St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-11-05
THE ELECTIONS.


When a party has been worsted in a
political campaign the situation imme-
diately ELECTS either explanations or
consultations. Ii the defeat is complete
its partisans are loud in telling how the
result has been brought about. There
is aspasmodic and temporary prevalence
of the spirit of independence, and even
the most subservjent newspapers vent
ture to criticiSe their captains and their
methods of warfare. LIZ the defeat is
only partial. they declare that it might
have been worse, pass with conspicu-
GUS silence over the scenes of carnage,
call it drawn battle, and print in
loaded type the news from the centers
where victory has been achieved.
The outcome of this falls campaign
in all the states is now known with toll
cradle accuracy. and it is a time for
consultations rather than explanations
for the Republican party. 1t has not
lost everything. as it might have. 1t
has held some states where it has a
normal majority. There has not been
tidal wave sweeping it from power in
every quarter as there was a year ago.
1t has elected its candidates in Ohio, as
1t has in every campaign since the war,
except when extraordinary conditions
have existed. 1t has been victorious i'll
Pennsylvania, which has never gone
Democratic except when Republican
misrule has excited an allied revolt of
all decent men, irrespective of their par
ty affiliations. From these facts it
derives some qualification, and can
feast its mind upon them as one thinks
of pleasant things in his search for re-
lief from the pains of disappointment
and failure.
But it is not easy to see how the Re-
publicans could have met with any
more general disaster if they were to
MAINTAIN their organization and stand
as competitor in the national arena
Their success in Ohio and Pennsyl-
vania is no more worthy of note than
the Democratic victories in New Jersey,
Virginia and Mississippi, which have
called forth no comment whatsoever
In every doubtful state they have been
driven from the field. They lose Massa-
chuSetts for the second consecutive
time, an experience unprecedented in
the political history of the country.
They are beaten in New York, not by
the votes of the cities, which have here
tofore been relied on for such purpose
when it has been accomplished. but by
the votes of the region north of the
Harlem. And in Iowa Gov. BOIEs is
continued in the gubernatorial chair by
an Increased majority, and that COM
m0nweaith safely transferred from the
Republican column to a position where
no party can claim it as its own, bnt
where there is every incentive for
earnest work, because its permanent
emancipation is easily achievable.
During all the hard hours of the past
three months the Democracy has never
hoped for fruitiOn more satisfactory
than this. Its remarkable conquests of
year ago exposed it to many perils
and dangers. A party seldom is car
ried.to conspicuous SUBMITS by sudden
eoullition of popular favor without risk
ing the effects of reaction, however
undeserved. Partisans reluctantly de-
sert the banner to which they have US
ualIy adhered, and when they do are
only too glad OF preteXt for returning
to its support. Caprice is. very FREE
quently the explanation of uulooked-fo r
successes, like that which put Mr.. GAS
TON in office years ago in the Bay state,
and promises a corresponding defeat in
the subsequent canvass as was expert
enced in that instance. Nothing of the
kind is known to-day. The news
from every state proves that the Dem
ocracy's cause has advanced i'll the eyes
of the country, that it has made steps
forward in the direction of lasting SUI
premacy; that its progress has been at
tended by the construction of strong in
trenchments. and that our party is well
organized, capable of responding
promptly to the calls which will be made
upon it, and equipped for triumph in
the national campaign of 1892.