The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1900-11-20
ELECTION RESULTS.

We gave last week a very full sum-
mary of election results. This year
our North Carolina people seem to
have regarded the National issues
more sensibly and philosophically
thar our Yankee brethren. OF the
Tar Heel voters, only a small proper
ton decided that with their candi-
date defeated, the country would go
straight to destruction. In the
North, however, a different state of
affairs existed. Nearly half the Re
publicans seem to have decided that
Mr.. McKinley's defeat would close
all the factories and blight all the
crops, while a large proportion of
the Democrats were COckSure that
Mr.. McKinley's reelection would de-
stroy liberty and wipe out the Con-
stitutiOn and the Declaration of In
dependence. AS everybody knows,
the battle of ballots resulted in a
Republican landslide. But by one of
those fantastic tricks of the Electoral
College. Mr.. Bryan's defeat is made
to appear much more overwhelming
than it really was. While Mr.. McKin-
ley's electoral vote is practically
twice that Mr.. Bryan, his plurality
of 700, 900 represents less than five
per cent. of the popular vote of 49,
OOO, 900. This fact may have a sobeE-
ing effect upon the now exultant Re
publicans, somewhat as the slaves
reminder, Thou art but mortal"
affected the victories ScipiO in his
celebrated triumph.
At any rate, the people must not
take literally the Democratic cam
paign talk of imperialism" and
the republic VS.. the empire" While
we believe with President Harrison
that in some points, we have made
a grave departure from right prin-
ciples'' in our colonial policy, yet the
republic still lives and the people
still rule. Mr.. Mckinley has no
idea of wearing a crown or arraying
himself in imperial purple, and the
fanatical editors and spell binders
who told you that Bryan, liberty,
and the Constitution were n and
i~nseparable and would together sink
or swim, live or die, survive or per-
ish, have crawled into their holes
md D,,11o5 4hoi. Cooro orOyrc in of+or
them. Not only does the Republic
live, but, as we have said, a change
of five per cent. of the voters from
the Mckinley column to the Bryan
column, would put a Bryanite into
the White House.
On the other hand, those gullible
mortals who gave Mr.. Mckinley all
the credit for the increased prices of
farm products and the good times
generally, and who believe that he
can single handed, or by the aid of
Congress, maintain the present prices
or force prosperity to remain with
us for four years longer, may pre-
pare to be disappointed. Prosperity
is not a local matter or a matter en-
tirely in control of the President or
of Congress, whatever the politician
may say about it. Several weeks
ago while the Republican papers and
orators were claiming for the Re-
publican party all the credit for the
better times in this country, we
visited a Canadian city and found
the Liberal papers asserting that
their party alone was responsible for
the present prosperity in Canada. OF
course, our financial and tariff legis-
lation affects prices to a considerable
degree, but the party in power is not
always responsible for the state of
trade. We may have 'good times
in spite of unjust and unwise legisla-
ton, or ''hard times in spite of
wise and benefcent laws. This is a
matter that calls for an unbiased
study of great issues and principles
not a reckless assumption that the
party in power is responsible for
prosperity or its absence.
50 there was a good deal of hum
buggery on both sides and those
narrow-minded and excitable beings
who thought the defeat of n one
nan would ruin the country. NAV
retire into their shells until the party
bosses call them forth to do service
in another campaign.