The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1894-01-03
The result in Virginia was alst

The result in Virginia was also
heralded from one end of the land
to the other as "a great defeat for
the Populists.'' That party
"crumbled' from 1925 votes for
Weaver and Field last year to Is,
439 for Cooke for governor this
year, an increase, according to
Democratic count, of over 500 per
cent In 1892 the Democrats of
Virginia cast 1897 votes, giving
Cleveland a plurality of $4,000.
This yaar, according to their own
figures, they cast 128;251 votes, a
falling off of 35,626, and yet they
still have $4,000 majority. Did
they stuff the ballot box or did the
Republicans vote with the Bour-
bons. Both. Gen. Malone, lead
er Of the Republicans, and the
Associated Press agree that the
Republican machine aided the
Democratic machine, and the
Richmond Times, an influential
Democratic daily, confesses that
there were frauds. The Demo-
Gratis had entire control of the
election booths, committed irregu-
larities when they found that pre-
cincts were going against them,
and then the vote was thrown out.
Within the last few weeks it has
been discovered that the figures
in number of counties which
gave Populist majorities were Jug
gled into Democratic majorities.
A dirty trick was also worked in
many counties with the aid of
what is known as a ''puddling tic
ket'' a ticket the length and the
width Of the ordinary ballot, but
containing only the names Of a
few candidates. Any number Of
these "puddlers' can be folded in
side of a regular ballot, the Demo-
cratic judge placing the ballot in
the box "fddles" with it over the
hole, the ''puddlers'' drop in, and
10! and behold, the voter has voted
any number of times he desires at
one clip Notwithstanding all the
frauds that were committed and
the amalgamation Of the two old
parties, the Populists are credited
with an increase Of 66,164 votes
over last year, about 20 members
Of the Legislature and about the
same number of counties, besides
large gain Of minor Offices. The
Democrats, too, have cause to be
immensely pleased at the "crumb-
ling forces in their own party.
***
In Kentucky the Peoples party
gained 6,143 votes and increased
the membership in the Legislature
as we'll as winning quite num-
Der of minor Offices in heretofore
strong Democratic counties. The
Populists Of Iowa increased their
vote 1913 over last year, when
Weaver received 2O,595, while the
Republican lost 1916 and the
Democrats 22,672. In Massachu-
sets the vote of the new party was
increased IS per cent, while in
New York the increast was 10 per
cent. When it is considered
that in Ohio during the last cam
paign party lines were never more
tightly drawn, and that the Re-
publicans took advantage Of every
opening, spending vast sums Of
money, bowling calamity and do
ing everything possible to keep
thu protective theory out Of the
last ditch, and that the Populists
had practically no funds, but
nevertheless held their own and
even increased the vote to 1868,
while the Democrats and Prohi-
bitionists lost votes, it is with a
feeling of pride that Populists can
point to their party and truly
claim that it is the only party in
the United States that won new
victories in every State where a
campaign was made, in many pla-
ces fighting the combined forces