin to understand
why work grows scarcer and wages
lower; farmers begin to know why the
value of farms and farm products de-
crease, and small merchants throughout
the land begin to realize why it is that
doing legitimate business on small
profits can no longer be made success
full.
AS the number of millionarieS, the
number of trusts and combinations OF