New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-01-31
TIE TEPDICT or THE PEOPLE,

|
| Congress is that the passage of the Wilson Dill
would destroy the Democratic party. 1hcrc
has hardly been in twenty years an election
more distinct and impressive i'll sgnilcahce
| than the one held in two districts of this city
yesterday. These districts east two years az"
over $1,000 Democratic votes nearly IL third OF
| tho entire vote of that party in this city. and
! they gave over 10000 Democratic majority
| $50 in the ZIVtl and II $50 in the XVIII Dis
! trct Even last November. when the Demo
| cratic party was beaten in the State by over
$4,000 plurality. these two districts gave about
| $500 Democratic plurality. When 1anihah!
| made vacancies in these two districts II hau
no thought of defeat in either. but has found
it necessary 10 work. and has worked WIN all
its energy and its unscrupulous cXpcdicntS Tor
It's Congressional candidates. Tie day was Ill
tcnscly Democratic the weather being so severe
as to render the workers of that party sure Oh
an easy victory. But in one district, III pace
of an ordinary Democratic majority OF h"ari!
5000 there is Il plurality of ISL Tor MT. QulSS
the Republican candidate, while Ill the o'hcr
the ordinary Democratic majority OF nearly
T. 600 is cut down below 1000, ana 'hoash MI
Sicrst is not elected. he also has achieved
victory of far-rcaching Importance. The result
is highly honorable TO the Republican caldl-
dates who bravcly confronted such heavy ad-
verse maiori1cs and to the Republican voters
who sustained them. but it is also verdict OF
Democratic voters against the policy OF thclr
party.
These elections turned almost exclusively on
the tariff question. ON all hands it has been
admitted that n result materially varying from
those of previous elections would indicate the
tcmpcr of thousands of wOrkngncn. who east Il
great part of the vote in these districts toward
the tariff policy of the Democratic party. Dem
ocratic journals appealed To them 10 sustain mat
policy. Mcssrs Stralls and Brown. the Demo
cratic candidates laborcd 10 convince them that
,hc Wilson tariff would be- Il blessing. and that
all the prostration of industries since Demo
crafts came into power was due TO wicked Re
publican laws The fact that The people had
nrospcrcd beyond all precedent under those
same laws. and began to suffer only after Dem
ocratc victory threatened a radical change was
concealed as far rs possible. The Republican
candidates madc a straightforward and manly
onpcal to the voters to declare 10y their votes
whether they approved the Wilson bill. They
urged the necessity of protecting home indus
fries and from the outset il was evident mat
Il host of Democratic workingm"n were WIN
them The result cannot be mistaken 1t SHOWS
that the Democratic party must expect 10 lose
n heavy proportion of its wagccarning voters
if If persists in its warfare against American
Industries.
The vote is the more impressive because il
does not represent the employees of Il few great
establishments who live about the works com
parativcy separated from the rest of the p'o
pie. and liable 10 b. influenced by employers
The two Congressional districts uptown are
largely inhabited by workers employed III every
other part Of the city. and who represent tlIo1-
sands of shops and mills and factories Which
have not The slightest control over their action
The great army of workers in these districts 10y
constant contact with the industrial ANA com
mcrcial life of the largest city in the land come
to share in Il marked degree the spirit OF the
wacccarncrs throughout the city There could
not be conceived Il fair"r test of the sentiment |
Of Democratic wagc-carncrs toward The policy |
Of their party. and the fact that thousands OF
them have voted directly against lis candidates. |
avowng the hope that they might thereby de |
feat its tariff policy. is one which those only |
will ignore who are determined not 10 see the |
truth. If even in this ancient stronghold of |
Democracy the workingmcn desert the Demo |
cratic party by thousands cannot Professor
Wilson and the other Southern theorists under
stand that their policy is suicidal:
Great credit is due Ia the Republican can
didatcs for presenting the true issue 10 the
people so convincingly and with such unwearicd |
zeal The splendid result rewards them.
great service has been rendered 10 the conli-
try and to the cause for which the Republican
party contends. 1t may be that neither this
nor any other severe experience will teach the
Democratic party that il cannot with IMMUNITY
make war upon the industries of the country
The autocratic spirit Of the President. using
vast patronage to force through policy 10
which his party has become committed largely
by his leadership; the tremendous power of eau
Gus dctaton. welded by Southern majority
ignorant of Northern Industries. and the almost
resistlcss power of prciudiccs against Northern
manufacturers. which the Democratic party has
fOstcrcl for many years al the West and South.
will make it hard to defeat the Wilson bill. In
its slaughter of home industries. as in lis in
come tax that bill is an embodiment Of the
spirit which masters and swayS the Demo
cratic party. But if any verdict nj the ballot
box in Northern districts could avail 10 check
Democratic hostility 10 Northern Industries,
surely the verdict rendered yesterday in two
districts of this great Democratic stronghold
would have that power