The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-12-01
TWO LESSONS OF THE ELEC-
TON.

Two lessons OF the late election have not
received the attention they deserve. First,
the solid South. which has been impreg-
bic for thirty years, appears to have
gone to pieces. The Republicans have
been gaining ground for years in the bor-
der States. and it was only question of
time and the advance Of varied industries
when they would carry some of them. The
Republican sweep, due to the effects OF
Democratic tariff policy, offered the OPP
portunity TO break the Southern phalaEx.
In like manner it swept New jersey from
its Democratic moorings, TO which that
Stats held for so long In opposition to its
own industrial interests. Some Southern
journals are now holding out the idea that
the resentment aroused by the Federal
election laws was the cement which held
the South together, and kept it solidly
Dem ocratic, and that if they had been re-
pealed sooner the Solid South would by
this time have been a distant memory.
The Atlanta Constitution observes:
There is no longer in any locality at the South
a sentiment In favor Of the methods which self
defense and self-preservation made necessary
in reconstruction days, when white supremacy
was endangered by a bayonet behind every
black ballot. The moment the Southern people
saw that there was no longer any danger OF In
reference from the Federal Government, they
became a unit in favor of a free ballot and an
honest count.
The Charleston NepS, tactly admitting
that heretofore there mas neither been a
fair ballot nor a fair count in South Caro-
Ina, says:
A plan that will be effective to insure honest
elections. and Will be known OF all men In the
STATE TO be eff ctive. that will enable the peo-
pie TO choose their official agents and servants
by majority vote. without a question as to
the honesty of the vote and the count OF the
vote, must now be devised and enacted into law
before another election is held in this State.
The objection to this theory was that it
was in Southern States where the Federal
election laws cut the least figure that the
Republicans made their winnings. Yet it
would be very gratifying TO believe that
the repeal of these laws will have the
effect claimed by these Southern papers,
and that henceforth the States south of
Mason and Dixon's line will divide on
political questions as the North does. and
as the South did before the Free-Soil party
arose. How the change is going to work
In practice remains to be seen. To Oh
servers at this distance the doctrine of
white supremacy to which the COnStitu-
ton refers as absolutely essential seems
likely to involve friction in a new shape.
But the South is entering upon an era of
material prosperity, and while that lasts
political controversies may perhaps be
relegated TO the background.
The other lesson of the election was
taught in Colorado. In that State women
voted for the first time, and they cast their
votes Independently without regard to the
male vote against the Populist Waite. He
says himself that it was the women who
beat him. The women of Colorado were
not deluded by the nonsensical twaddle
which passes for Populist doctrine; while
a majority of the male voters were led
astray by the rant and fusiian of Waite
and his fellows the women Kept their
heads level and could not be persuaded
that two aud two make anything but
four. The incident does not prove tina.
woman suffrage is better for women or for
the country at large on general principles,
but simply that they voted right in this
insia nce. There is an pleasant sug-
gestlon in the toast recently offered by
Colorado politician. Woman, once our
superior, now our equal"