Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1895-10-24

The only danger to the republican
party of Iowa in the election this year
results from oyerconfidence. There is
danger in overconfidence. 1t is best to
admit the fact frankly apd to under
stand it in good time. Iowa is natur
ally republican. Everybody under
stands that. That simple fact tends
to make the republicans overconfident.
1t has to be constantly guarded
against. But practically do the con-
ditions this year tend to aggravate
overconfidence. There is vivid recol.
lection of the tremendous republican
majorities In the elections everywhere
last fall. 1t was veritable landslide,
apparently burying the democracy out
of sight. Iowa gave an immense pop
ular majority, sending solid repub-
lican delegation to congress. Many
states which gave their electoral votes
to Cleveland reversed their verdict.
In Ohio and New York especially did
the people roll up immense popular
majorities against the democratic
party. The people throughout the land
seemed to rise en- mass and stamp on
the PROSTATE form of democracy. This
SORT of thing seemed to give assurance
of the burial of the democracy for
many years. 1t tended to quiet repub-
licans and to make them feel that it
was no use to fight or put forth effort.
That feeling undoubtedly is abroad.
The course of affairs in Iowa has tend
ed to strengthen that feeling. The
democratic organization has given
forth few signs of life. 1t has few
speakers in the field. Its whole effort
has been to avoid discussion of the is
sues involved. Republicans see little
calculated to stir them to action. The
opposition seems so dead. Well, now, it
ought occur to every intelligent voter
that such situation would act in a
similar way upon all minds, and that
the net result naturally would be
very large army of stay at homes. A
very small percentage will make a very
large aggregate in the whole state.
There are always from $4,000 to 10000
electors in Iowa who do not go to the
polls. In the national election of 1892
the vote of the different parties, in
round numbers, was as follows: Re-
publican, 100000; democratic, 10000;
pOpulist, 10000; prohibition, 5000. If
one republican in ten should stay at
home this year, while the democrats
hold their vote in 1892, it would wipe
out the republican majority of that
year, even if no republicans were
drawn away by the prohibition and
populist parties. 1t will not do to say
that the prodigious victories of last
year do not tend to quiet the minds of
republican voters and keep them away
from the polls. The tendency is to
make republicans feel that their
presence at the polls is not necessary.
Farmers are busy. They have a great
deal of fall work. The gathering of
the corn crop will be late this year.
Now it is to be remembered that a
small republican majority this year in
Iowa will be interpreted as defeat.
The essential thing is to get out the
vote. The voters are all right il thew
can be got to the polls, but they might
as we'll not be right if they cannot be
got to the polls-if they are overconfi
dent. Republicans everywhere ought
to realize the situation. They ought to
be prepared for it. Their real foe is
over confdence.-Sioux City journal.