New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-09-15
SOME INSTR UCTITE RESULTS.

u-hou "Joshurun waxed fat and kicked" 1t
does not appear from the sacred RECORD 'ha' III
did himself any good. Presumably Ihere ioi
lowed a reaction, and a stormy Kicking asnlhs'
wise measures and needed restraints. ana
sense Of personal responsibility was douD'less
followed by such penitence as the Maine anu
Vermont elections expressed In 1871 ana 1917
the unparalleled prosperity OF the country anu
the highest wages labor had ever received, nlade
many people so sure Of the illimitable future ana
so confident that Democratic votes anu IaDor
organizations were all that they required mat
they "waxed fat" and kicked over the National
no,icy TO which their unprecedented prosperity
was largely due So we have this year forty
four Democrats In Maine out OF every hundre"
voting the Republican ticket or refusing to vote
at all
The complete official returns show that only
20 Gao Democratic '.Otes were cast, against
55O7S two years ago. or $50 per cent The Re-
nublican vote was O9O6+, against GI.GD two
wears ago. and as several thousand Republicans
doubtless failed to vote 1t may be Inferred that
somewhere from a tenth to fifth OF the whole
number of Democrats voted directly for the Re-
publican candidates. Roughly II may be as
sumed that the Indifference usually observed IN
non Presidential years may account for de-
cline of about tenth in the vote of each party
or that 6 700 Republicans and about $500 Demo
Gratis may have failed TO appear for that reason
only. In that case 800 Democrats must have
voted the Republican ticket, or nearly 10 per
cent Of the whole number of Democratic voters
I'm 1892. while more than 1000 more. or about
90 per cent of the whole number Of Democratic
voters in 1892 refused TO support the destructive
e fb.i
whether n more significant or crushing defeat
was ever administered by It's own voters 10 any
party as penalty for unfaithful and offensive
action. A loss Of nearly A. per cent OF It's
voters. a third of them supporting the opposing
ticket. never comes by accident.
Not only 10 the Democratic party. but to the
leaders of labor organizations. this change
should be particularly Instructive. 1t is no in
Justice to them TO say that they were in very
large measure responsible for the feeling Of in
difference as to the National policy OF Proec-
ton which pervaded so many Of the wage-earn-
ers in 1890 and 1892. Leaders had told them
for years that parties made no difference, and
that tariffs made no difference and that the only
thing they had to care for was their organza-
ton. because that would enable them TO secure
good wages in any event. 1t was not n wilful
themselves had seen the country prospecting 80
long-for the whole period Of the active lives OF
most Of them-ihat they had quite lost the
power TO comprehend the tremendous Influence
of National laws in determining the conditions
Of labor They forgot that a proSlration which
throws out of employment half or third OF the
workers in any great industry must create. In
spite Of all organizations and The utmost efforts
,l,i ..lt
than one man must Of necessity be competing
for every mans job In that state Of things no
power has ever existed which could maintain
wages
Treating all these considerations wifi con
tempt, labor leaders perSistenily taught the
wage-earners throughout the country 10 treat
party changes and differences Of National policy
and questions Of tariff as Of no real consequence
to them. Their future would depend. they were
told. first. upon the irresistible prosperity and
the permanent growth Of the country. which
would continue no matter what tariff was
adopted: and, second. upon the organizations
which enable them TO secure at all times their
share of that prosperity This philosophy was
10 a large extent the cause Of the election Of
President Cleveland and a Democratic Congress
In 1892 and Of the consequences which Demo
cratic voters now view with disgust. After
all, it appears that the Nations Industries do
not thrive If the voters set themselves 10 have
British prices and British wages OF labor in the
United States The next time the labor Of this
country is told that parties and tariffs make no
difference, within the present generation ut least,
smile OF contempt-if nothing harsher-will
probably answer
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