Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-10-25
The Election Outlook.

In two weeks from TO-DAY the poHti.
cal issues of 1898 will be passed upon in
nearly all the states. To call this an
"off year." as we commonly do, is
misleading use of the expression. No
President is to be chosen, but in every
other respect the trial of strength at
the polls is OF national Importance.
The Fifty-sixth Congress will be cleo
ted with term extending to March 4,
1901. This is far look ahead. The ma
ture of congressional legislation for two
years preceding that date will be set
tied on November s. A new House of
Representatives and political control
of the Senate depend upon the contest
near at hand. 1t is unfortunate that
a misfit term like "off year" should be
applied to decision involving so much
of consequence to the people and which
they themselves must render. The
first thing to be said about the fall
elections is that voters who look to the
cast their ballots without fail>and to
dismiss the idea from their minds, If it
has found Judgment, that the coming
election is a secondary matter.
A few preliminary state elections
have been held without reversing in
any of them the result of 1886. The
most emphatic change was in Oregon,
where a distinct gold platform was
adopted and where the Republican ma
jority in 1896 of 2117 was increased in
1898 to over 10000. In Maine and Ver-
mont the Republican pluralities fell
off, though still overwhelming and
much larger than the average Republic
can pluralities in these states previous
to the landslides of Cleveland's second
administration. The Democratic ma
jorities in Georgia and Arkansas show
little that is new except the rapid dis
appearance of the Populist party in
the South. Fusion has apparently
Slapped the Populist strength in that
section. In all the state elections thus
far in 1898 the aggregate vote of both
parties is smaller than in 1896. A con-
siderable number of Republicans failed
to vote in Maine and Vermont, but the
sameis true of Democrats in Arkansas.
Apathy is perhaps too strong a word
to use in this connection. The registra-
ton proceeding in the different states
does not indicate any unusual indiffer-
ence among voters. With national is
sues of unusual interest to settle the
total vote of 1898 should be large.
But there is one strongly marked ele-
ment in the campaign and that is the
utter confusion of the Democratic
party in regard to national principles.
Some of the Democratic state plat
silent on the subject. In Missouri a
weak expansion plank was adopted
after a stiff fight against it in conven
ton. The Democrats of the great COM
mercial state Of New York were afraid
to speak word about the future of
Cuba or the Philippines. No Demo-
cratic national policy exists. A search
for it reveals nothing but contradic-
lions. This is a confession of weak
ness. The people like courage and
clearcut political purposes. What the
Democratic party offers is a tangle of
opposites that nobody can understand.
The Democrats of one state negative
the platform of their party in the next
state and what the Democrat pro-
claims in the country is hushed up,.in
the cities. Under the circumstances
the Republican party should win next
| month one of it's most significant vic
tories.