Marshall County independent. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1897-1902, 1901-04-19
A DISASTROUS VICTORY.


In the election or Mr.. Wells as
mayor of st. Louis, the reorganizers
have scored triumph The democrats
of st. Louis and Missouri will. how
ever, find it worth their while TO cal
| culate the cost of the victory and to
| prepare for the struggle that awaits
| them.
In November, 1900 the republican
national ticket received 60,60S 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
| 43.O12 vOtes-nearly seventeen thou
J sand less than the democratic vote of
| last fall. while Mr.. Parker. the repub-
| lican candidate for mayor, received a.
| $40 vOteS-about twenty-Six thousand
less than the republican vote of last
| fall. Mr.. Merriwether, democrat in
national politics running upon a mu-
| niciPdl ownership platform received
30,56S votes and Mr. Filley, a republi-
| can running on an Independent ticket
| received 206S 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 $500
| 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 fer 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 sum equal to the republican
votes received. If, for instance, he re-
ceived 10000 republican votes the ac-
count would stand thus: For Wells,
33 900 democratic votes and 10000 re-
publican vOteS-total 43 900 votes. But
this would show loss of $4,000 demo-
cratic votes: can the reorganiZers af-
ford to trade $4,000 democratic votes,
good at all elections. for 10000 republi-
can votes. good only in local elections
and when q republican is nom mated
on the democratic ticket?
If Mr.. Wells only received 5000 re-
publican votes. the account would
stand: Wells $4,000 democratic votes
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
victory to boast of? If the democrats
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 a 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
unif1catiOn must proceed heartily all
over the country.
With Il 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 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 good
municipal government; he was nomi-
rated because he represents a cOrpOr-
ate element which calls itself demo-
cratic. as matter of habit, but gives
its 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-
clal privileges Wnlcn Jney QeSlfe pro-
tected 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 a broader one and
will involve the very existence of the
party.
The Republic will lead the Francis
Wells element and will be supported
by tic 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 a contest
which might have been settled in
day if confined to St Louis will keep
the state stirred up for the next four
years.
opposing the Repubic-FrancisW Wells
combination? Why not allow it to con-
troll the party organization? The an
swer is found in the election OF 1894.
Such Il slump in the democratic vote as
The London Daily News is authority
for the publication of the conditions to
be imposed by Denmark upon the
United States in the case of transfer
of the Danish West Indies. Its Copan-
hagen correspondent says: