New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-11-10
4 DEMOCRATIC TRICWPH.

Cleveland ana SlcNcnSOn nave NOh ~ "
larger number of electoral votes than candidates
on the National ticket have obtained before In
many years When THE TRIBUNE said yester-
DAY morning that The contest was extremely
close, with possibility of Republican success
1T merely stated what then appeared to be the
fact. No returns were anywhere received or
obtanabe on Tuesday night which assured a
Democratic victory. Many of our contempt
rarics made fortunate guesscS, and while we
n,fcrod TO print the news and to take as
, cheerful view of it as possible we are not
DISPOSED to bcgudgc them the satisfaction OF
having guessed right Ii was reasonable to
hope that West Virginia had been redeemed,
and there was no more ground for believing
that the Democrats had prevailed III several
Western States which have been strongholdS
of Republicansm in the past than that they had
prevailed in Massachusetts, which is now shown
70 have chosen HARRISON electors. But the
Democratic tide was stronger in the West than
in the East. Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, and
perhaps even California have gone over to the
enemy outright In some other States the
fusion tactics have wholly partly succeeded
and the South will be counted solid once more
Tho Democratic victory is tremendous, and may
indeed prove to be absolutely complete, since
The Senate is not unlikely to be tie with
General Stevenson in possession of the casting
vote.
We are not in the least unwilling to ackno"i-
edge that this result is great surprise 10 u.s.
as il is to the whole country Relying upon III
| formation which has proved fallacious, ana upon
the Judgment of party leaders who were utter
" deceived, we confidently anticipated re
| publican victory, and frankly said So our
| adyersaries were themselves totally unprepared
for the result, as their operations IN numerous
States and tho wagers which they dictated con-
clusyely prove. They hoped, as we hoped Tor
success but they never dreamed of so over
whelmino a triumph They were anxious up to
| the last moment. and from all the facts in their
possession they had good reason to be- NO
man foresaw that tide was rising which would
sweep away so many familiar landmarks. 1hc
election OF Tuesday is the greatest surprise IN
recent political history.
| Such are the facts The cause, perhaps. is
not so easily and fully disclosed But we de-
sire 10 be perfectly frank on this subject Also
| Tho election means, we suppose, that ma
iority of the American people is made up OF
those who arc not unwilling to see the economic
doctrine of the Democratic platform put INTO
p,actice. and of those who do not believe that
il ever will be-of those who think that De-
mocracy means what il says, and OF those who
do not thin; it means what it says We do
net regard it as creditablc to the majority that
If should he in large part composed of persons
who nut little or no reliance on the good faith
of the organization with which they have allied
themselves: but that is their affair, not ours.
We certainly shall not accuse the majority
of want of patriotism. We believe that they
are temporarily in error, and that they VIII
| speedily discover their mistake Other lnhu-
ences have been at work no doubt. Novel ana
false charges Of Republican insincerty and
selfshness, for example have produced deeper
and wider impression than long established
proofs of Democratic eyildoing and ineih-
Cheney But we cannot doubt that the prevail
ing popular temper as regards the tariff is
chiefly accountable for Tuesdays verdict.
IF we are not avcrse to confessing our sur
| prise. and assigning the cause to which we deem
the Democratic triumph mainly due, we GER
tainlv are not averse to acknowledging our
disappointment and apprehension. And yet
| though we believe that to the Republican pol
icy of Protection the Nation chiefly owes its
marvellous prosperity and its abiding happi-
ness. Democratic Congress and President
cannot hope to win appreciation or retain con-
tdence if they fail to stand manfully by their
avowed principles and steadfastly endcavor to
nut them in practice. We do not doubt that
the immediate consequences would be dsas-
| trous but the Nation might better afford to
learn a sharp lesson through swift adversely
| than to be cheated by supremacy OF false
| nrotencos IF the Republicans retain control Of
tho Senate it will be their duty to defend by
every honorable means In their power the pol
iccs in which they believe but II the Demo
Gratis come into full control of the Govern
mcnt, the people will expect them to redeem
as soon as possible the solemn promises which
| they have made.