The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-12-01
MUCHa ENCOURAGEMENT FROM
THE LAST ELECTION.

A great mistake was mad by the or
gans of Imperialism and the Mckinley
horn-blOwers soon after the elections
were held. The news was so given out
that many were misled who were not
of the Mckinley crowd. The regula-
ton organ-grinders found victory for
little Macs vicious administration and
defeat only for the democracy. But it
is a hopeful sign that the results were
not really as bad for the democracy as
at first appeared. AS results for or
against imperialism it was not exactly
the verdict that Mckinley believed and
his gang shouted over. His organs are
still grinding away at the same old
tune of a great Mckinley triumph with
the refrain Behold the conquering
hero comes!"
We find in the New York Evening
Post, a staunch gold paper but anti
imperialiStic, an instructive
cation from Mr.. Charles 3. Spahr, who
has made a close study of the election
returns. He finds in them no indorse-
ment of Imperialism. We give a
glimpse of his examination of the vote.
He writes, for %instance:
I'm Massachusetts, the Republican
pluI dlIly VI OO,UUO was UTedICu III IIC
dispatches as a plurality for imperial
ism. The Massachusetts papers show
that it was a plurality for a candidate
u out of sympathy with Imperialism and
standing on a platform more accepta-
BILE to Senator Hoar than Senator
Lodge. Ever such anti-imperialiSts as
the Springfield Republican and ex-
Secretary Boutwell, felt bound to sup
port him, and when the Republican
majority-in spite of such support
showed a loss of IS, 900 from last year.
there was no question as to the un-
popularity of the Presidents policy"
Again he writes:
I'm the city and county elections in
Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey,
and Virginia the Democratic gains
equalled the Republican, neither
were due to the issue of imperialism"
In the huge republican Pennsylvania
there was really a republican loss. Mr..
Spahr says:
I'm Pennsylvania, also, the issue of
Imperialism, though made in the plat
forms, was not a serious factor in the
result, and the Democratic gains can
not fairly be attributed Ito it. Here,
however, the press dispatches produc-
ed a wrong impression by failing to re-
port the Democratic gains, though the
Republican plurality, as measured by
the vote for the head of the ticket,
was over 1000 less than in the con-
gressional elections a year ago.
Then look 1t Maryland that in pol
itics often lacks principles and plays
on the boards fantastic tricks" n po-
Itical le~gerdemain. Mr.. Spahr says:
'In Maryland the Republican plat
form urged the issue of silver and
- a1sz-1. tho
Democratic platform urged the issue
of imperialism-or, alt least, milftarism
and lodged the issue of silver"
How was it in old "Kaintuck" where
parties are mixed and kicking is the
game? This is given:
I'm Kentucky the Republicans party
did not dare ITO endorse Imperialism.
h Republican Governor himself
openly opposes it. Both the. Demo-
cratic factions, on the contrary,
strongly condemned it.
For members of h Legislature ITO
elect a United States Senator, the
exceeded 1000, and about two-thirds
of the new Legislature will vote for
an anti-imperialist Democrat"
There was no victory for imperialism
surely in Ohio. The vote for governor
was not the real test, but rather the
vote .for minor state offices, and here
the average republican plurality was
barely 2 O,OOO-a democratic gain of over
1000 since last cal. If the remainder
OF the Jones vote was divided between
the two great parties in the same way
as the portion which balloted for the
minor Offices, the great republican plu-
rality of a year ago has practically dis
appeared"
How was it in Nebraska. Bryan
own state? 1t was not against him or
favorable to imperialism and Mck1n-
leyism. Mr.. Spahr, who is no demo-
.crat, says:
1.-The total vote was 1900 greater
than last year and the entire increase,
as in Iowa, went to the Fusionists. AS
the principal issue was Imperialism
the result proved that in the West TINS