The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-12-27
The Official Returns.


plete table of THE popular vote, officially
returned as having been cast at the re-
cent elections. We acknowledge our
Indebtedness to the same excellent
journal for the principal features in
the following interesting analysis of
that table. twill be perceived from this
table that there were 1l,263377 ballots
astand counted, as compared with the
12,034,S 1858 cast and counted in the presi-
Dental election of 1892 This Is the
largest vote ever cast in am off year. the
falling off from the vote of two years
ago being only S91, ,4Sl, fact fully suf-
flcient to disprove any claim that the
result was due to indifference.
Another significant feature of the re-
turns is the great increase of the Re-
publican vote over 1892. In that year
the total Republican vote was 5,l75,2O2,
while this year the Republican vote is
5,5SS,326-an increase of Alb, 124. The
Press regards this large increase i'm n
party's vote in AN off year over the vote
the same panty cast in the previous
presidential election as something
unique in American political history. In
the Democratic sweeps of 1874 and 1890,
as ut points out, no such increase was
apparent. The Democratic victories
were due in both cases to a falling off
in the Republican vote. But this year
the Republican victory is due to large
increase in the Republican vote-the
party having cast not only the largest
vote it ever polled, but also having cast
the largest vote ever polled by any
party in this country at any election
ever held.
"In 1892" our contemporary adds
''the Democrats polled 1854 ,226votes and
had a plurality of 379,025 over the Re-
publicans, but they were in minority
Of 969, ,205 on the total popular vote.
This year the Republicans cast 6, ,5SS, 1926
votes, or "a, 100 more than the Democrats
did when they elected Cleveland, and
they have a plurality over the DEM
ocratS of 1,439,S7O and only lack 26,726
votes of having a popular majority.
The Democrats called 1t a great popu.
lar Endorsement two years ago, when
they polled only 46 per cent. of the total
vote. If that was a vote of approval,
what ought the vote of this year to be
called, when the Republicans polled al
most exactly so per cent. Of the vote?
1t must be remembered also that this
was done under the great disadvan-
tages that Republicans labor in the
South. If they had been able to poll
their vote in that section, the total Re-
publican vote would have been over
100000, and the Republican plurality
over the Democratic vote would nave
been nearly 100000"
Not the least interesting fact appar-
ent in the table is the large growth Of
the Populist movement in the South.
Despite audacious electoral frauds
practiced in many places by the regu-
lar Democracy, the Populist vote in
Alabama came within $4,000 of equalling
the Democratic; in Georgia. within 49,
600; in Louisiana, within 5000; in Misss-
sippi, within 1900, and in Texas, with
in $4,000. When it is considered that
Populism is the entering wedge which
will hopelessly cleave and annihilate
the South's once-boasted solidity, this
rapid growth in Populism's strength
possesses large significance. The in
telligence of the South is less endan-
gered by Populism-eceentric as that
passing vagary undoubtedly is-than II
is endangered by the hitherto unchal-
lenged Bourbonism Of that section. The
subsistence of the Populistic movement
will not return these thousands of dar-
ing men, who have braved immemorial
traditions, to the Democratic party.
Upon the contrary, it will be the means
eventually of turning thousands of en-
ergetic and fearless citizens of the
younger generation into THE Republican
party, which can then hazard serious
battle with Democracy in Democracy S
greatest stronghold.