The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-10-18
WHAT DOES TT sIGNIFYs

In all the cities or the North the re-
ports of the first days registration of
voters show a surprising increase in
numbers over any previous first day
since registration was adopted. Some
thing of this is due, of course, to the
natural increase of voters in the two
years. but that would not account for
the whole or more than a small per-
centage Of the enlargement OF the
reached us fails to show this condition.
Il signifies, Of course, an unusual in
terest IN the pending issue that is to
be determined at the polls next month,
but it is worth while to try and find
among which Of the investing, and
wage-earning classes there is shown
the greatest zeal;
Were one to make a guess as to
the class of voters from which comes
this increase, one would conjecture that
1t came from-those who have the larg-
est monetary interests, bankers, bust
ness men, corporation officers, invest
ors, the class known as the weather..
Were they apprehensive that a pro-
posed change in our monetary stand
ard, Ringing upon an election, would
operate to halve the value of their
possessions their fears of loss impend-
ing would naturally incite them to I'M
usual activity. Among this class, too,
INCLUDING men in the professions, one
11xy fnd Ia
to politics and the least activity in
these contests. Reasoning on the
same line one would expect the least
interest among the class who work for
wages, as their stake is less, any
change affecting future earnings and
not past accumulations.
1t becomes matter Of interest, then,
to ascertain from which Of these
classes comes this increase, IL there be
any difference between them. This
can be found by comparing the regis
trations in those wards of the cities in
which one of the two classes predom-
mates. For the other cities we have
no data, but the returns of the first
days registration in ST. Paul give re-
suits that will probably apply to all
other cities. The residential quarters
of the city are chiefly in all excepting
the Third and Fourth wards. OF these
the Seventh, Tenth and Eleventh are
occupied by what may be called the
weather. portion of the community.
as the First, Fifth, Sixth, Eighth and
Ninth are chiefly occupied by those
who work for wages, the Second being
more divided between the two. In a
general way this is a fairly correct
distribution of the residents of the
city on this line of division
Taking the first days registration in
the general election of 1894 as the basis
Of comparison, we find that the First
ward increased it's registration this
year 48 per cent; the Fifth, 20 per cent:
the Sixth % per cent; the Eighth AIT
per cent, and the Ninth S4.8 per cent.
The average OF all these wards is SO
per cent. The Seventh ward increased
its list 4S per cent; the. Tenth and Elev-
enth so per cent, while the Second raised
its flgureS 40 per cent making their aver
age AZ per cent This showing bears
out tie conjecture one would hazard,
in tie absence of facts, that the invest
ing class is taking an unusual inter-
est this year, and, as whole, the
greater. But the equal increase in
ouch wards as the First and Eighth,
with wage-earners heavily predominant
ing, indicates that they, too, think
their interests are involved in the is
sue, and intend to guard them. Sub
sequent registration days may change
these percentages, and the wards show
ing lower rate may bring theirs up to
the average. The Republican wards
give the largest and most uniform in
crease. The whole registration indi-
Gates that there will be very full ex-
preston this year Of the Judgment Of
the voters upon the two monetary
standards.
THE ENORMITY OF OUR TIME.