Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1894-08-24
FRIDAY MORNING. AUG. "a. 1894
COLD COMFORT FOR THE REPUB-
LICAMS


tion. They are to be held under conditions
far less favorable to the Democratic party
than might reasonably have heen expected
at the beginning of the present Congress
However earnestly the Democrats of the
whole country may repudiate Mr. German
and his trio of traitors, it yet remains q
certainty that their faithlessness will he
visited upon the party they have so per
Sistently misrepresented. There can he &c
mistaking the earnest resentment the peo
pile Of the country feel fol- the betrayal of
the tariff reform cause, and the party in
power are almost certain to losesome seats
in the next Congress. To what extent the
loss will he, yet remains a problem of many
uncertain elements.
Tariff reformers who are displeased with
return to Mckinley ism. and will cast about
temporarily, for new affiliations. In this
search of channel for renewed express
sion against protection. they will pro-
ton will involve 10 presidential consequent
ces, the vote Of that party may be consider
ably increased.
In all able and practical resume Of the
situation the Baltimore Sun thinks the re-
publican party is very clearly reckoning
without lis host, in expecting that it will
capture the next Congress by sweeping vic
tories in States heretofore democratic. 1t
says, there is probably in both the great po-
litical camps q tendency to overlook, OF at
disturbing and uncertain th1rd-party vote.
But the populistS are still numerous and &C
tive III all the States in which they showed
strength in 1892. And thepreyaiiing tenn
per of the people generally, and Of the vot-
ers Of the great farming States of the West
particularly, is not unfavorable to tempo
rary increase Of populists ballots. The West
ern democrat, as Il rule, is all ardent low
tariff man. and even the Wilson bill in its
original form would not have been up to the
full limit Of his desires. The Gormon bill S
reductions fall far short Of realizing his
just expectations. But the radical low
tariff democrats of the West are not likely
to be drawn toward the Mckinley camp in
any case. The populist ticket may attract
theln for the time being, especially as this
is an off year.
So, too, with regard to those democrats.
both Western and Southern, who cling to
the free-silver fetch, it is not likely that
they will be drawn to the republican stand
.r1f in ;ta Of f,a #
Mr.. Reed, Senator Chandler, Senator Lodge
and a few ether republican leaders with
the silver-mining interest, there is no more
hope Of getting any step taken toward "a
tional himetallism even, let alone free sill
yer coinage without international agree
ment, 10y the republican party than Of in
ducing it to adopt q low-tariff and anti
trust policy. President Warner. of the
Bimetallic League, fully recognized this in
his speech at the Washington conference OF
silver men last Thursday, in which he be
walled the fact that the Republican League
Of the West, when it met at Denver, Col :,
gave free silver its cold shoulder.
The populist party is the incaculable
quantity i'll the coming elections, and it is
10y no means clear that it Will not draw d
considerable new vote from both the lead
ing parties, with the net result Of leaving
the republicans i'll the next Congress just
where they are in the present oHe-ili q mi
nority. That this possibility is in the
minds of political managers on both sides
is evident from the negotiations for fusion
which are reported i'll some States between
democrats and populists, and iii others Le-
tween republicans and popuIists. And
when that sort Of political dealing is the
order of the day it is a very bold prophet
who undertakes to forecast the final rct
outcome.
The populists secured three Senators and
eight Representatives in the present Con-
gress. 1t cast oil ops votes for Weaver
for President in 1892, and it held q sort of
half interest in several congressman elect
ed that year by fusion with republicans
and democrats ia different States. The
populists claim is that the party has grown
nightly since the last presidential contest.
but there is no way Of testing the claim
till we get the returns next November.
1t is our almost unbroken experience that
the congressional elections held midway lie
tween presidential terms tend to go against
the party in power.
So that there is a well-established tend
ency to popular reaction, Of greater OF less
extent, in every congressional contest that
occurs liz the middle Of presidential term,
to be first taken into account. Then it is
true that third parties tend to touch low
water mark in presidential years ana high
water mark in the of or mid term wears.
The greenbackers, for instance, poled their
largest vote i'll 1873, Lalf way between Hays
and Garfield. In the following presidential
contest they lest six Of the sixteen seats
they gained in 1873, and then vanished alto
gether. The greenback vote. however.
never reached one-third of that cast for
Weaver in 1892. Its high water mark was
507 goo. cast for the same gentleman who
two years ago received 1,0ll eco votes as
the populist nominee.
Already there are signs of internal weak
ness and dissension in the tiird-party organ
ization, which distinctly threaten it with
the same tate in the end that overlook its
forerunner, the greenback party There is
a formidable split in the party in Kansas.
its stronghold. Ia Colorado Governor Waite
is opposed By a faction that favors fusion.
In Ohio Coxey threatens to cover the party
witlrridicHle and divide its forces. And in
all the States it has aroused i'll The Solid.
conservative clements CT American Citizen
ship q deep seated distrust of It's spirit and
tendency, VIII ch are felt to be soeialistic
and hostile to FIST Americy Iii principles.
Nevertheless, the conditions of the time
are on the whole as favorable to populist
hopes as they could well be. There is a
mass Of deeply dissatisfied voters who hn,r.