The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-12-03
local ELECTION RESULTS.

support, and 20 regrst that the Dsmo-
cratic party has not put up candidates
who could command the adherence OF
what The Journal is pleased to call the
discriminating voter"
On the morning of the recent muni-
cipal contest The Journal expressed it
self as distinctly in favor of two Demo-
cratic Office holders, but had nothing TO
say for the Republican harbor master
who was candidate for reelection and
has been faithful and efficient official,
while for the Republican Mayor,
whose serm of +. Office has been
conspicuously business-like, conserva-
tive and clean, il had only words that
betrayed an almost malicious partisan
opposition. The city government as a
whole was referred 70 as "schemers by
this dignifled newspaper and charged
with misappropriatlng the municipal
resources TO its own purposes. In
the same breath The Journal
expressed its regret that the Democratic
party had not taken up an imposing
reform movement"-what absurdity-
as associated with the Democratic partyl
which enterprise The Journal, how
ever, characteristically, never under
takes or encourages except by pitching
into the Democratic party at the last
moment for not doing it.
All this was particularly offensive and
obviously insincsre, and what The
Journal had to say on the morning after
election was In an equal degree absurd.
cit requires no deep study Of the results
of the municipal election" remarked The
Journal, which never makes a study
of anything any deeper than
is necessary to find out what
1t iiches 70 show, to see
that the conditions are fast ripening in
this city for genuine reform movement
outside. of party lines and that already
the habit of independent and discrimi-
mating voting is growing very common
among our people"
THIS is OF course strictly so, but not in
the sense that The Journal means it.
While nothing moro viii probably be
heard of the matter of reform move
ments," on the part of The Journal
until the hour Immediately preceding
the next election, let Us sit down with
the figures moment and see how far
there is possibility of the kind Of
"reform movement" The Journal means
ii. e., the stepping aside of the two
great political parties in favor OF some
sort Of an independent party.
Up TO the time OF the election Of
Mayor WILLIAM X. POTTER, Democrat,
the city government OF Providence had
been, since 1854, in hehands Of men who
called themselves Republicans. In fact,
when Mayor Potter was at the head Of
government for two years the Council
remained Republican, Of course. Mayor
POTTER was partisan and his election
was due chiefly to the Republican fall
ling off which the local party shared in
common with the rest of the country at
that period, and was due also to the fact
that, with the growth of the city,
the Democratic strength has developed
in recent years on the principle that the
development of an irresponsible element
in community always results in Demo
cratic gains.
In 1898 Mayor OLyEy was elected by a
plurality Of $40, in total vote of II, ,4s2.
Last Tuesday he was reelected by a
plurality of 3s2, in a total vote of
1905, the Republican vote showing
a falling of Of 267 as compared with the
election of last year, but an increase of
more than 1900 over the recent Con-
gressional election--supposed to be the
hottest kind Of partisan fight.
Mr.. MCGUNNEss, Mt the same time,
increased his vote over last
year by 107, and over Mr..
LAPHAMs Congressional vote by
3OiS. The increase of the Demo-
cratic vote over last year was as incon-
sequential as was the Republican falling
off, while the comparison with the Con-
eHessieHa4- election t4tts- ON the ONO
hand to a support of the Republican
candidate called out by the neces-
sity OF meeting the same cause that
contributed to the extraordinary increase
for the Democratic candidste-which
cause it is unnecessary to refer TO here.
The total vote for city treasurer, there
being but one candidate, was 16, 1s5 and
II will be noted that this vote was 1880
less than the total vote for
the mayoralty candidates. The
total vote for overseer of the poor, how
ever, where there was a party contest,
was II ,G51, but 4l4 below that for tho
head Of the ticket, while the total vote
for harbor master was only slightly below
that. The voters Disseminated by re-
electing the Republican harbor master
by $50 plurality and the Democratic