The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-11-20

mus leaving a IHdISIn VI lf,UUU lOT
I.5sible increase in the aggregate re-
publican plurality in these states, it is
evident that the change of 5000 votes
would have reversed the result in all
twelve of them. That is to say hat if
$1,000 citizens who voted for Mckinley,
had voted for Bryan. II electoral votes
To- in the Mckinley column would
nave gone in the Bryan column thus:
McKinley's electoral vote as it is....292
Electoral vote of these twelve states..71
McKinley's electoral vote as it would
nave peen ...-SIi
Necessary to a choice ............. ..224
On the other hand:
Bryan's electoral vote as it is.......155
Electoral vote of these II StateS.......71
Bryan's electoral vote as it would
nave oeen 20
Necessary to a choice .224
The change of $4,000 votes, therefore,
properly distributed in the IL states in
the list, would have given to Bryan
two more than the necessary number
of electoral votes: his electoral major
ity over Mckinley woul have been s."
When out of some $4,000, 900 votes cast
a change of less than $4,000 would lave
given Mr.. Bryan the coveted place, it
looks nearly as if the talk of a dead
democracy was rather i%nopportune
-as we'll as "a little too previous" The
democratic party without any pretence
of reorganization. is strong enough to
enter battle next month or next yea
aor four years hence. The only things
'cessary are hope and union. The Sun
is wise in tbs own day. 1t recognizes
the strength of the democracy, which
it prefers to call with a sneer Bryan
ISM 1t wants to keep up the old re-
publican alignment as a necessity in
Guiding the democrats that helped it.
1t wants a paramount uniting of gold
democrats and gold republicans, OF
free trade democrats. no doubt, as we'll
as high robber tariff republicans. They
must all continue to unite. or Organism
or something equally as bad will en-
danger the triumph of the republican
party and its hold upon the country.
That is not precisely the song of an
angel, but it is the forecast of a willy
politician.
Here is a part of its talk:
THE political revolution which be-
gan in 1896 and continued with increas-
ing momentum in the canvass just
closed seemed, therefore, to Indicate a
reimbursement of political relations
which intelligent men of both the re-
publican and democratic parties will be
compelled to recognize as necessarily
permanent, if the dangerous political
movement represented by Bryan is to
be kept in restraint and is not to con-
tinue in undiminished aggressiveness.
THE questions of policy which have
arisen in this campaign will assert
themselves h more in their para
mountcy was time passes and they will
render necessary the maintenance of
the new political alignment which
came in with 1896"
Well, it is a free country thus far.
and men may unite or divide as seems
to them best. The democratic party is
going to live, for it is not moribund as
its enemies would have it. The New
York Journal avors reorganization"
upon a broad basis. 1t says this, and
it IS worth quoting thus early after
defeaE, for it fought 81 great battle for
the democracy in the late campaign:
The democratic party has received
an impulse that can be neither stayed
nor reversed. 1t can merely be wisely
directed.
The democracy cannot be made a
mere party of negatiOn and obstruction.
as some would like to have it, nor yet
the obedient servant of the great finan-
cial interests that control the republi-
can party, as would be the desire of
Others. There is room and need in our
political system of two parties in Wig
+orous opposition to each other. There
IS neither room nor need for two par
ties of which one shall be merely the
others pale reflection.
If the democratic party We're TO be
merely a feeble copy of the republican
party. the Journal, for one, would pre-
FER the genuine article"
Let the great democratic party of the
Union be strengthened, and solidiied
upon the true principles of the Ameri-
can Union. Let its men who have al
WAYS stood faithful and true. and ear
nest by its fortunes be in the lead All
who come back into the hospitable and
glorious fold will be treated with kind
~ intent and spirit, but the men OF the
party who never faltered in allegiance
and never paltered to power must lead