River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1894-03-29
LESSON FROM PENNSYLVANIA.
Coming Political Events Foreshadowed
by the Recent Election.

Coming Political Events Foreshadowe ed
by the Recent Election.
The democratic editors in general are
disposed to affect unconcern with re.
gard 10 the result of the Pennsylvania
election, and to put its obvious signifi.
canoe aside with the convenient asser.
ton that it is merely a case of 1.-THE
Dutch taking Holland" But here and
there one more candid and courageous
than the rest admits the truth that it
was democrat defeat having very
important meaning Mr.. Watterson is
of the small number of those who thus
refuse to whistle in a graveyard. The
fact of a big republican majority in
Pennsylvania does not ordinarily count
for anything, he observes, as that state
has habit of returning such MAORI.
ties, even when state like Ohio falters
in its allegiance to the republican par
ty. But the increased plurality OF
Tuesday," he further remarks, 'con.
strued in connection with the gains
which the republicans have made
everywhere within the past four
months, cannot be ignored by those
democrats accustomed to read political
portents." The plurality for Grow
reaches 1s6, 600, whereas the republican
margin last year was only 1876, 600, and
Harrison's majority in 1892 was only
so, 900. Even Grants majority in 1872,
the largest in the history of the state,
was but 1871, 900. Such a showing is re-
marka BILE, and the manifest explana-
ton of it cannot be concealed or misin-
terpreted. The people know what it
means, and its effect will be felt in all
parts of the country.
1t is true, as Mr.. Watterson says,
that mo good can come to the democ'
racy from closing its eyes to the fact
that, beginning with the November
the people at the polls has been had,
an indication has been given that the
drift is at present against the party in
power" This is not simply accidental.
or due to superficial causes. 1t signi
fies general and pronounced reaction.
The influences that made Cleveland
president are no longer enlisted on the
side of the democratic party, and if
national election were to be held this
year, the republicans would easily carry
every northern state. Every move of the
administration, every step taken by con-
gress, has tended to turn public senti
ment in the republican direction. The
country has had practical demonstra
ton of the incapacity of the democrat
ic party for the work of conducting the
affairs of the government in an intelli-
gent, patriotic and beneficial manner.
All of the pledges upon which the cleo
ton of 1892 was carried have turned
ont to be disappointments and misfor'
tunes The worst troubles since the
war have ens1ed. In every respect,
the situation proves that terrible mis-
take was made when republican rule
was suspended. aud the feeling clearly
prevails that the on y hope of substan-
tial and permanent improvement lies
in the restoration of the methods and
forces that insured prosperity and pro-
NOTED the interests of justice and hon
or for so many years. Such is the les
son of the Pennsylvania election; and
those who fail to recognize it are either
pitiably ignorant or willfully dishon-
est-St. Louis Globe Democrat
i \ II. -