New-York tribune., 1894-04-05
THE ELECTIONS AND THE CAUSE.

The landslide continues. Astonishing rs "eIc
the Democratic defeats in the state elecuohs oi
last fall they are thrown into the slade pS '"c
results of local elections this spring IL Is hc'u-
loss TO recapituate details which nave p'ch
told in many columns Of tclegrapmc reports
during the past months, and have Deeh opSo-
notely brushed aside by Democratic bourpohs
with the pretence that mere local eiec'lohS
mean nothing No reader who Is not Wiiiuh!
blind can have failed to see that these elec'
tions show heavier ma iOritics against the DeIho-
cratic Marty than were disclosed last IAN. me
reaction not only continues without Abatement
lut since November there has been Il Inalerial
| increase in the number Of former peillocI''N
who for one reason or another, nave 'ur"'u
against their party, swclcd RepuDhcah hhJoil-
ties. and in many Democratic s'rohghoi"S
brought about Republican victories TOT 'hc n'S'
time in many years.
II is foolish TO say that this is merely the
fruit of unthnkng dissatisfaction because 'iii''S
are bad The alleged cause does not III "i'
/ f,cts Times are undcniably less bad than 'hey
rcrc last November. But the DISSATISFACTION
/ has plainlv and greatly increased. Ihe III
movement in business has not been great pu'
| There has been enough Of it to give WORK 10
many thousand persons who sought II III vain
lost vcor mere unthinking displcasurc' Dasen
! only ON conditions without regard 10 ciiuseS'
vould have abatcd But the displcasure mani
tested at the ballotbox has materially III
croosed Neither can this acctinulatng ava
Ianche of dispeasure be attributed TO inlscoii-
duct of Democratic local governments, thouSh
rooction against the rings and their crimes mas
swo,lcd Republican majoritics in many places.
Tho landslide appears as we'll where there nave
! hoon no rings 10 rob the people and no election
! crimes to rcbukc.
Aftor the tremendous defeats Of last Novcm-
hcr the halfdazed advocates Of Free Trade ex-
plainc1 that the people were only disgus'ed
! hocousc silver repeal had been so long delayed.
prosnerty would have come and continued We
tories for tariff reform. they labored to be-
uove if Congress had only done in August what
I, did in October Neither publicly nor in the
| nr;vocv OF their own chambers have they now
! the impudence to attribute the swellihg us
Measure of the people to n pretended cause
which passed away five months ago. Among
the dangerous tendencies of the Democratic
marty which the people undoubtedly do perceive
and resent is the desire to please the ignorant
and tbriftlcss By dcbauching the currency, and
ne This tendency not only delayed repeal. but has
since caused three-quartcrs of the Democrats
in Congress TO vote for the Vacuum BILL sound
business men may well refuse on that account
to trust such party any longer, But the most
striking characteristic of the great reaction is
that it comes not from the comparatively small
number OF men engaged in trade and hnance
but from the workingmcn and the farmers, who
are the millions.
Democrats whose opinion Is of any conse
ouencc no longer deny that the pending revenue
bill is the main cause Of depression in business
and the landslide at the polls. The people fee
already the evil consequences OF the change be
fore II has come. these Democrats reason but
have as yet no chance to see how great the re-
sulting benefits will be. When they do see
when business revives and splenddly develops
on new lines when .cheapness OF foreign goods
lessons the cost Of living, when trusts and com
binations have been broken and monopocs
forced by competition to abstain from plumber
ing the people, then, they say. there Will be Q
rapid revival of Democratic strength. In rea
soning thus, the Democrats whose opinion Is OF
any consequence frankly admit that such re
suits cannot be expected next fall, but hope