The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1897-11-04

Il VIZ - i'AAHo "'A
now occupy journalistic space for some
time, perhaps to the enlightenment and
benefit of people in the main. but no
doubt tiresome and re-crimlnatlGg to a
certain degree. We do not propose,
however, to make it Il serial story ard
shall be content 20 point GU a few OF
the salient features.
In South Dakota the vote was abnor-
mally light, the vote cast being about
one-thlrd of the total. An election
under such conditions is a good deal of
al accident and may fall either way ac-
cording as the few who go TO the polls
in a precinct may happen to be mainly
from one party or the other. 1t is no
test Of the relative strength of the par
ties nor Of the popular verdict on the
merits If the candidates. Such were
the conditions that obtained .argely
ia Lake county and no donbt through
out all Of Dakota. The fine weather
and favorable opportunity for outdoor
work had more charm for the average
voter in South Dakota thar the quallti-
cBtlons of any candidates for a particular
Office. The only one to profit by the
Indifference of the masses we're those
who have a political axe to grind and
they bestirred themselves to get out
voters and determine the issue for them
selves. Beyond this the results of the
election in South Dakota has little
other significance.
In the country at large, however, the
results are fraught with deeper meaning.
The outcome IN New York, Ohio, Ken
lucky, Maryland and even in Iowa, be-
tokens IA ueepseated and strong revul-
sion agaist republican methods in poll
tics and the pI-sent republican admins
:ratlon at Washington. In fact, as the
administrator took a personal hand and
interest in the more prominent OF these
contests and was overwhelmingly de-
feated, the result amounts to a public
condemnation Of the administrators
course. Hannaism and Plattism, aud
all the corruption, Ouildozing and po-
litical prostitution for which they stand,
has been condemned by the country, and
the corrupt methods 10y which the re-
national election has been r~epudiated
by the better element of the republican
party itself. In failing to rebuke
Kittredgeism, South Dakota is about
tho only place in the Union where re-
publicans themselves have fallen short
Of measuring up to their manhood and
their opportunity.
Under the conditions of the haphazard
vote cast in this circuit, the re election
of Judge Jones by SO small q majority, il
elected at all, is neither an endorsement
nor a rebuke of his course on the bench
The greatest good that will result from
the contest will accrue most likely tC
practitioners in his court and
this will result more from the
newspaper criticisms during campaign
of the judges conduct in court thar
from the result of the vote. This con
cluslon Is emphasized by the following
editorial on this subject IN the Sioux
Falls Pess' yesterday: The results o.
the judicial election in this circuit ia en-
tirely in doubt, but the indications are
that j Judge Jones is elected to succeed
himself by a mail majority. This result
can be easily accounted for. The re-
publicans made q systematic campaign
in which no expense was spared. They
had their workers all over the distric,
and resorted to the mort wholesale false.
hood to defeat Judge Wilkes. Such