The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-09-13
Democratic victories"

Democratic VICTORIES.
There are two kinds Of victories in
which the Democratic party excels. 1t
has been winning them everywhere in
the last four years and is gathering
them in now In great punches. One set
Of these cheering political triumphs is
achieved by estimating the number OF
voters who did not go to the polls at
the last election, counting them all as
Democrats. and assuming that they will
step up and vote the Democratic ticket
next time. This is the "stay-at-home"
method, and is prolific of Democratic
successes in all the reasonably close
states-on paper. The others are won
by comparing the party vote in some
state which the Republicans have car
ried by handsome figures with the flood
tide Of 1896. ascertaining the percentage
Of party gains and losses. and applying
this to the returns Of states which have
not yet voted. This is known as the
percentage method" and Is much in
vogue at the present time. Combining
the two systems. the Democrats have
carried every state In the Union several
times In the last four years and elected
Mr.. Bryan president for two terms or
more
An illustration of the percentage
method Is just now given out by the
Democratic committee at Chicago with
a Wild whoop. With pencil and paper
It is figured that the Maine returns
show q total increase OF % per cent. in
the Democratic vote and decrease OF
IL per cent. in the Republican. Apply
ing these percentage rates to the vote
of 1896 in other states. It Is at once APP
parent that Mr.. Bryan win carry Mary
land. Indiana Michigan. Minnesota,
Kentucky, West Virginia. California.
Delaware. North Dakota and Illinois.
besides the states that voted for him
then. 1t Is all over. and the process
OF stating Bryan cabinets. boarding gold
and getting ready for free riot may as
well begin.
The idioey OF this method OF calcu-
iation appeals TO anybody except
Democratic committeeman. IT proves a
trifle too much. For instance. even
Democrats concede that California II
Republican this year. There is only
one sentiment In the state now. Yet
the percentage method gives II TO Bryan
by some 10000 majority. Or. take an
other basis Of comparison. The Yer
mont returns show q different set OF
percentages. There the Republican loss
was per cent. and the Democratic gain
was iais. ny the Maine rule, Illinois
would give 1900 for Bryan this year:
by the Vermont rule II would give 2o.eoo
for Mckinley. There seems to be some
trifIng flaw In a method that shows
such startling discrepancies. And
what are we 10 say Of the shrini<age Of
the Bryan vote as compared with that
~ the local Democrats candidate In the
HNtftc SNAA linus tAF 8Nhh@SNaRtA Tan
didaie for governor in Vermont received
ii.sS5 votes In September. 1885 while
Bryan polled but 1851 two months
later. Here is a relative anpopalarity
81 % per cent against the perpetual
candidate that would cut strange an
tics among the figures ~ Z, we're ap-
piled universally
The truth Is that the only comfort
left TO the Democrats party since II
became the ally OF reputation and ruin
is In such sielghs os hand performances
as this ''Rainbow-chAslng' was the
name invented for u In 1896. and II stlil
fits. 1t 10 good enough for shouting.
useless for all other purposes. The oniy
conclusions worth a drop o. Ink 20 be
drawn from the September elections are
general We have seen. in both Maine
and Vermont. Republican pluraIlties
recorded that are above the average OF
the last twenty years They fall behind
the notwithstanding figures Of 1895. as
1t was supposed that they would. There