Evening journal., 1892-11-08
PILING UP THE VERDICT
The Battle Of the Ballots After
a Remarkable Campaign.
THE EEw TA0T0Rs IN THE rIaHE

tnh NhF tAUAOho IN Ihh FIGHT
Review Of the Conditions That Have
Obtained 70 Make the Present Eleo-
tion One Of the Most unique in the
History of Our Great Country.
NEW York, Nov. s.-wih the bottle Of
the ballots that closes with The lcngthoning
shadows OF today there passes into history
one OF the most remarkable presidential
campaigns IN many respects that this
country has ever witnessed and not the
least singular phase Of the contest is the
fact that the excitement and enthusiasm
which ordinarily culminate in the fierce
struggle TO win votes after the standard
bearers have been selected in this instance
reached climax with both the great parties
in the nominating conventions, which were
preceded by partisan factional bitterness
and strife to control the choice OF these
bodies that were almost unparalleled.
In this connection it is worthy Of note
that as in each convention there were prac
tically but two candidates-Ha Harrison and
Blaine, and Cleveland and Hill-so in each
convention did il appear that the defeated
candidate was the more magnetic leader
the mention Of his name eliciting by far
the wilder manifestations of applause from
the spectators than did that OF his success
ful compettor-the demonstration in the
case of James g. Blaine having been beyond
all precedent. 1.iIl 3sGs .ii
Then came the heartburnings more pro-
nounced than usual, of the legions Of de-
voted partisans of the "plumed Knightn
and Young Hickory aud the conven-
tions were succeeded 10y an era of 'innocu-
GUS desuetuden Of political activity DEM
ocrats asserted that the man from Maine
was sulking and that his friends wonld
desert Harrison. Republicans charged that
Hill was dsgruntled aud that his followers
would knife Cleveland But in due time
came Blaine's letters and his speech at
Ophir farm and Il I'm took the stump, ear
nestly advocating the election Of Cleve-
land
a Clean and studlous Campaign.
The croakers thus silenced, the campaign
was launched in dead earnest. Both ma
tional headquarters became a daily scene
Of feverish anxiety and intense activity,
but as a rule all over the country the great
mass of the people seemed to be out of
touch with the spirit of wild enthusiasm
that usually marks presidential canvass,
and thoughtful study of the issues pre-
sented apparently supplanted the "whoop-
ing up methods that had gone before.
The silent voter viii prove great factor in
the elections Of today.
The campaign has been noteworthy also
in its cleanncss of discussion. The speak.
ers have as rule confined themselves toan
analysis Of tho platforms of the two par
Ties, and vituperation has not been ten
dered as the current coin of argument In
deed, Whitelaw Reid has in several of his
speeches referred TO Grover Cleveland i'm
most ilattering terms, and Senator Hill has
repeatedly eulogized President Harrison in
his campaign addresses. The gloom of
death which was cast over the canvass ,yns
as feelingly referred to by Democratic
meetings as it was by Republican assem-
bhes, and the affection of President Harri.
son IN the heat of a presidential contest
marks the iiIst instance of its kind In our
political history.
A curious feature OF the campaign has
been the suspicion with which the general
result has been regarded by the betting fra
ternlty-those astute observers who coolly
and carefully analyze conditions and stake
Their money, not on sympathy, but TO win.
they evidently We're completely at sea,
for not until almost the closing hours Of
the campaign We're bets any way freely OF
fered or taken, and even then they were
mostly in comparatively small amounts
and on even terms. IL can be recorded as
a iact, too that despite all the brag and
bluster to the effect that hundreds of thou
sands of dollars were lying around loose
only awaiting takers, the betting has been
remarkably timid and out of all proportion
TO the amounts similarly wagered in previ-
ftI
Three New Factors.
The most striking characteristics OF this
election, though, are the three new factors
which Il introduces into national politics.
and which may in some measure account
for the uncertainty that peryaded some po-
hticai circles and caused the bump of eau
tion IN the professional bettor's Uranium to
assume abnormal proportions.
These are The advent of the people's
party In the west and northwest, the ex-
tended use of the Australian or kindred
systems Of balloung, and the decision of the
United States supreme court which per-
mita Michigan TO elect her presidential
electors 10y congressional districts instead
Of collectively.
Iowhat extent these features viii accrue
to the benefit % the Democrats or Replb-
hcans the story of the ballots silently billed
up today will tell. The Peoples party un-
doubtedly lost an able leader ia the death
Of Colonel Polk. Had he lived some of the
dissensions that have obtained In that par-
~ would either never have occurred. or
would have been smoothed over and bet
ter showing made than is now likely TO
result
However, as it is, the leaders of the Pom
ulisis are making big claims They not
only declare that they viii elect enough
congressman to give them the balance of
power IN the next house, but confidently
assert chat their party will carry half a
dozen states and rob the electoral college
OF a majority vote thus throwing the elec-
tion Tor president into the house of REPRE-
sentatiVes How correct these claims are
remains 90 be seen.
To some extent, too, both OF the great
parties have played into the hands of ihe
Peoples party. For instance. In few of
the southern states where the populists
had gained a ioothold and the Democrats
were supposed TO De weak or wayering. the
Republicans have fused with the peoples
party, hoping thereby to wrest the states
involved from Cleveland; and in some OF
the western atgtes, where Republican sue
cess was lIfnN ff0faf Ir fla f,.r,,.l. ..r a..