The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-04-07
THE INTELLIGENCER.
WHEELING, APRIL !, 1891.


In the municipal elections OF Monday
suEhout the state Of Ohio the eaaldi-
dates placed In the field by the Demo-
Gratis were successful in the majority Of
Instances. though. with but two or three
unimpOrtant exceptions. no national
questions whatever were involved, the
issues being purely local OF course our
Democratic friends. or at least that fac
tIon OF the party that voted for Bryan
and free silver last fall, will make haste
20 grasp at the results as indications that
the people OF Ohio. IL they had the OPP
portunIty. would reverse their Judgment
Of last November and vote for Bryan.
free silver and all the PopulIstlc fallacIes
he stood for.
There Is no reason whatever for be-
lieving that such would be the case. In
some Of the cities the results were go
mixed Us to make 1t impossible to claim
4 victory for either side, and In others
both parties put up tickets composed OF
Representatives Of both stdes, as In Gin
cInnati, for instance. where there were
three Republicans on the Democratic
ticket. and the issue was solely against
the continued domination Of a local Re-
publican boss The people of Ohio. and
particularly those In the cities, are Just
a. much opposed 70 an unsafe monetary
system and In favor Of the sound prlnci-
pies voted for last November as they
were then.
In some OF the larger cities It is doubt
less true tina; very large element in
both parties listened to the deTagogic
appeals Of local leaders. who made use Of
the fact thar recovery from the past four
years OF adversely and depression did not
come with leap and bound the day
following AIcKinley's election.
These people comprise the minimizing
class that is generally governed in It's ac-
ton at the polls more by present condi-
lions than by calm reasoning. This class.
as a rule, does not consider that a new
administration, elected under certain
pledges or to carry out certain policy.
must have time to carry It's pledges and
policies into effect; that months elapsc
before 1t can even have the opportunity
20 do 50, and that more time must elapse
before the benefits of the change Of adj
miniStratlon can possibly be felt.
Il - among these people that the dem
agngus and the ofEice-seeker prey with
the best success. and It IS probable that
they found Just enough thoughtiess VIC
Tins Of this sort to aid them Ia efecting
the result they desired-namsly, to gain
control OF the local Offices. Further than
this II Is not at all likely thgt national
politics entered into the local contest I'M
Ehe Ohio towns and cities.
In the few rare instances in which the
national currency question wus directly
brought into the campaign the free all
yer men accomplished little or nothing Of
consequence. A notable instance occur
red In our ucighboring county Of Bel
mont. In st. Clalrsvllle the Republicans
nominated a Gold Democrat for mayor
and the Democrats placed upon their
ticket Free Silver Republican for the
same ONCE. The Gold democrat on the
Republican ticket was elected, and the
Free Silver Republican was defeated in
4 Republican town. Martins Ferry.
which went Democratic last spring, this
spring elected the full Republican ticket
The city Is a wage working community.
In the larger cities there was a large fall
ing on in tho total vote, which was ia
vorablc 20 the Democrats in the local
contests. on national issues these cities
are always depended upon to go ReDub-
llcan.
Eighteen months will elapse before an
election VIII occur in this country In
whIchnatlonal questions WILDE involved.
BY that time the country will have gone
very far toward recovery and the pros
perity which is gradually dawning will,
in the very nature Of things, be fact.
Municipal elections involving purely a
question of local Offices. cast no dIscour-
aging shadows SO many months in adj
vance.