Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1892-05-12


The aggregate of votes in the Novem-
Der election win probably not fall short
OF IL, 900, 600. Elections since 1855 show
that northern democrats are increasing
in number much faster than in the
south 1t is necessary to bear these fig
nres in mind when democratic papers
are declaring that those states which
cannot give their electoral vote to the
democratic candidate in any case"
ought not think of endeavo-ing to in
huence the choice OF the nominee at
Chicago. What would be the result of
the acceptance of such advice? Glance
again at the table, and it will be found
that ii the states which gave their cleo
tOral votes to she democratic candidate
in 1855 are alone TO select the preSi-
dency, that a mere ma ority of a mere
minority, majority of the southern
states plus Connecticut and New Jer-
Sey, the only two northern states that
were democratic in 1885, may select the
nominee The suggestion is preposter-
ous- If we broaden the field and re-
gard certain northern states as poten-
TALLY democratic and therefore entitled
to come in with the south and New
Jersey and Connecticut to determine
nomination, we VIII, of course, include
New York, because, while not certain
ly a democratic state, ii has been dem
ocratic in five out of twelve
presidential elections in the last
half century; but we would nat
urally go farther. Pennsylvania
has a democratic governor. So has
Massachusetts, Indiana has returned
to the democratic party. Illinois was
carried in 1890 by the democracy.
Certain congressional districts in Michi-
gan viii assuredly return electors for a
democratic nominee. Iowa has demo-
cractic nominee. Iowa has demo-
cratic governor. Wisconsin has demo-
cratic governor. Kansas, though
hardly democratic, may not be set
down as a certainly republican. There
are possibilities of Minnesota One at
least of the Dskotas may be ranked as
potential democratic state. In this
view the field of contest is almost
everywhere. This being so, almost
everywhere" is as aSSuredly entitled to
participate in the selection OF demo-
cratic candidate for the presidency as
those states which have hitherto given
electoral votes for such a candidate
Indeed, it is impossible to take serious
ly the suggestion that in the selection
of a leader $500, 900 democrats OF the
north should be Silenced, while less
than 8, 600, 0Oo. democrats of the south
should be all-pote1nt. 1t will be wise If
there shall be no instructions from any
state for anybody. There is no reason
why delegates should be boand hand
and foot at a convention which more
than any called within the recollection
of the present generation has a delicate
and difficult task before 1t. There
may be Indications of preference in one
state and another, but positive
instructions would be the height of IN
wisdom in what ought to be a deliber-
alive assem- bly,. Illinois, for instance, is
potentially a democratic state, though,
unlike Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and
Iowa, it has no democratic governor
Whether Illinois shall or shall not vote
in November for democrat it ought to
have a strong voice in the shaping OF
the ballot of the convention and in the
determination of the outcome, but If
Illinois is tied hand and foot, delivered
at Chicago with unit vote only. and
that to persist in the endeaTor TO nom
mate an inha bitant of the state willy
nilly, it's influence at \ crisis may be
utterly lost. The situation demands
the best Judgment of all democracy,
north and south, In absolutely demo
cratic states as in absolutely certain
republican states. We want no sec
tionalism ia the Chicago convention, a
sectionalism drawn upon the lines of
the political complexion of the electoral
colleges. Let the representatives of all
the democracy get together in a spirit
of devotion to the great interests they
are expected to further. and totally dis
regarding personal and sectional feel
ing address themselves to the task of
providing a competent and successful
leader in this presidential year.-Chica-