Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1894-11-24
An ANLLYSS OF The VOTE
Three Million Democrats Re-
NAMED at Home.
Paper Read Befor~ the National Statistical
Association by Frederick &. Waite,
Formerly n Special Census
Agent-soine Figures.

WARRINGTON, NOV. l6.--A society
calling itself "The National Stats.
tical association" with headquarters
in Washington, holds regular monthly
meetings at the Columbian uni
versity. This association Is com
posed Of men habitually engaged Ia
mental labor and who might be de-
scribed perhaps MS scholars. At their
regular meetings they are in the habi.
of hearing papers read. discussing
current matters and reviewing thI
affairs of nations. At the las
meeting Frederick c.. Waite, formerly
a special ag ent of the eleventh census
delivered an address on the subject OF
Election Certificates"
Mr.. Waite said that tho recent over
whelming defeat of the democratic
party had been accomplished by 5000,
900 voters who remained away from the
polls. He detailed the forces which
operate against a party in power and
contribute To its defeat. He said ENC
results of this election furnish the same
surprising features as that of 1892,
when 900, 600 republican agriculturists
remained away from the polls, while
loco, 900 more voted tho populist ticket.
During the last twenty years." said
Mr.. Waite. land also the twenty years
ending with the breaking up of the
wing party, the democrats carried
every alternate presidential election,
and vet were always defeated at the
intervening presidential election. To
the democrats, 1896 and 1870 brought
victories at the polls; 1910 and 1850 de-
feats, 1874 and 1854 victories; 1s4S and
1855 defeats; 1882 and 1899 victories.
Moreover, during both periods. the
democrats carried off every congress
sional election except the one during
the Mexican war. The forces which i'm
presidential elections bring about
the defeat Of the party in power are
two:
~. The feeling against that party Is
30 strong among tine members of the
party out OF power that the latter feels
1t TO be II sacred duty to turn the ras-
calls out, and this year, as well as in
1890, the people took the first orportu-
nifty. On the other hand. the adher.
ents Of the party in power are con
stantly being disappointed. They feel
that they don't receive anything like
the care and recognition which was
promised.
"2. There is an inherent ebb and
flow of enthusiasm among the adher.
ents of n political party. Natur.
ally the number of years from /
flood tide TO food tide of en-.
thusiasm is determined by the recur-
renee, once III eight years, OF the cause
vyhinh fu1lS I'm with IL aud anrr;ae {, e., |
the maximum height, namely. the storm
Of Indignation against the high handed
partisan misrule Of their opponents.
The operation of these two companion
forces is seen most clearly In the case
Of the three doubtful states, Connect.
cut, New YORK. and Indiana, in which
the general movement in favor of the
party out of power has all but once
during both of these periods of twenty
years been strong enough To carry the
election.
Two years ago in "a lecture at Johns
Hopkins university, having thus
pointed ont in detail that the election
pendulum swings the mantle of su.
premacy from party To party with
mathematical regularity wheneveI
there Is no great moral issue between
the political parties, | said: There is
nothing surprisina to tho statistiaau ia
the Cleveland vote. The republican
farmers nave o become democrats
Last year, | said, and it is as true this
year as 1T was last, the democrats have
not voted the republican ticket, but
have merely allowed the election to 90
by default
ITO show that the republican farm.
ers did not vote for Cleveland i'm 1892. |
analysed the election returns town by
town throughout the rural districts Of
New York and discovered that the ru-
raj vote for Cleveland was even less in
1892 than isSs in every agricultural
county of the Empire state. In Ohio it
was just the same. Cieveland's vote in
1892 was less than in 1883 in all the ru-
raj townships of the agricultural coun-
ties. This year the republicans have
not cast as large a per cent of the full
vote as In 1888 in a single state. Hence,
the only reasonable conclusion Is that
In 1892 the dissatisfied republican
farmers, and this year the disconnected
democratic laborers joined the stay at
home voters.
1.-THE stay at home vote has in
creased in New York from $4,000 in
1855 to 1875, 900 in 1892. and 425, 900 this
tNoi' 80 iNhhot wanna Y Nus licE cuStU
from 10000 in 1855 to $50, 900 In 1892,
and to 400. 600 this year. 1t has i'm
cseased in Ohio from 40, 900 in 1888 to
lis, 900 in 1892. and to eco. 900 in 1894.
South Carolina, when she had so. 900
less voters than now, cast 1873, 62l votes
for Hayes and Tilden. The total vote
this year, however, was not much over
go, 600, or about a fourth of the full
vote.
1.-The immense republican pluralities
thiG year are not the result of an ex-
traordinary republican vote, but of an
exceedingly small democratic vote.
Wisconsin has not polled for the
democratic candidates such a small per-
centage of her full vote for twenty-five
years. In Pennsylvania the democratic
party has not ast On an important
election such n small vote for half a
century. The astonishing features of
the recent election are the same rs
those of 1892, when 1000, 900 republic
can farmers stayed at home while their
populist brethren cast l,o42, 53l votes"