The herald., 1894-06-16
PROSPECTS OF TIRE STATE CAMPAIGN.

has to do, beth in the state and county
elections this year lie to nominate their
ticket in order to win, hands down.
This does not necessarily follow. On a
recent visit Of the writer to San Fran
cisco. well known Repub lean, who
has occupied q number of very import
ant stations, said to him: 81 hope your
"party will nominate a good man for
governor this year, as l think the
chances are in favor Of his election"
This was q sensible suggestion, in any
event, but it carried special signifi-
canoe on account of the high position
and weight in his party OF the man who
uttered it.
While making no extrRvsgant claims,
there are certain features of the present
political situation that may strengthen
the Democracy in o remarkable manner
during the progress of the campaign. 1t
is generally assumed that the Democrat
ic party is somewhat in the same boat as
in the celebrated three-cornered fight in
which Perkins, Republican; Glenn,
Democrat and New Constitution, and
White, Workingman, were competitors
for the governorship. This, however, is
in no sense the case. The division then
was almost entirely in the Democratic
ranks, and the result was that Perkins
was elected by an enormous plurality,
White and Glenn receiving almost ex-
sctly the same vote, and nearly all the
votes OF both White and Glenn coming
from the Democratic party.
1t is highly doubtful if the nomination
OF Glenn added any material strength to
his canvass. The new constitution had
been triumphsntly adopted, and Repub-
licans, having g respectable standard
bearer. settled back into their former
affiliations almost in a body. On the
other hand, the nomination OF White,
who had been lifelong and influential
Democrat. simply disintegrated the DEM
ocracy. Glenn was par excellence the
candidate of what Dennis Kearney
dubbed the Honorable Bilks," an ele-
ment of the Democratic party which was
sure to return to its allegiance on the
first opportunity, and which WAS known
as the "ehivalry" as against the "shov-
elry" OF that time honored organization.
date OF the new constitution as we'll as
of the Democratic party bsguiled few
Republicans from their fealty, and the
''double header" nomination simply
eventuated in ridiculous fissco.
After fifteen years Cslifornians are
again treated to three-cornered fight
The question is now a most interesting
one as to what effect the Populist party
will have upon the two old national
parties respectively. The man who can
figure out the proportions of the Repub-
lcans and Democrats who will join the
new organization will have gone far to
solve the result of the coming election,
with the difference that there are two
important reservations, to which we
shall shortly refer, that will greatly
complicate all calculations.
1t will be generally conceded that the
mass of people who are apt to adopt
new tangled notions and to throw off the
claims of party are usually to be
found in the Republican party. This
has been the case ever since the launch
ing OF that party in 1856. That it has
contributed by far the large. proportion
OF the membership of the Populists is
shown by the fact that the only states
which have been carried by the new
party were those Heretofore strongly
Republican, such as Kansas and Colo
RADIO. They have absolutely failed to
make any considerable inroad in any
Democratic state. All the ststes which
have been Democratic since the war,
with the addition of many others, voted
for Mr.. Cleveland in 1892. Not one Of
them voted for General Weaver. There
is very little OF the volatile in the poll
tics OF California except when there are
some overshsdowing and passion
ate impulses; such as those which
followed the death of Broderick
and the breaking out OF the war and the
peculiar episode of the Kearney Sgita-
tons. The lovers OF lads and isms, it
may be safely supposed, are almost al
ways to be found ia the Republican
party. AS consequence, it is not I'M
likely that q large prepondersnce Of
those who will vote for the Populist
nominees will be taken from the ranks
of the grand old party" This, allow
ing for little discon tent in the Demo-
cratic ranks, arising from some equiv
ocsl and un-Democratic acts OF Mr..
CleVeland's administration, iustihes the
assumption that state SO reliably
Democratic as California has proved her
self to be, under competent leadership,
will be very apt to elect ii Democratic
governor and other state officers. There
is absolutely no obligation on the part
OF California Democrats to iden tiiy
themselves with such errors as Mr..
Clevelsnd's administration may have
committed, and doubtless the conyen-
ton which will meet in San Francisco
on the 2lst OF August will bear this TACT
in mind.
There are two other causes that will
have most encouraging bearing on
Democratic prospects. The frat is the
extent to which the A. P. A.'s have got
control OF the Republican party. This
proscriptive element is direct chal-
lenge to the Roman Catholic and foreign
vote, and it will have much such an Ell
ha L..