The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1901-11-08
CAMPAIGN LESSONS.


from the polls, will point out that the
republicans have not gained votes but
that the democrats have lost and that
the republicans had better organiza-
tion. ETC., etc. All this talk is con-
fession of weakness on the part of
democracy. The facts are that demo-
cracy presented no living issue to it's
voters. There was nothing about the
democratic platform or the democratic
ticket which sufficed to draw large
number of them to the voting booths.
In their platform was the dead issue
of free silver, on their state ticket the
worse than nonentity, Phillips, aud
on their county ticket only ring OF
Office holders who had no attraction
for the voters. Democracy must learn
a lesson, and if it does it will be well
for the people no matter which party
may be successful in the future. To
be live party democracy must pre-
sent living issues, it must have live
uho ooiS ihhh oo uaC aCuO vi lUS tlChSU
and it must have candidates who are
near to the people and who are not a
part of ring or at the bidding of a
few bosses only If democracy learns
this lesson it may be restored to the
good will of the people of the county
but it it continues as it has in the past
it will have neither their confidence
nor their votes. The republican party
this year represented live and active
measures. Every republican was en-
thusiastic, every one felt that republi-
canism meant good government and
prosperity and every republican voter
in the county felt personal interest
in the campaign. This was the differ
ence and this it was which accounted
for the fact that the republican vote
was large indeed for an Off year while
democracy lost seven hundred votes
and the election. Had the republicans
stayed by all of their ticket it would
have been elected entire. Republicans
ara much like other men however and
there were personal friendships and
grudges and favoribes such as are en-.
countered in all campaigns. 1t is a
fact however that many men in Craw-
ford county have been coming to the
republican party during the last few
years. The republican party has on
the contrary lost hardly vote from
desertion. We know of no republican
who was republican two or four years
ago who is not one now, and we do
know of scores of democrats, and a
splendid body of men they are too, who
have forever forsworn allegiance to
that party and who are now in the re.
publican ranks. These men and not
the election of a few officers constitute
the real republican gain and so long as
the drift of the thinking men of demo-
cracy is toward republicanism, our
party may not be dismayed no matter
what befalls it in the future.
We confess that we do not see any
great political revolution in the re.
suits of the last election. 1t remains
to be proven if the republicans can
hold the advantage they have gained
and whether or no the democrats will
profit by the expensive lesson giver
them this fall. If democracy has
nothing better to offer next year thar
it had this it may look forward to an
other defeat. If it loads down its tic
ket with third termers, if it continues
to try to keep the whole dictation O
the party policy in the hands of few
silver republicans it will lose again
In other words if you wish people Il
vote, give them platform and candj
dates worth voting for. The people
are not chumps, they know what the.
want and they will take an interest il
the campaign if there is anything t.
interest them.
The republicans had better or
ganization because more republican
were ready and willing to work. Il
every township republicans worke
with enthusiasm and energy, not TO
the sake of monetary reward, for ther
was none, but for the sake of thei
party, the principles it represente
and the candidates they had helped t
nominate.
The Bulletin has made frequen
charges of corruption on the part c
the republicans. These charges hav
been utterly without foundation. The
have no basis in fact and are beneat
the dignity even of the Bulletin. N
money was contributed to the republ
cans from any outside source with tn
one exception of the customary contr
button made by Mr. Hogue as the cal
didate for senator. Mr. Carey doub
less made similar contributions to th
campaign funds Of the other countie
I in this district. The republicans
yfnrI not nn1y poi1 tbo;, or, ~