New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-09-15
NEH.ENG1AND AND THE NATION.


The two States which have recently held cleo
tons upon the result of which speculation to
the result of the National election in November
Is based, are both in the same part of the COun-
try, inhabited by the same sort of people and
subject TO the same influences. They do not,
therefore, afford an infallible standard by which
to judge political conditions and tendencies in
the Union at large. For in so extensive a coun-
try as this local or sectional influences are often
potent even in National campaigns 1t is not
safe to Judge the West by New England or the
Pacific Coast by the Middle West The basis
Of reckoning afforded by the result of the recent
elections in Vermont and Maine is therefore
inadequate, save perhaps for New-England
itself.
We may, however. find in that result wider
and deeper significance than appears at first
sight In the first place, it is a complete assur-
ance that New-E England will solidly vote for the
Republican ticket in November Upon the cur
rency issue there has, Of course. never been the
least doubt about any New England State. The
only doubt has been upon the issue of eXpan-
sion, or imperialism" Well there is no State
in the Union in which the latter has been
worked more vigorously than in those two.
Some conspicuous Republicans in those States
have openly proclaimed their dissent from the
Presidents policy. If, then those two States
have stood by the Republican party on that
issue by majorities much larger than ever be-
fore save in 1896, and only a little below the
unique figures of that year there should be no
doubt of the vote on that issue of all the Now
England States.
If from New-England we come to the Middle
States we find that here the sentiment for
honest money is as strong as there-four years
ago Mr.. Bryan called this ''the enemy's coun-
| try"-while the opposition to the logical and
constitutional expansion of the territory of the
| United States is decidedly weaker Nor does
| there appear any other issue or condition which
should materially decrease the Republican
| strength. 1t seems on the contrary reasonable
| to think that the ratio of Republican decrease
from the figures of 1896 will actually be less in
the Middle than in the Eastern States And the
same may be said of the Middle West. The
sentiment of Ohio, Indiana and Illinois is GER
tainly more favorable to free silver now
| than 1t in 1896 and the opposition to ex-
pansion is far less there than it is in New
England. On the former issue there should be
| no loss and the latter not nearly so much
| as in Vermont and Maine Proceeding to the
| Trans Mississippi States, we find the anti-ex-
pansion sentiment dropping TO the vanishing
| point. The loss to the Republicans on that
| issue should be infnitesimal. On the other
| hand, there is evident great reaction against
the silver craze and in favor of honest money
| The farmers of Kansas and Nebraska and other
States have the falsity of Mr. Bryan's
calamity prophecies OF 1896 too fully demon
strated and have themselves enjoyed too much
prosperity under the gold standard, to be fooled
again by the sophistries OF free silver The
result there should be. then. loss on the
expansion issue and n positive gain on the
lsCurrency issue.
On the Pacific Coast there has undoubtedly
been reaction against free silver, so that upon
that issue the Republicans should make material
gains. So far the expansion issue is con
cerned that Republican policy is highly popular
there, and upon that issue there should also be
a substantial gain. In the Border States, such
as Delaware, Maryland, West Virginia. Ken
lucky and Tennessee though 1t may appear
that the Republican party is somewhat weaker
on the currency issue than 1t was four years
ago there has been developed no anti-expansior
sentiment of omnous magnitude. AS for tn.
remaining States, the South, their partisan slec