The times., 1899-11-09
LESSONS OF THE ELECTIONS.
ondIy-BuiIIetF Hopes of the Anti
ENpnnsionists RmdeIy Shattered.

Expnnsionists RudeIy Shattered.
IL the elections of Tuesday Administra-
tion officials see much to please them in so
far as the chances of Mr.. McKinley's re-
nomination are concerned, but at the same
time are inclined to view with apprehen-
sion, if not positive alarm, certain phases
of the general situation shown in some Of
the States with regard to the success Of
the next Republican Presidential ticket,
Putting aside for the moment the results
in Ohio and Nebraska, which have to do
great deal with the personnel Of the ma
tional tickets next year, shrewd observers
see much that is significant, for instance,
in the Democratic victory in Maryland.
The feeling as to the outcome of the cleo
tiOn there was voiced yesterday by an Ad-
ministration official of high rank, who said
unequiyocally that it tended to show that
the gold Democrats, who in 1896 were no
small factor in securing the success Of the
Republican ticket, had gone back to their
old party.
This is the first fair test since the ma
tional election of 1896, this politician de-
clared, there has been of the possible fu-
ture attitude of the gold democracy in any
State. Students of politics have wondered
| if the bolt of certain element Of the
Democratic party in the last Presidential
campaign was purely a sentimental dis
affection or whether it had quilted the old
organization for good and all 1t has been
a matter of much quiet speculation whether
or not the disaffected element would be
found arrayed with the Republican party -
the years to come.
But the result of the Maryland election,
showing the State regaiued by the Democ-
racy by a handsome figure, cOnvinces many
of those who study things beneath the sur
face that the disaffecton was, to a large
extent, purely a sentimental one, which
the lapse of time would heal in large
measure. 1t has been proven beyond cavil
that the Democrats of Maryland, which,
less than almost any other State, had been
affected by eXtraneous influences in the
campaign just closed, are again united, aud
that the State is to be reCkoned as safely
| Democratic next year. In short, the Dem
ocrats who strayed away from the fold
are back in it, and, to all appearances, in
tend to stay there The great Importance
of this fact lies in the supposition that the
same condition OF affairs may be found TO
! prevail in other naturally Democratic
States when the test is applied.
The feeling throughout Administration
! circles is that the Presidential tickets of
1900 Will be identically the same, so far as
! the heads are concerned, as the tickets of
| 1896. And, of course with the elation that
! comes from positive endorsement OF Ad-
ministration policies in several important
! States where elections were held there is
/ the accompanying feeling that the result Of
/ the next national election will be the same
as it was in 1896 This is the optimistic
I Republican view, based on the present
pleasing prospect,
All parties agree that the results of Tues
days elections were an endorsement of the
Mckinley Administration. The interest
had been centred mainly in Ohio, the
Presidents own State. 1t was generally
felt that upon the Ohio election depended
President McKinleys candidacy for re-
election next year, as there has been no
/ Disgusting of the fact that many Republi-
/ can leaders, while prOfessedly friendly TO
I the Administration would welcome any
/ circumstance Offering an excuse to bring
some other candidate into the arena.
/ But the result in Ohio has removed the
/ hOped-for and, in some places, expected
/ opportunity to shelve Mr. Mckinley No
/ new Presidential possibilities were being
/ spoken OF ia the hotel lobbies yesterday
! as would have been the case If Ohio
! had not gone so strongly Republican.
! There was glee in all the departments.
where Government employees not under
! civil service protection have been on the
anxious seat for several weeks.
Among politicians speculation was in
! dulged in regarding the cause and meaning
/ of Nash's large plurality over Mclean in
/ Ohio II was pointed out that the Demo-
Gratis had made anti-eXpanslon the princi-
/ PAL plank in their platform, and that Nc
! Lean had from start to finish made his
/ fight an attack against the policy of the
Administration in the Philippines. But
with the detection Of Republicans opposed
/ TO the rule of Mark Hanna and the loss Of
votes to Golden Rule" Jones, who was
expected to draw mostly from the Repub-
/ lican strength, Nashs plurality had been
! largely increased over that of Bushnell two
years ago. The inevitable conclusion ar
rived al was that upon the anti-eXpausion
/ issue the Democrats Of Ohio have been un-
mercifully whipped, and that President
| Mckinley has received from his own people
! the finest endorsement he could have de-
sired under the circumstances.
The increased Republican majorities in
/ Iowa and Massachusetts are also taken 10
mean nothing more nor less than a pur-
| pose on the part OF the voters of the cOun-
/ try to sustain the Administration in the
present crisis.
! New York too, with Republican gains up
| the State where Tammany does not have
| its thumb on the situation, does anything
but show, in the estimation of the poll
ticians. a tendency 10 rebuke the principle
! of expansion which was largely made an
issue in the election.
The result in Nebraska, where there is
an increased Fusion plurality. is accepted
/ in Washington as a splendid personal tri-
umph for william j. Bryan-the same kind
OF a home endorsement that the voters OF
/ Ohio gave TO President Mckinley. Com
paring the result in Nebraska with that In
other States where the gains had been on
/ the Republican side the conclusion is
reached that the personality of Bryan had
/ entered into the campaign as more of a
factor than the national issues set forth in
the platform. Just as some Republican
leaders had been looking for an excuse ia
! put Mckinley out Of the running certain
Democratic leaders, East and West, had
been hoping for a result in Nebraska that
/ would perform the same function with re,
gard TO Bryan.
In connection with Congressional politics
| this winter murmuriugs have already
reached Washington Of trouble ahead fol
those Democratic leaders who have ex-
pected to hold their party together in op,
position ta xpansiOn, with view to EN-,
barraseirg he Administration. Rumors OF
( trouble Of his kind were rife even before
/ the state elections but the results of the
/ latter have made it plain that the anti-ex-
/ pansiouists will not realize their fondly
builded hopes Of securing united party tc
act in conjunction with some disaffected
| Republicans.
TAKING THE CUBAN CENSUS.