The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1899-11-01
The Canvass in Ohio.

1t is the { IF year in national politics.
1t is a year in the Union at large in
which States do pretty much as Yer
mont does in the off year of its biennial
elections. Relatively few of the States
hold any important elections. No
members of Congress are to be chosen.
Still, in the few States which elect
State officers, great pains will be taken
by the opposition to give national sig
nifcauce to the vote that will be cast
in November, particularly if Republi
can majorities are materially lowered.
Various issues are injected into the
contests in those States tor the purpose
of laying foundation to any claim that
craftsmanship may be able to build out
of the result of the voting. This is
particularly the case in Ohio, the home
of President Mckinley. The opposi-
ton is busy and aggressive in the
Buckeye State. The Democratic can
didale for Governor has millions at his
disposal. His present contest is the
preliminary battle for the nomination
of his party in its national convention
next year. If he is elected Governor of
Ohio he will be "the logical candidate
for the Democratic nomination to the
presidency in 1900. If the Republi-
cans elect their candidate for Supreme
Court judge in Nebraska, Mclean, sue
cessful in the Presidents own State,
backed by millions of personal and fam
lily wealth, would 60 into the national
convention of his party armed with
something more persuasive than Bry-
ans rhetoric, to try conclusions with
the Nebraska leader. The Buckeye is
playing for big stakes. If his examin-
alton of the ground in Ohio has assur-
ed him that, if he should plant wisely
and water profusely, the lord of practi-
cal politics would give the increase, all
the arguments addressed to the voters in
the closing days of the Ohio canvass will
not be made from the house tops or in
the public places where men are wont
to congregate.
But there are arguments addressed
to the pockets of the voters of Ohio
other than those Candidate Mclean
may place there. Overshadowing
Democratic buncombe in the matter of
the Administrators policy in the
Philippines, or any anti-imperialistic
nonsense about the Tagalog Washing
ton, is the economic aspect of repub-
licanism. Memory of the bitter times
the Wilson-Gorman folly brought upon
the State and country is still living
thing. Men but recently idle, or work
ing on reduced rates, hungry, ill clad,
their families suffering, are not in love
with the party that was the author of
their misery. The Republicans came
again into power. There has been a
wonderful transformation. Men, but
lately idle and suffering as the conse-
quence of Democratic folly and in
competence in administration, are at
work on full or extra time, at increased
wages, and they are beginning to re-
pair the ravages Democratic policies
made in their savings bank accounts
and in their personal condition.
These things are not matters Of cam
paign rhetoric. They are seen and
felt throughout the length and breadth
of this land, They are a matter OF tan
gible, economic statistics. The figures
of an industrial canvass recently made
by the American Protective Tariff
League and published in the Economist
show that in 1867 shops and factories
there were employed in March, 1926
1872 working people; in March
1899, 267 ,486, gain of nearly 40 pei