Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1892-07-07
VERY DIFFERENT.
The Situation Of Two Years Aro and
NOW.

I $500
Now.
All that has at any time given the
democrats hope Of carrying the country
this year is their great victory in the
congressional elections OF 1890. In tina,
year they changed a republican major.
ity OF about q score In the house of rep.
resentatiyes 10 democratic majority OF
between one hundred and forty and one
hundred and City, besides electing gov.
ernors In many states which had hith-
erto been usually in the control Of the
republicans. A glance at the figures OF
the vote at that time, however, will
show that the result OF 1890 was no in
dication OF the actual standing OF the
two great parties with the masses Of
the voters. The aggregate vote Of the
country for congress then fell
about one million, seven hundred
thousand short OF that for president
two years earlier. Each side lost, but
the bulk Of the loss fell on the republic
ans Perhaps the democrats received
few votes which had been cast for re-
publican candidates prior TO that time,
but their gains from this source must
have been Insignificant, as they did not
hold their own in the total, when COM
parison Is made with the record of two
years previously. In 1882 Grover Cleve-
land carried New York for governor by
the unprecedented margin OF one hun
dred and ninety-two thousand, eight
hundred and fifty-four, but this was not
an evidence that he was stronger than
his party or that the party was in par
ticularly vigorous shape at that time.
lie received only few hundred more
votes than Hancock did In that state
two years before. The vote for Charles
j. FolRer, Cleveland's republican oppo-
nent, was two hundred and thirteen
thousand below that given TO Garfield
In the state two years previously.
The New York gubernatorial con-
test Of ten years ago settled nothing as
TO the relative potency of the parties of
the state, nor does the result of the
country at large in 1890 afford any
Trustworthy indication Of the chances
Tor 1899. A year after Cleveland's
overwhelming victory for governor his
state was carried by the republicans
for the head Of their state ticket. In
the presidential election of 1884, two
years after his big plurality, he car
ried his state by one thousand and for.
ty-seven votes only, and in the next
presidential canvass he lost IL. Repub-
lean Generalization and apathy, in
duced by the fractional strife in the
party, and not Cleveland's strength
with the voters, gave him the victory
Tor the governorship. Dissatisfaction on
the part OF the republicans with some
of the provisions OF the Mckinley law,
and not any addition to the democratic
prestige and potency,.put that party in
the ascendant in congress in 1890. The
conditions have completely and radi-
cally changed all over the country since
then. In presidential years the repub-
lican party always presents united
front To the enemy. Circumstances are
peculiarly favorable this year to the or
The Mckinley law, on
which the party was wrecked two years
ago has commended itself to every re-
publican since then, and now IL will be
n source of strength and not of weak
ness TO its supporters. No cloud Is dis
cernible anywhere in the republican
sky. The extravaganza, shiftlessness
and inefliciency of the democratic house
has alarmed and disguised the country,
and have vastly strengthened the oppos-
ing organization. In such elections oc-
curing this year as had any politics in
them the republicans made sufficient
gains TO much moro than recover the
ground lost two years ago. The situ-
alton all over the country is favorable |
% the republicans, and they are show
ng n greater confidence in the result |
han they revealed at this time OF the
year in the campaign of lsss.-St. Louis |
lobe Democrat