The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-04-09


is possible to differsntia,e the figures and
assign TO the Goo Goo movement its real
position Ne a political factor.
The figures Of Wednesdays election for
ssmblyman In the city OF Providence
demonstrate what The News has for
three years persistently msintsinsd- that
Of itself the Goo Geo party represented
no large measure Of public sentiment
and that its influence as balance of
power" simply meant that, possibly with
out fusion certainly with fusion, ii could
procure the election of Democratic candi-
| dates. There Is nothing remarkable In
this Goo Geo claim, since the full parti-
san vote as tetween the Republican and
Democratic parties In the city OF Provi-
dence Is normally SO close that very
few prosslytes from the Democracy to the
Republican party or visa versa is always
sufficient TO swing an election one way
or the otner. In other words, IL the Pro-
hibition. or Socialist Labor party. or .
small number of boilers from either the
Republican or Democratic party. were to
vote contrary to their ordinary partisan
convictions with one or the other of the
two greater parfiss. the organization SO
favored would carry the city Of Provi-
dsncs in an average election.
But that the so-oalled Goo Goo vioto-
riss in the city of Providence for the past
three years have been anything but
Democratic victories or chiefly due to the
Goo Goo vote is disprovsd by the figures
Of Wednesdays election. In other words,
the evidence Is plain that while the Goo
Coos have claimed the victories. the Dsmo-
Gratis have contributed the most Of the votes
and they have been Democratic victories
which might have been possible against
the full Repunliean strength. but were
rendered certain BY the Goo Goo defsc-
tiou iTJU tuo Ncpuoiioou 'oi'cs Au'S
view Tns News has consistently main
tainsd contemporansously with every So
called Goo Goo triumph, and has stoutly
fought the delusion that interested par
ties have set up 60 tho effect that Goo
Gooisn represented anything more than
Democracy in its practical political re-
suits.
Ths campaign now closed was con-
Quoted by the respective factors in a way
to illustrate the truth of our contentio
The Democrats announced that they were
tired of contributing votes for Goo Goo
victories In which they were robbed OF
their share of the honors due "a supply
ing the far greater share Of the plurali-
ties. 10 be sure, the Democrats had no
show In Wednesdays election. with or
without the Goo Coos, aud they cast .
very smalI party vote. But the figures of
all the parties are no less Significant of
the limitations of Goo Gooism.
The Goo Geo machine lay the slatter-
ing unotion to its frivolous soul that the
Democratic ticket was hopsiessly lost by
reason Of refusal to fuse with Goo
0ooism, but the machine is careful to
avoid oon parison with the Republican
showing ss against Goo Gooism. How
ever, the figures are open to the disinter-
ested student of public affairs to examine.
The Democratic vote for governor
In the city of Providence, . straight
party vote. OF course, was 4fi7. And IL
appears from the figures that Isaac
Hahn. Democratic candidate for senator,
received 421l votes with neither Goo Goo
assistance nor oppesi.ion--a straight party
vote. SO also every one of the Demo-
cratic candidates for assemblymen, who
was not also Goo Goo candidate, re-
csived considerably moro than 40Ov votes,
Drinan, candidate for sixth representa-
tive on the straight ticket, leading all
the rest and even the candidate for gov
ernor. Evidently these straight party
assembly candidates lost little, II the vote
for governor is to bs taken az q basis.
As q matter Of record, 1t appears that
Gov. Dyer had many Democratic friends
not possessed by the other Republican
candidates, 90 that on the general ticket
other Democrats secured several hundred
votes over the assembly candidates, but
these may be dismissed from the case As
only illustrating the ebb and fow Of a
normal independent spirit shared in both
parties.
Besgan. Rswson, and Irons were the
Democratic candidates who had . Goo
Goo endorsement but the Goo Goo assist
ancs to the Democrats was not sufficient