Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1896-11-13
REGARDING THE RETURNS.

Grant county has always been the
home OF the independent voter. The
party cry could never carry Il ticket
through. The vote Of two years ago
is a fair sample of the vote for many
years. or the seventeen names Oh
the tickets eight republicans and nine
democrats received plurallties, no
more even division could have been
made. The average plurality OF the
eight republicans was 81 and Of the
nine democrats was LOG. If the votes
had been evenly divided there would
have been a democratic plurality av-
eraging ~.
This year the returns are different.
No republican received a majority of
the votes in Grant county. That the
voters Of the county are still indie
pendent is shown by the difference in
the democratic majorities, running
from 952 for congressman to II for COL
ector, the average being $50. Looking
yer the majorities it will be seen
that they naturally form three groups,
viz: ~ The congressional ticket
with a majority of 952. (2l The leg
islative ticket, with an average major.
ity Of 500. (3) The county ticket,
with an average majority Of 25s.
What do these differences signify,
and what caused them?
The trouble among Grant county
republicans commenced before the
county convention last March and
nothing has happened since to lessen
the differences. The d%lsgraceful
squabbles between would be leaders
has had a continuous influence on the
campaign. But this has not been the
chief trouble.
At the Las Vegas convention the
men in power, hungry for the pie that
Major Mckinley would cut, decided
on a practical endorsement Of the st.
Louis platform. The delegates FROM
the south protested, saying that their
constituents had ever believed that
the republican party OF the territory
had always been Ia favor OF free silver,
the delegates from Grant told the men
in power that the voters in this county
could not be herded to the polls like
sheep and made 10 vote as directed.
The protests were unavailing, the
warnings were sneered at and the
gold plank was adopted. This re-
suited 10 every southern county Civ.
ing Ferguson a large majority aud
electing him.
The republicans Of Grant, still be-
lievlng as they always have on the sill
yer question, expressed themselves in
no uncertain terms 10 their platform
The effect OF this Is shown in the re-
suits. or the AIS men who bad for
merly voted the republican ticket aud
refused TO do so this year, only l25 coz
cluded TO let the hide go with the
horns, and voted the county demo-
cratic ticket. The legislative ticket,
which stood partly on both platforms
was not as badly beaten as the terrific
rial ticket but was worse beaten than
the county ticket.
II Mr.. Catron and his friends had
not repudiated the Socorro platform
OF 1894 there is no reason TO doubt he
would have been elected, the legisla-
ture would have been republican and a
portion OF the Grant county republic
can ticket would have been chosen.
In passing IL might be mentioned
that GU the county ticket the two re-
publicans against whom the largest
number OF votes were cast were Mr.
Perrault and Mr.. Spiller, and these
two unfortunate gentlemen were
known to fame as the political prote-
ges Of the editor Of the Silver City En-
terprise. Whether there is any con-
nection between these facts the LIB