Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1894-11-14
The Result of the Elections.
SOME OF THE CAUSES THAT PRO-
DUCED IT.

expected. 1t was as surprising and
gratifying to the Republicans, as it was
astounding and notifying to the
Democrats. If our ''foresights had been
as good as our hindsights," it might
have been anticipated, but as they
were not. all parties = Republican,
Democratic, Populist. and Prohibition
ist-were surprised, though, it may be,
in different degrees. No one of any OF
! the parties anticipated the result to
the degree it happened. None sup
posed that States heretofore Demo
cratic would be lost, such as Delaware,
New York, New Jersey, Indiana, Con
necticut, Maryland, Missouri, West
Virginia, and North Carolina, with
Tennessee and even Texas terribly
shaken. We do not feel like speaking
of it, for, like 1.-THE boy the calf ran
over" we would rather have nothing
to say )" but we are expected to say
something, and, therefore, do SO. We
will not give the particulars in each
State, for the table we publish gives in
short space the results of the changes
in the Congressional representation in
Congress, by which large Democratic
majority is converted into even larger
Republican majority in the House, with
the loss also of the Senate.
The result will be that the Republi-
cans,-as in West Virginia, for in
stance--will so redistrict the States as
to have the Congressional and Legisia-
tive districts in such shape and size as
to give them the majority in the House
of Representatives and the State Legis-
latures, and consequently in the U. s.
Senate, even though the Democrats
should have majority of the popular
vote. This wrong they will not hest
tate to do, wherever they have the
power.
1t is customary for those who meet
with misfortunes to console themselves
somewhat with the reflection that they
may be blessings in disguise, but we
prefer blessings that do not appear in
masquerade. Another source of conso-
lation is the scriptural assurance that
the Lord loveth whom he chasteneth, y
and we may, therefore, infer that he
loves the Democratic party, and
chastens it for it's benefit 1t is to be
hoped that it will ultimately profit by
the chastisement inflicted.
Many surmises as to the causes of the
result havebeen given. A number of
causes, in our opinion, conspired to
produce the surprising result, some of
the chief of which we will briefly men
ton.
The history of our elections shows
that the party that adopts a general
tariff bill is defeated at the next cleo
ton. and that the party that succeeds
in the Presidential election loses the
Congress in the succeeding election
and this year, both of these causes
combined to defeat the Democratic
party at the late election. These might
have been sufficient to produce the de-
feat of the Democratic party, but not
to the extent it was.
To these was added more potential
influence-that of the general business
depression, for which the Democratic
party was unjustly held responsible
A large number of persons are unable
to see the relation between cause and
effect, and, when things occur colnci.
IDENTIFY they suppose they stand in the
relation or cause and effect, and of this
the Republicans took advantage and
charged that the hard times were due
to the Democratic party, and there
were enough of ignorant and stupid
people to believe them to give the Re
publicans the victory. 1t would be
just as reasonable to charge the ply.
stefan who was called to see a sick
patient with being the cause of his
sickness, though he had given nc
medicine, or if he did, it had not time
to produce its due effect.
To blame the physician under these
circumstances and to kick him out OF
the house, all would agree in saying
would be a very absurd and outrageous
proceeding, and yet such was the reas-
oning and action in the late election
The country was sick from preceding
causes; the Democratic party was sum-
moned to give it relief, and before ii
had time to give the remedy, or before
the remedy could take effect, it was
charged with being the cause of the
malady, and was condemned and
kicked out. The remedy applied Ia
reduction of the tariff is now begin.
ming to produce its beneficial effects
but the same absurd reasoning. OF
rather want of reasoning, will attribute
the improvement to the election of a
majority of Republican Congressman,
though they can do nothing during
this administration to change it. Such
is the manner in which the ignorance
of a considerable percentage of the
voters produce election results in a
country of universal suffrage of both
races.
And thus, through the ignorance of
aportion of the voters, the Republican
party is strenthened by the evils of its
policy, and also by the benefits of the
Democratic policy-the evils of the
Republican policy being charged to the
Democratic party, and the benefits OF
the Democratic party credited to the
Republican party.
Another cause operated to produce
the result, particularly in the Western
States, and that was the pensioners,
who expect to be favored in the future,
as in the past, by the Republican
party. We suppose that they voted
for the Republican party to a greater
extent even than heretofore
Our greatest regret at the result is,
that the country will not be allowed to
give the policy of the Democratic party
fair trial to test its benefits. We feel
sure that if it could have four or five
years, it would SO commend itself to
fba roo,,Ia fbat tbay wOD1d NOT ooncopt