Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1895-09-19
About nVitaln States.

William F. Harrity, who off
ciated as figurehead at the prov
of the Democratic ship in 1892,
has calculated that New York is
to be ''again vital to Democratic
success" But why "again"?
New York was not vital to Dem
cratic success three years ago.
In fact, the Democratic success
was attained without the elec~
toral vote of New York. The Re
public has gone into the figures
before, but there will bear repe-
tition in view of the evident fact
that an effort is to be made to draw
old lines in an entirely new sit
uation.
Cleveland and Stevenson re
ceived 277 electoral votes. Two
hundred and twenty-three were
necessary to their election. The
three states of New York, Con-
necticut and New Jersey had to-
gether SO electoral votes, all OF
which we're cast for Cleveland
and Stevenson. If these votes
had been deducted from the total
they whould still have been
elected, receiving 225 votes, or a
majority of two in the Electorl
College.
In view of this fact how can
Mr.. Harrity, or any man preten-
ding to information and presum-
ing to leadership, contend that
New York is vital" to Demo-
cratic success, or even that New
York and its political dependen
cies are vital to success?
In the total of 277 electoral
votes cast for Cleveland and Ste
venson, the three Western States
I of Illinois, and Wisconsin and In
diana cast 81 votes. Without the
votes of these three States Cleye-
land and Stevenson were still
| elected, receiving 229 votes. or
three more than the necessary,
majority Considered from the
standpoint Of voting strength and
political power, these three Yves
tern States are just as ''Vital" to
Democratic success is the three
Eastern ones which constituted
the basis of all the calculations of
all the Democratic politicians of
the reconstruction period. Fifty
one electoral votes to be won or
lost in the West by enunciation
of party principle and nomination
| of candidates I as important
as any equal number of votes to
be won or lost in any other sec
ton of the country. This is such
a magnifest truth that nothing
but the most perveTse predjudice
or the most helpless fatEity can
persistently deny it.
The elections which have in<
tervened since 1892 have af-
forded no indication thai the
Western group of States is more
hopelessly lost to the Democracy
than the Eastern group. Hi
nois defeated a worthy but com
paratively obscure Democratic
candidate for State Treasurer by
$50, 900 majority, but New York
struck down a colossal figure IL
her politics, whose name was al
ways all inspiration to party en-
thusiasm and victory, by a ma
jority equally as great. Echoes
of Republican rejoicing 10 Indl
ana and Wisconsin came from
New Jersey and Connecticut.
Republicans were victorious
everywhere, and New York il
that election was no more xvi
tai" to Republican control Of th'
House Of Congress then electee
than it was to Democratic sue
cess two years earlier. Repub
licans carried the country.
Such considerations Of politi'
cal expediency as now exist
pointing to consultation OF sec
tional lines and interests in the
nomination Of candidates, poin
away from and not to New York
In a State where factional line
in party politics are SO ~closel,
and hardly drawn that no man o
presidential size can escape them
party prospects could only b
imperiled by making the party
exalt one faction to the discredi
of the other. The Democrat
have braved this danger NOR
than once. but only as an alterna
tive and never as a choice lWhel
New York was really vital, it
vitality was recognized by eft
forts of the National Democracy
as often futile as successful, II
the roll of peacemaker. The pc
litical revolution in the North
|. west has made such dangePou'
and humiliating tactics no longe
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