Iron County register., 1893-01-26
THE VOTE OF THE PEOPLE.

the VOTE OF THE PEOPLE.
Figures indicate steady Growth Of the
Democratic Party.
A complete table of the popular vote
at the last presidential election in COM
parison with that at the election of
1883 contains some Suggestions of I'M
usual interest In the first place. it
shows that the total vote was compara-
lively light The total vote in 1854
was 1o,05l.So6 and in 1855 1t was H.
350, co. This is an increase of about
II per cent in the four years In 1892
the total vote was II. .O6S, SOS, an in
crease of trifie over per cent.
although in the meantime six new
states had been admitted into the
union. with an aggregate of 274, S54
votes The table shows that this loss
on the total vote must have fallen
chiefly upon the republican party.
though the increase of the democratic
expected in ordinary circumstances.
The vote Of the peoples party ex-
plains in part the relative falling of
in both the regular parties. but It
Is evident that it was drawn much more
largely from the republicans than from
the democratic. The total vote of the
prohibitionists and the labor party in
1884 was S25, ,73s, and in 1883 it was
S93. .712- But in 1892 the prohibition and
peoples party vote reached an aggrc-
gate of 1.S13. .914, of which 1. .040, 600 was
cast for the Weaver ticket In the
states where there was q fusion be-
tween the democrats and populists.
and where the democrats withdrew
their electoral tickets, the votes are
all credited to Weaver. which involves
deduction of democratic votes from
the Cleveland column, the number of
which cannot be estimated. There was
combination between the republicans
and peoples party in Louisiana which
may affect the republican vote there,
though it is probable that the division
made in the table represents substan-
TALLY the actual strength of the two
parties in the state.
The vote for Cleveland when he was
elected in 1854 was 4,s74, 9S6. and his
plurality over Blaine was 23, OO5 in the
whole country. In 1883 his total vote
was 5, 5:;6. 242, which was an increase of
fully 13L per cent over that of the pre-
ceding election, and, although defeated.
he had plurality of 95,534 over Har-
rison on the popular vote of the coun-
try. The latter obtained his majority
of the electoral votes by carrying GER
tain close states by n narrow margin.
Cleveland's total vote at the last cleo
tion was 5,554,6s5, which was an in
crease of only about 3 per cent over
that of 1884. but his plurality over
Harrison was increased to 3s2. .S42. The
4.s51,OsI, aud that for Harrison
in 1883 was s, 5,440, .0s. This was an in
crease in the republican vote of a little
over IL per cent. that in the demo
cratic vote having been 1917 per cent.
These figures point significantly to the
means by which the republican victory
of four years ago was gained by con-
centrating the powers of corruption
upon New York and Indiana Har-
rison's total vote at the last election
was 5,173. S43, falling off of more
than per cent. from that of 1883.
These figures indicate a steady
growth in the strength of the demo-
cratic party in the last eight years.
but they show that the increase was
relatively greater during Cleveland's
administration than during the subse- |
1
ing of his tariff policy in the message |
country at large. But their greatest |
of strength by the republican party dur |
ing the administration of Harrison and |
while the agitation of the question of |
tariff reform was most active. There |
is no doubt that this is largely accounted |
Al .,
law and the extravaganza of the Fifty |
first congress. The dissatisfaction
with the course of the republican party |
was indicated by the failure of the to- |
tai vote of the country to show its nor
NAL increase, by the reduction of the |
republican vote not only relatively but |
absolutely, and by the development of
such unusual strength by the third |
party in states that were previously |
republican.
This record shows how the vote of |
the country is liable to shift in conse-
quence of popular dissatisfaction with |
the course of the party in power If il |
fails to fulfill the promises by which
it has secured the confidence and sup |
port of the people. Under our electoral |
system the result is made much more
striking in the electoral vote than in
the popular vote. for moderate
change in the relative voting strength
of parties throughout the country may
overturn state after state. In 1855 /
Harrison received 233 electoral votes to
1SS for Cleveland By an increase of B
per cent in the democratic vote and Il
decrease of S per cent. in the republican
vote the result was changed to s77 eiec-
toral votes for Cleveland to 145 for
Harrison. There is in the possibility of |
such changes q lesson for the leaders
of both parties to ponder upon.-N Y.
Times.
A LESSON OF THE ELECTION.
Repabl CORRUPTION Discountenanced
by the People.