The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-11-21


gladness of thy nation.' Psa. CYL 8.
CTARTING from this text, [ wish
- to point out some of the causes
for rejoicing growing out OF the re-
cent election which we have, not as
partisan victors, but as whole peo-
pie. One of the newspaper cartoons
Just before election pictured two
cabins on the prairie not far from
each other. They represented the
political headquarters OF the two
great parties. Out of the window OF
one looked Mr.. Mckinley; out O. the
window of the other, Mr.. Bryan. In
front sat the chairmen of the National
Committees, Mr.. Hanna and MIR.
Jones, each figuring up the result of
his work. In the distant background
was shown tornado overturning
houses and barns in its onward path
and heading for the two political
cabins. The written comment on the
cartoon was the query, (which one
will it striker"
Through period of suspense as
bad as that preceding the coming of
a tornado have the American people
been passing; the tension OF sus-
pense has been awful. And this not
only for few politicians, office seek
ers and aspirants for political honors
who knew not whether they were to
be elected or defeated, but this has
been true for the whole people. Now
that the cyclone has struck and the
worst as we'll as the best is known,
am sure that all breathe freer. "a No
other campaign since the war has SO
interested the people. Since that
time no such moral earnestness has
been seen in the conduct OF a cam
paign. On the one side men fought
and prayed and waited as those whose
fortunes and homes were at stake;
on the other side men fought and
waited and prayed, believing they
were contending for their liberties
and for popular rights. against the
hordes of mammonism, foreign DOM
nation and diabolism in general. No
matter how mistaken any of these
parties may have been, this has been
their spirit. Outside of the politi-
clans who are found in every party
scheming for self interest alone, there
has been holy fire of patriotism and
a love of justice burning on the po-
litical affairs such as has not been
witnessed in any campaign since '6o
and Ga. On the one side stood those
who believed themselves the repre-
sentatives of honesty and national
honor: on the other side we're ranged
those who thought they were fight
ing for simple justice to the great
masses whose prosperity was being
filched from them and the burden of
their debts increased by the constant
appreciation of the standard OF value
and whose lives we're thus consigned
to unending toll and poverty.
On both sides the issue has been
awaited with breathless suspense.
To each party defeat has seemed the
closing in of the clouds OF dire
trouble; and victory the dawning OF
a new era of prosperity. No words
can convey sense of the tension OF
feeling which has existed during.thi
campaign, tension rising almost to
the verge of panic in the business
world, Just before the election.
Now the election is past and we
have time to look about us, we must
all find cause for rejoicing in the fact
that the agony of suspense is over.
The waiting time is ever the hardest
to bear. Even the defeated can now
adjust themselves to the situation
and settle down to the ordinary work
of life. Now to business" was the
cry of relief from all parties on the
day after election.
1t is a blessing, too, that the decis-
ion of the people was such as to leave
no uncertainty or doubt; that the ma
iority was SO great that there will be
no attempt on the part OF the defeated
candidates to dispute it or contest it.
Some of us recall wildly the long
DAYS of suspense following the cleo
ton of '76 when the vote was 80 close
as to make the whole election turn on
two or three electoral votes. In the
end one vote decided it, the electoral
college dividing 1876 to 1S4. We re-
member how fierce was the fight be-
tween the two parties for the posses
sion of the deciding votes; how money
was poured out like water to obtain
them; how for months the result was
in doubt, and was settled in the end
only by the decision of Especial com
mission appointed for that purpose.
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