New-York tribune., 1900-10-14
NO APATHY.

Predictions based on regiStra ton figures are
not of much value. Each side always interprets
them as favorable to itself, and the interpreta-
ton may or may not be justified on Election
Day. In the game of making claims and draw
ing any wished for conclusion from any posi-
BILE set of figures one body of campaign man
ayers is as good as another. TraditionaIly.
heavy registration in this city and State is ia
vorable TO the Republicans. Nevertheless such
various causes may send men to the registry
or keep them away from it that any such ready
reckoning is to be taken with reservation.
In this city it is probably true that the in
telligent classes are more likely to neglect vot-
ing than the people who make up the bulk of
the Tammany support So as a general thing
it is probably reasonable for Republicans to
take hopeful view of a large registration In
the country districts the great majority of peo-
pie are Republicans, and in the absence of any
specific reason for believing the Democrats
specially active and the Republicans dissats-
fed it is fair to expect that the Republican
plurality will be large when the vote is evident
ly to be heavy. On the other hand, particular
situations must be taken into account -Four
years ago vast numbers of Democrats who
could not support Bryan failed to register, and.
though the vote was tremendous in spite of
this their abstinence was favorable to the Re
publicans. and their renewed interest this year.
if it meant support for Bryan instead of
final surmomting of party feeling and actual
opposition to him, would be distinctly unfavor-
able. Their disposition must be judged by OBJ
servations elsewhere than at the registry.
However uncertain the registration figures of
any particular place, unilluminated by outside
facts may be indicating what the voters
there are going to do, nevertheless the results
this year have an unmiStakable significance as
showing unexpected interest in the election; and
that interest itself has a meaning. It is evil
dent that the fears of apathy were not we'll
founded. or at least the apathy, if it ever really
existed. has been dissipated. This has been
remarkably quiet campaign. People have per-
sisted in going about their business and have
stubbOrnly refused to become panicstricken
or TO pour out huge campaign funds for poll
tcians to spend. not to organize victory, but
to solidify their hold on the machines of the
parties. Consequently the politicians who Judge
from surface manifestations have been puzzled.
Now it is clear that the people are not indiffer-
ent to the choice of a President. but are merely
taking their own time and method of attending
to their political duties. That they are going
10 attend to the voting with unprecedented ac-
tivity may be reasonably regarded as pro-
phetc. in spite of the usual danger of relying
on such indications.
Apathy in the East has been universally re
garded as unfavOrable to the Republicans. Not
even the most haplessy rainbow chasing Dem
ocrat has pretended for an instant that the
| great majority in New-York and w-England
was not against Organism They have hoped
that dissatisfaction over one thing or another
would keep from the polls a large number of
men who, if they voted at all. would surely
vote against Bryan. 1t is plain, though that
! they going to vote. With the tide here run
ming strongly for the Republican candidates.
according to all outside Indications, such, for
| instance as the declarations of leading men
| like Mr. Cleveland and Mr.. Ottendorfer, the
! sure proof that there is to be no apathy in
voting anu that the people will not allow the
! election in the least to go by default leaves
| possible no other conclusion than that the
| ballots will reflect the public sentiment, so
| clearly favorable TO Mckinley and Roosevelt.