The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-11-09
THE RRsuLr IN OHIO,

saving the mckinley aoTnlnlSCrat1on IN
Ohio. Acting in unison, the popular
forces in that state would have carried
the state by about the same plurality as
that now claimed by Nash. This, in plain
terms. is the meaning of the Tuesday
election in Ohio.
There IS nothing to be gained by ignor-
ing accomplished results. Mr.. Mclean
polled as many votes as any Democrat
nominated could have polled under like
circumstances. His election, in the view
entertained by the G o b 9 throughout
was never possibility. Nor is the &C.
QUESTION Of the electoral vote of that
state by the Democrats a possibility
without the COOPERATION OF Mayor Jones,
if that gentleman continues his political
activity in 1900
The press dtspa tches indicate, as a mat
ter Of opinion, that Jones polled a large
Republican vote We do not believe this
to be the fact. His vote was polled in
the large centers of population. 1t was
confined largely, If not entirely, to the
workingmen of the cities. These men,
under normal conditions, vote with the
Democracy Moreover, the opposition of
Mr.. Jones to Imperialism and Hannaism
and to the trusts is, so far as his ex-
pressed opinions can indicate, as pro-
nounced as that of the most loyal Demo-
crat. His disposition is clearly to cooper
ate with the Democrats on national is
sues.
With an electoral ticket nominated in
1900 by the Democrats which is accepta-
BILE to Jones and his followers, the result
of Tuesday in Ohio shows clearly that
that state is good fighting ground for the
! Democracy.
What Is there in the personality or
opinions Of Mayor Jones which enables
him to command such an extraordinary
personal following in politics? First of
all, he has shown himself to be in the
closest touch with those of his fellow
| citizens who follow manual callings. His
sympathies in this direction are not con-
fined to matters of political concern. AS
dicated his conviction, not by word Of
mouth alone, but by the actual conduct
of his business, that manual labor should
be rewarded on a different and higher
pecuniary basis than that which prevails
in our industrial system. He is a social
and economic rather than a political re-
former, and as such attracts to himself
the men who do the work of our factories
and workshops, as we'll as those who do
unskilled manual labor. 1t will be added
that he also attracts to him the disorderly
elements of society. This latter convic-
ton, while generally prevalent finds
nothing tangible in recent events to sus-
tain it. That the man is possessed in
great degree of what is known as personal
magnetism is also a circumstance which
must be taken into account in explain
ing his wonderful following.
We doubt If there Is social or eco
nomic reform which Mayor Jones as a
practical man would urge on the serious
consideration of the country that the ma
cept. His advocacy of municipal owner
ship, which has represented his chief po-
litical activity, Is daily forcing itself On
the good sense of the country, and the
principle of it is generally accepted by
Democrats everywhere. He is no free
silver adherent. He never has been, If
we are not wholly mistaken; and if he
were, that issue must be said, as the re-
suit of the elections just closed, to have
receded practically from public view.
The adjustment Of the problems created
by the policy of imperialism and by the
trust conspiracy on a reasonable basis
would seem to meet the main require
ments Of Mayor Jones social and eco
nomic philosophy, combined with the own
ership of local public utilities
Neither in Ohio, nor in any other state
in which an election took place on Tues
day, were any such conditions existing
as preclude the assurance of Democratic
success on the national issues in 1900,
provided the popular forces are united
On the contrary, the election returns
clearly outline the path which a united
Democracy may tread a year hence in
order to control at least the executive
department of the federal government.