The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-08-18
he SIGNS E%NCOURAGING|
Mess They All Fall Illinois Will
Go For Cleveland This
Fall.
figures Of Late Injections In That
State Encouraging to the
Democrats.
n Analysis Shows That They Are In the
Msjority-stsvsnson's Great Psp-
ularity win Hslp.

WARRINGTON, Aug. T.-Not even tho most
anguine republican. in his study OF the
fospects for the party Of the adninistTa-
ion In Illinois, undertakes TO prove that
|ithsr the figures Of the last election In IL
inois OF the Mckinley bill have made ths
%Fspublicans of Illineis prosperous. Tit
figures Of the elections Of 1888 and 1880 In
hat state are sold now. but thsir story 10
me that makes the blood Of the calculating
politician tinRls or freszs, according to the
,arty to which the Retrospective politician
happens to belong.
Up to 1883 Illinois had been for many
PEARS . state considered - one of those on
kirely SAFE. II had bsen . state Of largo
maioritiss, and 4 republican nomination
hpon the state ticket or in nearly every q
pf the congressional districts was equiv
hient to an election. In 1883 II gave Har-
.ison 1900 majority. In that year II also
elected thirteen ont Of . possible twenty re-
publican representatives in congress-. the
aggregate republican majorities being more
khan 24.OO0.
Something happened between 1883 and
l1s9O. When the fall elections were held
two years ago the democrats elected fous-
teen out Of twenty representatives in con-
Rrsss, and the aggregate democratic major
tties in the state were more than $4,000.
More than hat the democrats elected .
superintendent Of public i%nstruetion by
about $4,000 plurality. and they scared .
majority Of the Legislature and afterwards
sent q democrat to the ssnute in the place
of Mr.. Farwell. II was = great result for
the democrats.
The superintendent Of public instruction
Was chosen upon an issue shat has since
deeply interested a large share OF the popu-
lation and will continue TO interest and
influence them in the approaching cleo
ton. AZ in Wisconsin, the republieans
had PASSED q bill through the legislature
that practically, woald have outlawsd pri-
vats schools throughout tbs state unless
they had submitted to be put under tho
surveillance of state officers under the law
that was known in Wisconsin as the Ben
nett Law. The alleged object Of the often
sive law was TO maintain the public school
system, but the people who were maintain
ing Lutheran and Catholic schools. and at
the same ti.ns willingly contributing to
the support, Of the public schools. looked
upon the legislative attempt to regulate
their COURSES of study ~ q plan to ruin
them and make independent schools inn
possible. The feeling aroused was deep
and strong. 1t unquestionably secured the
large majority for the superintendent Of
public instruction..
feeling was deeper than it was assumed that
it was responsible also for tho election of
many of the members of congress-. The
majority Of the superintendent of instruG-
tion and the aggregate Of tho majorities Of
democratic candidates for representative in
not argue everything. 1t would be more
reasonable and fair to attribute the ma
jority to she educatsd sense Of the people Of
tho state.
II was something moro than the opposi-
tion to the Bennett school law that singled
out such prominent and vehement repubIi-
cans as Howell and Payson and Cannon for
retirement. They had not said anything
about schools in Illinois or taken any part
in that controversy. but they had followed
Gar Reed slavishly and had helped Nc
Kinlsy to make his bill, II they we're
beaten by mon who ran openly against that
bill and the theory upon which 1t WAS con-
structsd. The state had been taught by the
leading republican papers that too much
protection for cupital and corporations was
not desirable, and its lesson had been
needed. The congressional delegation of
1880 was chosen az a tariff reform deleRa-
ton, and it has indicated rs far az the
mitted. its understanding of what it was
elected for by the legislation it has favored
in the ffty-second congress.
II is the contemplation OF these tiguse s
and. facts that gives the republicans BON,
Germ when they come to look the fncts and
igures over aud lay out their plan of cam
paiQn. Flfer, the governor. ia again a
candidate. with a record OF only l., 600
plurality in 1883, and without any majority.
The democrats have named Judge John p.
Altgsld. . lawyer, q business man of oon-
adorable success, and a mar identified with
l. A. L. ~l~ ,-l l--, lh.A --
ISOLATION, the fact that he was born in &c :
many, and has made himself tho oughly an
.Illinoisian, that he is in thorough sympa-
thy with his party on the leading national
issue, that he knows how TO get at the pop
ular sympathy, and that he has the 'hust-
ling faculty. have made the democrats
regard him as q very formidable opponent
Of Corp. Fifer. He docs not let things take
care of themselves. Before the meeting of
the national convention in Chicago he had
made a personal canvass Of thirty of the
counties of the state, M he has since car
ried his work into fifteen or more countiss.
While Judge Altseld's campaign was still
ticket would be, the prospect seemed to
him to be good for the democrats. Then
came the convention. Cleveland's nom
~ination, demanded by all except a few poll
ticiAns in Illinois. who were fortunately
divided in support of equally ambitious
lohVoIbs R0telCuAdHIy kI6tiAou euS poOpio
who had been Jealous in the fight against
tho repressive school law. 1t also appealed
to \ growing sentiment in favor of q tariff
revision without increase of taxation, and
it presented attractions to the partisans
who were DESTROYS of seeing a man OF
determination as we'll as liberal mind in
the white house. Blaine wasthe republican
favorite. and, among men who admired
Blaine for his conspicuous personal quail
ties. without much regard for his beliefs
and none at all for his record. Harrison
was in no sense an acceptable alternative.
There is no doubt that there are many Ger