St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1896-11-06
Who Won?


their ballots Tuesday. twas the climax
of the most important and most impress
sive electoral campaign ever waged upon
American soil. For four months the con-
flict had ragged in all parts of the Union.
The public press had teemed with records,
indictments, arguments. Pamphlets and
tracts by hundreds of millions had been
scattered broadcast An army of ora
tors had harangued the multitudes
wherever people could be gathered to-
gether. The air had blazed with banners,
and the solid earth had trembled beneath
the measured tread ofmarching myriads.
Fortunes in money had been expended,
besides time and labor still more valua-
BILE. The whole nation watched the
struggle in agonized suspense; the whole
world looked OH with keenest interest.
1t was mighty conflict, fifty crowned
with mighty victory. But who won?
The people won. The "plain people"
made sure that government of the peo-
pie, tor the people, by the people, shall
not perish from the earth" The farmers
won. They vanquished those who sought
to compel them to accept halfprice, in
clipped coin, for the produce of their
fields. The workingmen, the wage
earners, won. They defeated those who
tried to cut their wages in two. The
thrifty depositors in savings banks won.
They baff1ed the schemes of those who
would have robbed them of half their
savings. The holders of life insurance
policies won. They were victorious over
those who proposed to force reputation
OF hall their policies. The army of pen
sioners, wards Of the nation, won. They
beat the ungrateful conspirators who
attempted to cut down their little in
comes by one-half Churches and schools
and hospitals and asylums won. They
triumphed over those who meant to rob
them OF half their incomes. All honest
industries, business, society, won, in the
overthrow of those who conspired for
depression, ruin and chaos.
Law and order won. The federal gov
eminent was indicated against those
who denied its authority and sought to
deprive it of all power to maintain the
constitution and execute tie laws. The
postal service was made victorious over
the revolutionists who demanded that
the carrying of the mails should be done
only at the pleasure of the mob. The
courts won, triumphant over the abomi-
naole conspiracy to make them political
machines whose decisions should be
bought and sold at bidding of some venal
boss. The civil service won, over the at
tempt to revamp the old, corrupt spois
system. The national treasury won,
over those who would have made it a
counterteiter's den. The whole incorpor.
ate nation Won against the traitors who
sought to make its very name a byword
and Kissing
Truth won. Righteousness won. God
won. The moral law was vindicated in
affairs of state. 1t was decreed that this
nation should continue to count two and
two as four, that stealing should still be
reckoned stealing, that contracts should
be held valid, that faith should be main
tanned, that equal and exact justice
should be administered between man and
man, and between nation and nation.
1t was decided, by the majestic mandate
of the people, that there should be no or
ganization of hostile classes, no "enemy's