Meade County news. [volume] (Meade, Kan.) 1900-1918, 1901-04-18
A DISASTROUS VICTORY.

have scored a triumph. The democrats
of st. Louis and Missouri will, how
ever, tnd 1t worth their while to cali
calate the cost of the victory and to
prepare for the struggle that awaits
them.
In November 1900. the republican
national ticket received &C, sos votes in
st, Louis, and the democratic national
ticket, which Mr.. Wells refused to
support, received 59,941. At the re-
cent city election Mr., Wells received
1902 votes-nearly, seventeen thou:
sand less than the democratic vote of
last fall while Mr.. Parker, the repub-
lican candidate for mayor. received 3D.
$40 votes-about twenty-siX thousand
less than the republican vote of last
fall. Mr.. Merriwether, democrat in
national politics running upon a mu-
n1cipal ownership platform, received
30,568 votes and Mr.. Filley, a republic
can running on an independent ticket
received 2,068 votes. 1t will be seen
that the total vote cast for mayor was
large for a local contest, amounting
to about ninety per cent of the vote
cast last fall If Mr.. Wells and Mr..
Parker had polled the same proper
ton of the total vote that the national
candidates of their parties polled in
1900, Mr.. Wells would have received
about $4,000 votes and Mr.. Parker
about 55 800.
1t is impossible to ascertain how
many democrats voted for Mr.. Merri-
wether and how many voted for Mr..
Parker, just as it is impossible to say
how many republicans voted for Mr..
Wells and how many for Mr.. Merri=
wether, but it is reasonable to suppose
that the republican vote which left Mr..
Parker went largely to Mr.. Wells,
while the democratic vote which left
Mr.. Wells went principally to Mr.
Merriwether.
Mr.. Wells lost at least twelve thou
sand democratic votes, If he gained no
republican votes, and to this must be
added a sum equal to the republican
votes received. If, for instance, he re-
ceived 10000 republican votes the ac-
count would stand thus: For Wells,
80, 900 democratic votes and 10000 re-
publican votes-total $4,000 votes. But
this wDuld show loss of % 900 demo-
cratic votes; can the reorganizers af-
ford TO trade $4,000 democratic votes,
good at all elections, for 10000 republic
can votes, good only in local elections
anu Wueu d republican Is HOmlHdltu
on the democratic ticket?
If Mr.. Wells only received 5000 re-
publican votes, the account would
and 5000 republican votes-total, 49,
900. This would show a loss of sew
enteen thousand democratic votes, or
an exchange of three democrats for one
republican. Is there anything in this
vi m hnoc f nf9 RI tho Ann1noratC
who voted for Mr.. Merriwether had
followed the example set by Mr.. Wells
and voted the republican ticket, Mr..
Parker would have been elected by a
considerable majority.
But what of the future? The Re-
public with commendable frankness
recommends national application of
the st. Louis plan of harmonizing. 1t
says:
''St. Louis has supplied the example
of thoroughly united democracy.
With little evidence of reluctance all
elements of the party Joined hands in
the recent campaign. They worked to-
gether tremendously and voted with
out scratching.
ITO obtain national ascendency this
unification must proceed heartily all
over the country.
With united democracy the party
Is certain to win the next national
election. The republican party has
drifted so far away from American
principles that the revolt of the people
will be overwhelming when the forces
naturally democratic are found acting
together. =
1.-The st. Louis democracy has set its
face to the future. Give us such a union
of popular forces in all the states and
the next national election will be from
that moment won
This is exactly what might have
been expected. Mr.. Wells was not
nominated because the reorganizers
were especially interested in a good
municipal government; he was nomi-
rated because he represents a corpor-
ate element which calls itself demo-
cratic, as a matter of habit, but gives
fits pecuniary and political support to
the republican party. 1t will never be
found supporting a democratic ticket
unless that ticket is selected and con-
trollcd by those who have some spe-
cial privileges which they desire pro
tacted by the government.
If the democracy of st. Louis had de-
faated Mr. Wells, the democracy of
Missouri would have been spared the
fight which must now be made. The
contest which resulted in the Pirtle
Springs convention was fought over
the silver question, the fight which is
row opened will be broader one and
will involve the very existence of the
party.
The Republic will lead the Francis
Wells element and will be supported
by tt { railroad attorneys and corpora
ton agents as well as by the gold
standard advocates. Every democratic
newspaper in the state will be COM
PEELED to take sides and contest
which might have been settled in a
day. if confined to st. Louis, will keep
the state stirred up for the next four
years.
What is the use, it may be asked. OF
opposing the Republic-Francis-We
combination? Why not allow it to con-
troll the party organization? The an
swer is found in the election of 1894.
Such slump in the democratic vote as
The London Daily News is authority
be imposed by Denmark upon the
United States in the case of transfer
of the Danish West Indies. Its Copen-
hagen correspondent says:
81 am enabled to state, on the very
best authority, that Denmark has COM
Iaunicated to the United States the
following conditions for the sale of the
Danish West Indies:
81. Four million dollars to be paid
TO Denmark.
a. The population to decide by
vote whether to remain Danish or to
be transferred to the United States.
''3. If the vote is favorable to the
The Sultan of Turkey has recently
been badly frightened by an earth
quake shock. This is a tip to Uncle
Sam. Perhaps that 100000 can be