Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1898-01-27

ululbteu l6NDsyINH0iH UuHhudp ny
! officer more important than State
Treasurer was voted for and the total
| vote of tho state was but 7iS, 2JG, ms
against l,l9i,;}55 for President last
yenr. None the less remarkable ia the
Republican loss. MIR. Mukinley's ma.
jority in 1896 was 29j, or. Tho Repnhli
can candidate for State Treasurer baa
now majority OF l26, isl over his
| Democratic competitor, but there ia
Prohibition, anti-hoss and Independent
vote OF 1872, GA, so that the Republic
cans are actually in a minority. In Ohio
Mr. Hanna now claims a majority Of Two
in the State Legislatures, whore the rn'
disputed Republican, majority last year
was 81, But there are contested seats
| tho courts have to decide, md MIR.
Hanna's election TO the Unitei Stites
Senate is far from certain. Tho oest
piece of work tho Republicans hayc
done Is in Maryland. where, though
their popular vote and strength in tho
State Legislature have both fallen OF,
they retain small legislative majority.
and will elect Republican 10 the
Uuited States Senate, in place OF Mr..
German, the craitiest leader the Silver
ties had in that body.
1t is when the net losses of tie Re.
pulieaus are summed up that the ex-
toni OF their dsaster really appears
Out Of tho As States OF the Uninn cleo
tions wero held last week 10 Ii, and
those IL States have more than wiped
out Mr.. Mekinley's popular majority
of COB, 5li, New York and Pennsylvania
by themselves have done ii. Together
they gave Mr.. Mckinley in 1896 ma
jority OF 563, 5il. They n0w give the
Republicans a minority Ct 70,Sis. The
net Republican loss ia 6Si. 800, and Mr..
Mckinley q majority Of 6O3 5ll beuomes
Republican minorityof 30, Si5. Other
Statsa add largely to this loss. Tho
conversion Is not decisive nor final it
ia perhaps Temporary, it mny be again
reversed next yer or in 1900. But
there it is.
1t might he supposed that the effect
of this political overturn, with its
grave menace to business interests,
would bs felt first and most strongly
in Now YORK City, tho business centre
of the Upiied States. But, for ons
reason or another, Npw York scanned
doubtful Of the true moaning Of it all.
There was fall in stocks the day
following the elsGiiun, but it was
slight. Ii was, however. the election
which so undermined the confidence OF
the financial world as to prepare tho
way for the crash which came three
days later, OF which Cuban wnr scare
vas alleged as the direct cause. That
scare gave the bears the opportunity
they HAD waited for and conspired to
create. Any pretext, any stale rumor
was good enough whom men . minds
were unsettled and the market nsrvous
Even then, perhaps, New York was
thinking more Of Lerself than Of the
country. Here, as abroad, tho mu,
niClpal contest almost monopOli2ed
attention, and there was quite enough
in the victory of Tammany to justify
gloomy Vows Tammany has got pos.
session OF the city. She means to keep
possession. But her influence extends
far beyond the limits of this enlarged
municipality. She is great power in
Now York State as we'll as 10 New York
City; and New York State ia the fore
most in the Union. She elects
Governor and Legislature and full
delegation TO Congress next year. Ii,
as Tammany now believes. the ma iority
OF last year for the present Republican
Governors majority Of 2l3, 600 votes
can be reversed, there ia no limit to
tho possibilities of the Democratic
future all over tbs country. 1t Is
problematical, OF COURSE. and il is very
early to begin prophesying, hut what
is certan is that Tammany never wac
so strong us now, nsver SO securely in.
treuched, ami never led with greater
skill or a more total absence of political
scruple.
4
The suggestion of new disturbance
three years hence over the silver ques.
ton, says one of their chief organs, ia
natural, but not well considered. And
it traces the present decrease in the
Republican vote to the detection Of
the large independent vote which was
Republican 10 1896 solely because they
who cast IL expected thus to make the
gold basis of the currency secure. They
have now ahandoneds that party from
resentment at the failure of the ad-
ministratiOn to redeem its electoral
pledges.
That statement assumes great deal
too muc Currency was not the only
cause which led the independent citizen
to support Mr.. Mckinley. The Social
ism of the Chicago platform probably
cent more independents AMI Democrats
over TO Repubicanism than Silverism.
But, grant that currency was the sole
reason why the independent vote went
to Mr.. Mckinley, and that disappoint-
mont about currency reform is the sole
or main reason for the present diminu-
tion of the Republican strength, that
does not improve the prospect. To i'm.
prove the political probabilities OF the
Republican future you must be able to
show that this independent vote is
likely to return. Why should it re-.
turn? What reason 10 there to suppose
that the administration means to re-
form tho currency? What reason is
there TO suppose that Congress will take
a single step toward reform2 There is
the new scheme OF the Secretary of the
Treasury, scheme which business men
think good as far as it goes. But it
has been made public in such way as
to leave Mr.. Gage solely responsible for
it, and to enable the President to dis
claim it or TO disayow his chief iinan-
cinl officer whenever disavuwal may
become expedienf. There is not much
ground for surprising that the next
House OF Representatives to be elected
next year and TO CONS into legislative
existence tho year after will hold
sounder financial visws than the pros.
ent--still less that the siilverite ma.
jority in the Senate can be overcome
The Presidents own views about cur
rency reform arc not thought to be
clear or firm. His party as party ia
opposed TO retiring the greenbauks, and
il not opposed to has never favored leg.
islation by which tho Treasury gold re-
serve might he protected, and some
mems found of supplying the Treasury
with gold otherwise than by fresh is.