The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-04-10
Due to Local Causes.


Our esteemed Bellamyite contemporary,
the Springfield Republican, has these
gloomy and not excessively sagacious re-
marks about the result of the Chicago cleo
tion and the reasons therefor:
.what Chicago has experienced since November
the whole country has in some degree experienced.
There has been disappointment over the material
effects OF the November victory. There has been
anger at the disposition of the new Government at
Washington to wrap it'elf up in the CASTOR rags OF
extreme tariff. There has hcen an impression with
many people who do not study conditions deeply that
they wore fooled and buncoed in the November crisis.
The masses in tho city of Chicago have now shown
how they are feeling about the matter. Plainly tho
day has not been saved by continuing to point with
satisfaction to the vote of last November"
1t is considering the Chicago municipal
election too curiously to consider 1t so.
The Springfield Republican is dissatisfied
with the Dingley tariff. The Springfield
Republican, q half-and half Bryanesque or
gan. may have studied conditions shallowly
enough to publish q report that a number
of the people who voted for Mr.. MCKINLEY
last November believe that they were
''buncoed" into voting against social and
financial disorder. The Springfield Repub-
lican may believe hat there are people who
hold an Administration which has been In
power a little more than a month RESPONSE
BILE for not having corrected the material
effects Of four years Of C~levelandism. The
Chicago election, however, was not decided
by considerations of his kind. In the
platforms and in the canvasses Of all the
candidates for Mayor there was no small
amount of demagogy. 1t was the good for
tune of young MI. CARTER HARRISON that
whatever else he pretended to represent,
he did represent frankly and boldly the
idea of a liberal city government suited to
a grand cosmopolitan city, and free from
all intent of parochial and puritanical mar
rowness. Not even Republican votes were
wanting to him. The controlling issue was
that Chicago wanted a city government
free from the meddlesome interference
with private affairs and habits which
seems the inevitable aim of all sorts of
municipal reformers.
Add that the Republican party Of Cook
county was split up hopelessly, that even
the Republican machine was split up; that
only the withdrawal of both SEARS and
HARLAN and the selection of a minor Re-
publican candidate could have given the
Chicago Republicans any chance of success
and there you have the situation. Mr..
HARLAN is a young and vigorous kicker,
and is perfectly happy because he has helped
beat the machine. The machine knew
perfectly well hat 1t was to be beaten.
The Hon. WASH HEsING, inextricably tan
gled in his own whiskers, is the only person
surprised. The Dingley tariff bill or dis
appointment over the material effects of the
November victory" seem to have had about
as much to do with the result as they have
to do with to-day's weather. OF course the
Altgeld forces celebrate themselves. Had
HARRISON been defeated, they would have
shown with great insistence that national
issues were not involved.
The result of the Chicago election is en-
tirely applicable by means of local causes.