Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1896-11-26
THE WRITING ON THE WALL.
wealmlnater elaze.,e, Enrlana.

the vindication Of their countrymen 8
character for sober sense and common
honesty. The verdict is the verdict of
the sons Of toll, and although, as we
are reminded, it is in more senses than
one victory for sound money, there
is no such thing in politics as buying
votes by the million. 1t is the labor
ing classes who have carried McKin-
ley in on their broad and numerous
shoulders. 10 many it must have gone
sorely against the grain to rank them
selves thus with the millionaires; but
when the integrity of tho nation was
at stake it is inspiring to remember
that the plain American citizen spoke
for the right with no nnfatering voice.
AT the same time the result Is neither
the landslide nor avalanche, nor any
of the other picturesque things that
signify an overwhelming victory. The
breach in the "Solid South. !" and the
death blow to sSectionalism, on
which the correspondents are 80 gush-
ing, have been grotesquely oyerrated,
as u glance at our map will show. Mary
land, Delaware and kentucky have gone
Republican, il is true; and the South
ern line is moved further south; Cali
fornia and Oregon are ooniectured to
be Republican, which brings the
Western boundary farther east. But
the wide continuous swathe that Bryan
ism has cut from Northwest TO South
east is terribly significant. Terri
States is still for reputation and
revolution, and tho glamor Of success
should not blind the victors to SO
nj nm 10 10. -
cant is the silver candidates. total poll.
1t is unlikely that less than A, 500. 600
or 5000, 600 votes have been cast for
him. And most significant Of all are
tho votes cast in the great cities. We
observe that the defeat of Mr.. Altgeld
for the Governorship OF Illinois is
hailed as the end of tho party that had
got itself identified with disorder and
anarchy. But when it is remembered
that he polled some 25, 600 votes more
than Mr. Bryan, it becomes clear that
in Illinois, Altgeldisni, which stands
less for free silver than for the social
programme of the party, Is a stronger
creed than that which is weighted with
financial heresies. The workers of the
eastern centres were not, it would seem,
deluded by the Establishments Of the
silyerites; il they co operated it was
only because by such fusion alone
could their other ends be served. Out
side the farmer vote, then. it would be
imprudent to reckon the Bryan poll as
the high watermark Of aggressive social
discomfort, IL this criticism is a just
ons. the Republican victory is by no
means the end of those revolutionary
phenomena which seems so perplexing
to Western sympathiers with American
democracy. Indeed it is only if the
party leaders show very unusual
craftsmanship and breadth of view that
their success can be hoped to be even
the beginning Of the end. II the Re-
publicana. complacently regarding their
mammoth majorities in tho East, ac-
cept the country's verdict as an up-
qualified endorsement Of their record.
their methods, aud their policy we
confess the outlook does not seem TO us
satisfactory. Rightly viewed, the large
vote of the Bryan party should be a
blessing in disguise. Most fortunately
it has not been large enough to plunge
that great country into dishonor and
disorder; but it should give pause to
those whose political faith hitherto has
been limited to the single dogma, "To
the victors the spoils. :" Mr.. Bayard' g
words seeu to US TO fit the situation
exactly - reputation has been repu-
diated the great republic of the West
is not to fall prey TO nineteenth
century Jack Cades. But:
Tho result Of the election contains
an admonitiGn to the incoming adj
ministration and Congress, which it
will be- well for them and for the coun-
try to heed, against the perpetuation
or intensification of those fiscal and
commercial conditions which so mani
testify have contributed to lead the
country to the brink of dangers from
which it has happily reeoiled and
escaped. "
Tine lesson of Organism will be salu-
tary if its causes can be rightly gagged
and cured. 1t is the handwriting on
tho wall at the Belshazzar feast of the
triumphant plutocracy- il second
protest is made inevitable the blame
will be on those who make it so