St. Paul daily globe., 1892-03-02
HRDGNG ON HARRISON.

The Minneapolis Tribune yesterday
made the somewhat surprising state
ment that "Chicago has today good,
substantial Democratic majority Of 20,-
600 to 25.OOO." This is gratifying to
Democrats, if the concession is honest,
and has reasonable basis in election
facts and present probabilities. If it is
true, the chance for the Republicans to
carry Illinois for their presidential
ticket is very small. Four years ago
HARRISON had %, ,195 plurality i'll the
state over CLEVELAND, and Chicago
gave small plurality for the Demo
RTsoN 906 plurality for president.
The city now comprises the great
er part of the county, and probably
the Tribune does not intend to make
the small distinction between the two.
Its view is that, while the state of lii.
nos outside of Chicago is compara-
lively stationary in population ana po-
litlcal divisions, the enormous growth
in Chicago is giving the Democrats
this tremendous increase in strength
By little closer investigation of the
figures, however. it might find that the
Republican majoritieS in the state out
side of Chicago have been falling away
for good while past. The days when
the Republicans could roll up $4,000
majority are much further back than
the $4,000 in Iowa. Chicago, or Cook
county, then gave 10000 or more
margin for the Republican. The Trib-
une suggests that three of its
four congressman are now Democrats,
and the later elections afford it evidence
that the Democrats have a sweeping
majority available for the national cam
paign. 1t virtually comedies that the
state will be lost to its party this year.
without some unusual device for its re-
tention. ana warningly concludes with:
1.-The Republican party will do we'll to
keep its eye on Illinois," This admis-
sion is not to be attributed to a mere
desire to exhibit candor. although there
is no occasion to question It's ability in
that direction. The danger In Illinois
to the Republicans it emphasizes with
the ayerment that ''it is not a theory,
but fact" The Tribune has been an
intense HARRISON organ, at least while
BLAINE was possible candidate. 1t now
is in serious doubt as to the ability
of the Indiana man to carry Illinois. He
is not more popular in it than he was
four years ago. when it expended all its
enthusiasm on another Indiana man.
The Tribune knows of no combination
of election figures that will give a Re-
publican candidate chance with IllI-
noiS turned over to the Democrats. In
diana and the other Western states GER
tain to go with it would put the Repub-
licanS hoDelesSly in the soup. How,
then, would the discerning organ save
Illinois if HARRISON is hopeless there, ,as
he undoubtedly would be, especially if
Senator PALMER headed the Democratic
tickete Presumably it regards CULLoM
as the strong man there; and, while it
loves HARRISON, possibly with una
bated favor, it loves party success more.
The intimations that Senator WASH
BURN is to engineer the Northwest in
opposition to the president may mean
that he is in the CULLoM boat, and is to
have home organ. There is no doubt
that the Illinois senator is much stronger
than HARRISON in his own state. AS
against an outside Democrat he would
make the campaign hard one for the
Democrats of Illinois, but his venerable
and vigorous colleague would carry the
state against him. even if Chicago fell
somewhat short of the 10000 to $4,000
majority the Triaune forebodes there.
1t will be remembered that PALMER
ran 10000 or more ahead of his party
when he was candidate for governor.
AS party organ the Tribune does we'll
to be alarmed at the political situation
in Illinois,