Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1899-12-01
AN UNPOPULAR ISSUE
WHAT THE LATE ELECTIONS RE-
ALLY TEACH.
An Analysis Of the Vote Clearly Shows Repudi
alton of the Leading Tenets Of the Admins
tration-The Majority Opposed to Imperial
ism and Cannot be Caioled by the Personal
ity or Money of the Party in Power

tration-The Majority Opposed to Imperial
ism and Cannot be Cajoed by the Personal
ity or Money Of the Party in Power.
Now that the returns are all in, we
are in a position to study the figures
il; connection with these of previous
years and are enabled to draw some in
telligent conclusions from an exami-
nation OF the ballots. The two States
that invite the most conspicuous at
tention are Nebraska and Ohio, the
homes respectively of Mr.. Bryan and
President Mckinley. In Nebraska
the only issue was imperialism, and in
that State alone was the great con-
science issue squarely and unescapably
presented to the voters. The Nebras-
kans "lined up" for and against Nc
Kinleyism. The Republicans, in spite
OF prosperity" lost ground, while the
opposition gained ground. The Dem
ocrats lost many of the Populist farm
ers on the prosperity ISSUE" but they
more than made good these losses
among the Republican farmers and
workingmen on the issue of imperial
ism VS.. the Declaration of Independ-
ence. In total vote of about IL 900
less than that of 1896 and 10000
greater than last year the Republicans
polled 1900 less votes than the anti
imperialists and were put into the
smallest minority they have ever
known.
In Ohio the Republican campaign
was prosperity" anti-free silver and
imperialism, the President in person
joining in the appeal to the voters to
indorse the administration. Jones,
the independent candidate. appealed
for support as the enemy of bossism
and of Imperialism. The enormous
vote of 925,OU0 was polled. The Dem
ocratic vote was $4,000, 10000 less
than Bryan got. On bossism the
Democrats gained in the cities, where
they were weak in 1896, but they lost
in the country districts which went for
Bryan by $4,000 in 1896 and gave the
Republicans their plurality this year.
The Republican total vote was 430,-
600, $4,000 less than Mckinley got in
1896 and about an average off-year"
Republican vote. The independent
candidate, the Republican anti-boss,
anti-imperialsm Jones, got 10000
votes, chiefly drawn from organized
labor, which in Ohio is strongly "pro-
lection" and therefore Republican.
The Republican campaign was keen
disappointment. The total vote
against Hannaism, McKinleyism, i'm
perialism, was 100000, putting it in
minority of 10000.
MIR. Mckinley and his Cabinet made
grand electioneering tour, appealing
directly to the people everywhere to
come out and vote the Republican
ticket to show that they were "patri-
ots." Never did public official beg
harder or more directly for a vote of
confidence.
To see how the voters responded to
the appeal of patriotism" let US COM
pare the Republican vote this year in
all the important States that elected
Governors with the Republican vote
last year, an "off year," and with the
Republican vote in 1896. Maryland
is omitted, not that it would alter the
showing. but because Republicans
may say that Maryland ought not to
be included, since there was a large
Republican detection from local
causes. Kentucky is included, al
though Democrats might with justice
make the same objection that Repub-
licans could make about Maryland.
Total Republican vote in Massachu-
salts, Kentucky, Ohio, Iowa and Ne
aska:
1896. ..................1,3 1893, ,963
1870 o...... l,U9I ,O43
lo3V'. ............l ,U'o,UUul
That is, in response to Mr.. McKin.
ley's impassioned appeal to the voters
fewer supporters of the Republican
tickets appeared at the polls this year