The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-11-18
Encouragement Given Binetallists
By Last Weeks Elections.
GREAT GAINS IN THE EAST
ENTHUSIASM FOR SPANISH
WAR AIDED REPUBLICANS.
Democracy Was Unable to Overcome
This Sentiment-Losses In Senate,
Which, After March 4, VIII Be
Strongly Republican-McKin1ey's
Great Popular Majority Gone.
Especial Correspondence


Washington, Nov. 4-After all, not
withstanding the wide divergence be-
tween the claims made by the Repub-
lican and Democratic congressional
committees before election, they We're
both quite accurate in the main fea-
lures of the forecasts made by them.
The Democratic committee contended
strongly that the Democratic gains
would be largely in the eastern states,
which polled such a heavy vote for
Mckinley in 1896. The Republican COM
mittee asserted with equal confidence
that the party would make gains in the
great region west of the Missouri,
which was storm-swept by Bryan at
the last presidential election OF course.
each committee ridiculed the assertions
of its adversarieS, and claimed that its
party would hold all that had been
gained in 1896, and show Improvement
in other parts of the country. But that
is politics.
The predictions repeatedly made by
your correspondent as to the certainty
of extensive gains from the eastern
states in Democratic congressional rep
resentation have been fully verified
The Rocky Mountain states, too, have
held well up to the splendid record
standing the desperate effort of the
Hanna olcott-C Carter combine to give
silver death blow in its citadel. This
circumstance is regarded by leaders
here as very fortunate and significant,
Tor 1t makes it plainly apparent that
this section will be constant to the sill
yer cause, and will vote right whenever
the financial question comes before the
people. The Republican effort to de-
bauch the mountain states is now sure
to be abandoned as improbable, and
as offering no returns.
AS public men here carefully con-
slider the result of the elections, two
notable things are most generally com
mented upon. One is that the great
enthusiasm for the Spanish war plain
~ did the business, being strong enough
to carry the Republican party through
pretty generally, Notwithstanding the
terrible administrative scandals con-
nected with the equipment and care
taking of the soldiers. This is pointed
to by Republicans as a splendid dem
onstration of the old political adage
that it is impossible to defeat a war
party. The Democrats and silver men
are rather cynical when Mckinley is
suggested as war lord, in view of his
Spineless and vacillating course prior to
the war, and the disgraceful scandal
connected with its conduct and it's af-
termath. But they take their medicine
as gracefully as they can, and point to
another significant fact, exhibited by
the elections, which is that the eastern
and middle states have shown a ire
mendous reaction against the Repub-
licans, and that the popular vote of
the country when it is possible to foot
it, will probably show that McKinley's
great majority of 1896 has all but dis
appeared. The only Democratic con-
gressional seat now held in this region,
which appears to be lost as q result of
the election, is that from Delaware.
and this was won by the Democrats by
a plurality and not by majority in
1886
The only severe loss that was sus-
tanned by the Democratic and silver
forces in the election, as the matter is
figured by the party managers, is in the
heavy increase that will be shown in
the Republican majority in the new
senate. The states of New York, New
Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, Indiana,
Wisconsin, North Dakota, California
and Nebraska, all now represented by
Democrats, except the last named,
whose silver senator, Allen, is a. Popu-
list, will send Republicans in their
places ON March next. The new senate
will therefore revert to the heavy Re-
publican majorities of ten years ago.
while the Democratic gains in the house
leave the two parties also in about the
same relation in that body as they
were in the Fffty-first congress.