The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-11-01
Population. 1890. Voter

Washington ............ 5000 $4,000
New York ..."......".5.s9s 900 1895, 900
In three Of these States, namely, Maryland,
Ohio. and Virginia, legislatures arc to DO
chosen upon which will devolve tho election Of
United States Senators, and In oil Of them the
issue. more or less openly made, ia the same that
1t was In the Presidential election Of last year.
1t Is between the maintenance Of constitutional
Government and of the gold standard on the one
archy on the other.
The victory gained In 1896 by tho defenders
OF honest money and of property and social
order was far from decisive. They carried. 1t
10 true. much the larger number of States, and
obtained by far the greater number Of electoral
votes and Of Representatives In Congress, but,
counting the popular vote in the aggregate,
they stood only 100000 to $780, Oo. In
many States. too. their majority was so slender
that a change of 100000 votes. efficiently dis
tributed, would have reversed the result and
given both the Pre- sidency and the control of
Congress to the party represented by William
J. Bryan. His partisans. therefore, particularly
in the closely contested States. properly refuse
to acknowledge themselves hopelessly beaten,
and, though the higher prices Of food products,
due to the short crops of other countries, and
the prosperity which these higher prices have
created, deprive Them, temporarily, OF their
most persuasive arguments, another year may
undo the work Of this year, and revive tho dis.
content of 1896.
Moreover. the verdict rendered by tho nation
in 1896 was not squarely against the FREQ coin
age of silver and In favor Of the gold standard.
The st. Louis platform pronounced for gold and
against silver only in o qualified sense. Tho
gold standard was to be maintained until an in
ternational bimetallio agreement should be
reached. but what should DO done in case such
an agreement should prove to be unattainable,
was not provided for. Now that the effort
loyalty made by the President to secure the
bimetallio agreement which the Republican
party pledged itself to promote. has. by the 70.
cent action Of the British Government, been
finally defeated, the party. logically and practi-
cally. 10 committed to the single gold standard
and will. doubtless. take the first opportunity to
say so. That this will bring ON another contest
similar to that OF 1895 10 certain.
In Tomorrow elections Representatives In
Congress are to be chosen only to I'LL vacancies,
but . year hence the political character of tho
House will DO determined for two years from
March 4. 1890. OF the Senate. however, three
members. as has been said. are to be appointed
by Legislatures voted for tomorrow. ono in
Maryland, one in Ohio, and one In Virginia.
Tho Senator from the last named State is pretty
sure to DO q eilverite; but Maryland possibly.
and Ohio probably. will be carried for gold
standard candidates. In these two States the
Issues Of 1896 are therefore very much alive. and
in the others the elections will DO skirmishes pre-
liminary to u general engagement In 1893. So
far as the result demonstrates tho numerical
superiority Of either party, by SO much will that
party be encouraged aud strengthened, and its
opponents be correspoudingly disheartened.
That the Republicans should DO the winners,
and the gold standard thus assured. every ono
who desires the maintenance of that standard
will devoutly pray.
OF the fourteen States which hold elections to.
morrow New York, as will be seen from the
table given above. is the foremost in population.
and casts the most votes. Its representation in
Congress and the influence its example exerts
are correspondingly preeminent. What, too,
New York is in the Union the city Of New York
IS In the State. II contains nearly one-half the
population Of the State and casts nearly one-half
Of its vote. Whatever weight, therefore. the
vote of the State possesses, is shared largely by
this city. and In political Importance the city
Is moro than equal to the rest of the State.
Compared with the fourteen States in the table.
It exceeds in population and voting power eleven
q them, and Is exceeded only by Ohio and
Pennsylvania besides New York. Plainly. every
consideration which makes 1t desirable the State
ofNew York and its thirteen sister States should
record tomorrow their votes for the principles
ouNocdUcu W II HNcpuohOoh peAbJ epphOo VA
equal force to this city.
This reasonable proposition is, strangely
enough. contra icted by a large number OF ouI
citizens. They deny that the result of to- NOR
rows election. SO far as this city contributes Il
1t, is Of any Importance in deciding nationa
political Issues. and insist that these issues shall
be left out Of consideration by the voters. Fol
the government of a territory containing more
Inhabitants and more wealth. and ~oxertine
ical influence than any but three or four Of thu
States Of he Union, they have nominated 4
candidate who regulates allegiance to AM
national party, and declares that II he 10 elected
he will use no part OF the power with which h,
asks to DO intrusted for the promotion Of thu
welfare OF the nation outside of the city limits
To call this a narrow, selfish, and distinctly
cockney view of the position which the city o
Now York holds in the Union is to describe 1
inadequately. 1t ia the view OF a shopkeeper
who Is intent only on the petty trade OF his shop
aud who has not a soul above 1t. Indeed, som,
OF the advocates OF the idea openly assert tina
the governing of the city is precisely like tn,
management of q bank or ali insurance coin
pany or q mandatory. and should be conducted
upon the same principles. II Is, they sey,
purely business affair, with which nobody out
SIDE OF tho city has any concern. The head of
10 to take care that his constituents get as mucl
as possible for the taxes they pay, and, beyon,
this. has no duties and no responsibilities
That the city forms part Of tho State an,
OF the United States. and that 1t Is intereste,
In State and national Affairs, they scout as Al
absurdity.
To DO consistent with themselves, tho mo
who. In this cowardly and selfish fashion. woul
diASever the city Of New York from the rest O
the nation must do the same with the State G
NOW fo"k and must counsel the citizens c