The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-11-01
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER /, 1899.
ELECTIONS THIS YEAR.

ELECTIONS THIS YEAR.
The results of the election next Tues
day derive added Importance from the
fact that, although 1899 is termed an off
year, November voting will afford the
last test of popular sympathy before
the presidential election of 1900.
/ The introduction of new issues, such
I as opposition to imperialism and mill
( tarism, so-called, and to the trusts,
also serves to give interest to the con
/ test on Nov. 18th. Elections of more
| or less consequence are to be held in
/ twelve widely separated states, bat only
half a dozen of these are of much gen
/ eral Importance. The election of a re-
/ publican governor in this state is as
sure as that Of a democratic governor
/ in Mississippi. while the selections of
/ new legislatures in Virginia and New
! Jersey, of an assembly in New York,
/ and of justices of the supreme court
/ in South Dakota will not attract much
attention outside of the states interest
/ ed. Virginia's new democratic legis-
1 lature will re-elect Thomas S Martin
/ to the federal Senate. South Dakota's
judicial vote will be of some interest
as a test vote between republicans and
/ fusionists in the closest state in the
northwest. which gave Bryan 1873 plu-
rality in 1896, and elected a fusionist
governor in 1898 by $40 plurality, but
at the same time chose two republican
representatives in congress by much
larger pluralities.
Pennsylvania is another state whose
political complexion is so firmly fixed
that the size of the republican plural
ity is the only element of doubt. This
year state treasurer and judges of
the supreme and superior courts are
to be elected. Each party is entitled
to one of the supreme judgeships by
constitutional provision, and each has
made but one nomination, j. Hay
Brown, by the republicans and Stephen
L. Mestrezat by the democrats
In the five states of Ohio, Kentucky,
Maryland, Iowa and Nebraska, con-
tests are in progress of national impor-
lance. In three of these states Ohio.
Iowa and Nebraska, national issues are
about the only ones under discussion.
and in Ohio and Nebraska the person
atty of President Mckinley and Will
liam j. Bryan enters very largely into
the canvass. In Kentucky and Mary
land, state matters have the preference.
but the personal element appears again
in the fractional democratic opposition
to Goebel in Kentucky, and the some
what similar fractional differences of
Senator Wellington and Gov Lowndes
in Maryland.
While Ohio presents the most inter-
esting contest, it is by no means the
closest. The state has had but three
democratic governors since the civil
war-Bishop, Hoadly and Campbell
the last of whom was elected ten years
ago by only 1O,S72 plurality over Fora
ker There are four tickets in Ohio
and five nominees for governor, the
fifth being Mayor Samuel M. Jones of
Toledo. who is running on a platform
Of his own. This reformer is likely to
poll 100000 votes, according to one of
the New York Herald's estimates. but
the fact that, according to common be-
lief, they viii be taken out equally from
each party, robs the Jones movement
, of the power to determine the result
It is no longer denied that Gov. Bush
J nell and Charles l.. Kurtz are hoping.
and possibly working, for a democratic
victory, because of their intense hatred
of Senator Hanna, but it is also true
that John r. Mclean has made demo-
! cratic enemies in the past by the err
ratio course of his paper, the Clncin-
natl Enquirer. Both parties are
spending money lavishly, and there
have been numerous speeches by Bryan.
Hanna. Foraker, Nash, Roosevelt and
e others. While the uncertainty of Ohio
j politics is proverbial, the chances favor
$ the election of Nash by plurality APP
preaching that of Bushnell two years
ago, which was 2S,165.
4 Across the Ohio river in Kentucky, a
> contest is in progress which is con-
: ceded by both parties to be close as well
e as exciting. The normally democratic
! state of Kentucky slipped away from
q its moorings when Bradley, republican,
: was elected governor in 1895, by 1912
1 plurality, while in 1896 it gave the Nc
: Kinley electoral ticket only Isl, one of
: its electoral votes going to Bryan In
1897. the democratic nominee for clerk
Of the courts Of appeals had II, S04 plu-
rality, and last year it elected nine dem
= ocratic representatives in congress as
!. against two republicans. If Goebel
had united party behind him, he
S might win, but the independent move
Z ment, headed by Ex-Governor John
: Young Brown, complexities the situa-
ton. There are six tickets in the field,
but Brown alone Of the minor candi-
dates, has any large following. Browns
vote is estimated at from 10000 to 40,
900. Party lines have been closed up
lby the trip of Bryan and Blackburn