Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1895-11-03
TUESDAYS ELECTIONS.


Next Tuesday there will be general cleo
lions in Iowa. Kentucky. Maryland, Mas
sachusetts, Mississippi, New Jersey, Ohio,
South Carolina and Utah, and for minor
offices in New York. Pennsylvania and
other states. These elections are MAIN
ly important as they show what change
has occurred In popular opinion since
the landslide of 1893, which overthrow the
democratic party so signally. The vast
majorities obtained then by the republi-
can party will not be preserved. If we
are doomed to see again such republican
majorities as 156, 900 in New York, 202 900
in Pennsylvania $4,000 in New Jersey,
1877, 900 in Ohio and so on, the democratic
party would be in woeful condition, al
most as bed as when the old wing party
of the north went out of business in 1856
and turned its assets over to the republic
cans
1t is profitless to discuss the question
how and why the democrats went to
the wall so badly two years ago. Hard
times and a desire to see whether a
change might not improve things no
doubt had a great deal to do with it.
Then the contention between the presi-
dent and congress over the tariff question
ande the wide division within the party on
the currency question produced apathy,
encouragement and much bad feeling
A party can never fight well except upon
clearly pronounced doctrines.
The divisions within the party have not
vet been healed, and therefore we cannot
expect to see very substantial results in
our favor. Kentucky will no doubt stand
true to the democratic party notwith-
standing the differences between Mr.
Bla ok burn and Mr.. Carlisle. General
Hardin will be elected in all probability
and the legisla ture will Mturn Mr.. Black
burn to the senate. The gold standard
men could no doubt bring about the de-
feat of both, but 1t would be at the ex-
pense of giving Kentucky to the repub-
leans and placing another republican in
the senate
Mississippi is all right. The populists
and republicans have no show in that
state, and the free silver element is over
whelming. There is doubt as to Mary
land. The currency question cuts no
figure in that state. 1t is all German and
anti-Gorman. The anti-Gorman feeling
is intensified by the opposition of that
views. It is a fact also that the growth
of Baltimore like the growth of Whining
ton, Delaware and Wheeling is largely
a republican growth.@The democrats of
Delaware, Maryland and West Virginia
have no easy work to hold those old
breast works of democracy. Republican
sentiment is moving down from New
England and Pennsylvania and gradual
ly absorbing the Atlantic seaboard states.
Thus far it stops at Chesapeake bay.
The great democracy of the west and
quarter even when they cloak their prin-
ciples and hide away from their time
honored traditions.
OF course Iowa, Pennsylvania and Mas
sachusetts will go republican. 1t mtg be
we'll to watch Iowa and see whe the
state of Senator Allison is doing in the
way of modifying it's old radical views.
The contest in New York is simply
over the spoils of New York city. A
victory for either party will mean moth
| ing as regards national questions. And
| so also the election in Ohio turns upon
| local questions entirely. OF course il
would be we'll for the democrats in those
| contested states to win, as they would
| thereby secure vantage ground for the
presidential battle next year, but for al
| other purposes it is a matter of small
| moment how the fight ends.
| Never before in the history of the
| United States did elections excite less en-.
| thusiasm or mean as little as those which
| come off next Tuesday.