Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-11-21
Popular votes ssr President.


Popular Votes xor President.
Philadelphia Record.
In 1896 the plurality for Mckinley
over Bryan was 596,749 votes, while
the plurality this year is not far from
$4,000. Grants plurality over Greel-
ey in 1872 was 763,001-the largest in
the history of the country till this year.
In 1892 Cleveland's plurality over 'Har-
rison was 39S,6SS, and over Blaine in
1884 his plurality was only 23005.
Harrison defeated Cleveland in 1883 by
a plurality of 114,660 votes. In 1880
Garfield had a plurality over Hancock
of only 7,01S, and majority of 80
votes in the electoral college. Tilden
had plurality of $40 votes in 1876.
and Hayes was counted into the office
of Pres ident by one electoral vote. In
1868 Grants plurality over Seymour
was 309,51S. Lincoln's plurality over
Mcclellan in 1864 was All, Isl, and over
Douglas in 1860 his plurality was 491,-
1885,. while in the latter year the total
votes for Douglas, Breckenridge and
Bell were 9i7,29S more than the popu-
lar vote for Lincoln. Buehanan's plu-
rality over Fremont in 1856 was 49,
125.
1t is needless to carry these figures
further back, as they sufficiently show
how great and sudden have been the
political changes in this country.
Much stress has been laid upon Mr.. Nc
Kinley's enormous plurality this year.
and on the strength of it some admin
istration organs eagerly predict long
and continuous tenure OF Republican
power. But great as is this plurality.
it rests less upon the strength of the
Republican party than upon the weak
ness of the Democratic party on the
single issue of the currency. Had this
issue been totally eliminated from the
contest Gas it will be hereafter). and
had the campaign been made wholly
on the administration policy OF the
Republicans, as it should have been,
different result would have been re-
corded. Tens of thousands of Repub-
iicans and Democrats voted for Me-
Kinley not because they approved OF
his administration or of the Republican
position on leading questions OF pol
icy, but because they believed that the
election of Bryan would have been
foliewed by a financial catastrophe.
While they condemned the heretical
doctrines of the Republican leaders on
the Constitution, and while their con-
fidence in the firmness of President Nc
Knley had been utterly shaken by his
course towards Porto Rico as well as
by other acts, they held 1t to be OF the
! first Importance TO put an end to the
free silver agitation forever.
How precarious is the reliance upon
party majorities has been seen often
enough in the history of this country.
In 1872 the defeat OF the Democratic
party was SO overwhelming that its
Republican opponents affected to be-
| leve that its recovery was out OF the
question, and kindly suggested that 1t
go into political liquidation. But two
years later, in 1874, the immense Re-
publican majority for Grant was swept
away by mighty popular revolution,
1 in which the Democrats secured the
election of over two-thirds of the
members of the House of Representa-
| tives. Two years after that the vital
ICED Democracy, under wise counsels
and capable leadership, gave Samuel J.
Tilden plurality OF quarter OF mil
lion votes over the Republican candi-
date for the Presidency.
Those who eagerly assume from the
late elections that the Democratic party
is weak are making a grievous mistake.
1t has survived the loss OF It's greatest
leaders, from Jefferson to Tilden. and
1t will survive the defeat OF Bryan. 1t
has encountered one opposition party
after another-Federalist Wings,
Know Nothings and Republicans-and
1T will still remain the party Of the
plain people, doing battle against all
corners for equal rights and constitu-
tional government. United under
wise leadership and upon the restored
Jeffersonian platform, as 1t Will be, the
indestructible Democratic party will
resume it's long record of political vic
tories over all elements OF opposition.