The Portland daily press., 1897-11-05
CONCERNING THE ELECTIONS.

Now that the returns from the elections
are substantially complete, the results
appear much less unfavoraple to the Re-
publicans than seemed to be the case the
morning after the contest. Outside of
New York there is very little disturbing
in the results, and some things that are
decidedly encouraging To be sure the
majorities for the Republican candidates
have fallen off from last year, but MAORI
ties always fall off in an off year, especial
ly an off year Immediately succeeding a
Presidential contest. Furthermore, it
must be remembered that the contest of
last year, with which the contest of this
year is generally being compared and
contrasted, was different kind Of co n
test, ana when we compare this year s
with 1t we are comparing things that are
dissimilar. Last years contest was not
a strictly party one between the Repub-
licans and the Democrats, but one be-
tween adherents of two rival economic
theories, in which party lines to a great
extent disappeared. Fifty thousand,
which was the excess of the Mckinley
vote in Ohio over the Bryan vote, did not
represent the excess of Republicans over
Democrats in that State, but the excess
of believers in a continuance of the pres
ent monetary standard over those who
favored a radical change to free silver.
This year the silver issue largely dropped
ont of sight, and the contest became in
large measure one between the Re
publican and Democratic parties. To be
sure the leaders of the parties and their
orators on the stump urged during the
progress of the campaign that it was sub
stantially a repetition OF the fight of last
year, but the voters refused to view it in
that light, for the reason that
whatever the result it could have no effect
to change the monetary standard. That
being the case great many Democrats
who last year voted for the Republican
candidates returned to their own party
and voted for its candidates and hence
the Republicans were compelled to rely
upon their own party strength entirely.
But for the phenomenal majorities due to
exceptional causes which the Republicans
have been getting for three or four years
back, majority of 26, 900 in Ohio in an
off year would have been regarded, not as
something to apologize for and explain,
but as something to shout and rejoice
over
In New York even the result will ap-
pear upon examination to be much less
discouraging than it seems at first glance.
There was the strongest kind of induce
ment for the Democrats to poll their full
vote in the regions where they most
abound, that is in the cities that make up
Greater New York, while there was very
little to stimulate the Republicans in the
regions where they most numerous. that
IS, in the rural districts. Judge Wallace E
majority outside of New York, which
was nearly so, 000, few years ago would
have been regarded as an exceptionally
large one for an off year. Here again we
are misled by comparing the votes of last
year and year before in contests entirely
dissimilar from the one of Tuesday. For
the past two years the silver issue has
~>Nt
Y ork and the contest has not been along
party lines. This year by reason of the
fact that the fate of silver is settled for al
least four years, and as great many
believe forever, that issue did not figure
and the contest became one largely on
party lines.
In our opinion the people whoshave the
most reason to be troubled by the out.
come of the elections are not the Re-
publicans but the gold Democrats who
have been hoping to rescue their party
from the slough to which the Chicago
convention Of last year consigned it.
The Democrats that do not want to sea
their party swallowed up by Organism
are the people who ought to feel melan-
choly over the vote of Tuesday, for the
reason that it is sure to strengthen the
grip of Bryansupon the party and render
it practically impossible to shake It off.
In every State in which the Democrats
have won or cut the Republican majority
down they have won on q silver plat
form, except in New York and there the
platform WAS non-committal. It is no
doubt true that many Democrats who
helped them win did not believe in the
platform; but the great majoritygof peo-
pie see only what is on the surface and
that in this case is success upon a
silver platform. 1t can be said now with
much plausibility that silver has proved a
winning card-Bryan and Jones are al
ready Saying it-and that the Democracy
have only to cling to it to win national
victory in 1860. 1t can also be pointed out
that where the gold Democrats ran in