St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1898-09-14
The Vermont Election.


get too giddy over their 40 represen-
tatives in the next house. The dem
ocratic plurality in Arkansas tails off
this year over &c per cent from that
of 1896. = Brattleboro PEenix.
The listless campaign was follow
ed by light vote Tuesday, with
republican majority OF about the
usual "old fashioned" size. Nobody
expected the phenomenal figures OF
1896 to be repeated, and in fact de-
finite expectation OF any sort hardly
existed. There was absolutely moth
ing done in the way of ordinary cam
paigning-not meeting was held
nor speech made and hardly local
circular issued-and the result is ex-
actly what must naturally come.
Vermont political matters are too
one-sided for perfect health. Close
states find certain serious disadvant-
ages from the desperate contests con-
tinually waged. but it. is in many re-
spects good thing Tor the majority
to be faced by minority big enough
to keep the ruling power on its good
behavior.
But we get on reasonably well up
on the whole. Vermont is republi
can state of the sort not duplicated.
-[Rutland Herald.
The returns from practically all Of
the towns in Vermont show that the
r, publicans achieved grand results in
Tuesdays elections. The plurality
of Col. E. c. Smith over Mr.. Maloney
for governor will be in the vicinity OF
"a 200 and the other candidates on
the republican State ticket are elect
ed by pluralities equally large. The
republicans elect every member ofthe
Senate, and, while the democrats
have made gains in the House, the
number ofdemocratic representatives
is not sufficiently large to warrant
apprehension on the part of the re-
publican majority in the lower
branch Of the Legislature.
In order that the readers Of the
Free Press may be able to realize the
full meaning of the handsome plu-
rality won by Col. E. c. Smith for
governor, we print herewith tabu.
lated statement of the pluralities by
which the republicans have elected
their candidates for governor in this
State during the past twenty years
1s7s-Proctor over Bingham, 20,O65
| 1SSO-Farnham over Phelps, 26 6O3
| 1Ss2-Barstow over Eaton, p 373
| 1SS4-Pingree over Redington, 22,7O2
| 1SS6-Ormsbee over Shurteff, 20,522
1SSS-Dillingham over Shurtlef, 2S,99b
| 1S90-Page over Brigham, 14,163
| 1S92-Fuller over Smailey, 1902
| 1S94-Woodbury over Smith, 2S,521
| 1s96-Grout over Jackson, 3S,o7l
The average republican plurality in
these ten state state elections was
2+,121 and tor the off year elections
during that period 20,929. Col.
Smiths plurality is, therefore, prac-
tically up to the average plurality OF
the past twenty years, including the
phenomenal presidential years, OF
1888 and 1896; it is larger than the
pluralities secured Tor governor in
three presidential years during that
period; it is several thousand larger
than the average gubernatorial plu.
rality in the last five off year cleo.
tons and it is the largest off year
plurality on record in this state, with
the single exception of 1894, when
Gov. Woodbury. was elected. When
it is borne in mind that Chairman
Olin Merrill of the state committee
in the campaign OF that year made a
most vigorous canvass, while during
the present year practically little
effort has been made to get out the
vote, it becomes evident that repub
leans in general and Governor-elect
Smith in particular have every rea
son Tor qualification over the out
come Of Tuesday gubernatorial con
test Burlington Free Press.