The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1897-11-10
THE RECENT ELECTIONS.

1t was to have been fOrseen that the
ago moved in the direction of Republic
can victories, would this year go as far
in the other direction. We believe there
has been rarely a case where the party
the house of representatives two years
afterwards. The same rule holds good
this year.
Under the influences of the capitalists
of New York gave last year over 20O,-
900 Republican majority. this year the
Democrats have carried it by about So
900, and have elected their candidate
80 ,0OO
The dissatisfied, disappointed people
are surging backwards and forwards, in
great waves from one of the old parties
to the other; satisfied that the claims
of the Republicans that they have pro-
duced good times, are largely false, the
people have f1ocked to the standard Of
the Democrats. There can be doubt
that the next house of representatives
will be anti-Republican and for free
silver. Whether they can resist the in
fluence of the money power, which will
be brought to bear upon them with
tremendous force, to the end of the
session, is another question.
The absence of Mr.. Bryan from the
New York campaign, and the presence
of Mayor Harrison of Chicago, as an
honored participant in it, is an indi-
cation of where the line Of cleavage will
run. There is no doubt that the ele-
ment led by Mr.. George, represented
Mr.. Bryan and the earnest free silver
ties. Mayor Harrison is being put for
| ward as an anti-Bryan candidate for
president; he disavows any such ambi-
ton, but in politics one can depend
more upon what public men do than
upon what they say.
The death Of Mr.. George in the midst
of the campaign scattered his forces so
that but about 10000 of them followed
his standard to the polls. Tammany
refused to make the battle upon free
silver lines, and the result is it has
largely reunited the Democracy in that
city and state. The danger is that they
will conclude that that is the true
course to follow in the presidential cleo
ton, and a great effort will be made
to shift the contest Of 1900 from the
financial to the anti-monopoly basis.
1t may be that the Democracy will
disappoint our views in this respect and
will take up the battle against pluto
cracy in a large and earnest spirit. If
they do they may draw to themselves
all other reform elements and sweep
the country in the next presidential
election. Judging by the past, how
ever, there is grave danger that they
will sell out to the money-power and
disappoint the hopes of the people. If
it becomes evident that this is to be
the result there will be tremendous
growth of the Populist party. If, on
the other hand they act honestly, the
great mass of the Peoples party will
feel like cooperating with them.
In the meantime when it becomes
evident that the Republican party is
doomed to inevitable defeat on account
of the mooey plank in it's platform, the
free silver element will insist on driving
the money changers out Of their temple:
and will seek alliance with the Peoples
party. There is in Minnesota today a
very large element of Republicans who
are ready to strike hands with the Pop
ulists upon the free silver anti-monopoly
platform. The evil spirit of plutocracy
has taken possession of the party of
Lincoln, and Chase, and Sumner; but