Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1901-11-08
NO. 45.
Cause for Thanksnivinn-

The result of Tuesdays election in
Greater New York is one to give renewed
faith in the Republic and in the ability
of the people to govern themselves. It
/ Is a result which every good citizen hoped
Tor but which seemed impossible to rea-
lie, with Tammany entrenched in the
control of the city as 1t has been for four
years past, or since the first election
under the new charter with Richard
Croker as dictator. But the revelations
during the summer and fall. of unspeak-
able corruption under Tammany rule had
their effect. The people became thor
oughly aroused, and the result was the
1 triumphant election of fusion ticket
pledged to reform. Croker apparentls
feared the worst from the beginning OF
the campaign, for he caused the nomina.
ton as the Tammany candidate for may
or OF Edward M. Shepard, a man of the
highest personal character, who, in years
past, has been one of the bitterest foes
Of Tammany, but who allowed himself
to be made the Tammany candidate un-
der the fallacious plea that reform must
come from within" The election of
Seth Low, Independent Republican, as
mayor by a plurality of 10000 is in no
sense partisan triumph, but a peoples
declaration for reform and good govern
ment. Mr.. Low stated the whole case
when he said on the day after election:
The outcome of this election is a splen-
did vindication of universal suffrage
From all parts of the city have come
the votes that have rebu1ed the Tam
many orgy of the last four years
This is no mans triumph, but it is the
peoples victory"
Even more significant is the election
of William Travers Jerome, a young
Democrat, as district attorney. Probably
in no previous election in this country
has any man put up as hot a fight
against corruption in every form, regard
less of political friends or foes, as has
Mr.. Jerome. 1t was counted bad
break when within a few days of the
election, in one of his glowing speeches.
he denounced Thomas c. Platt, the Re-
publican boss, who was supporting the
fusion ticket, equally with William c.
Whitney, leading Democrat, as a foe to
reform But the people evidently liked
this quality in the man, and Jerome was
trfumphantly elected. The New York
Times prints figures showing that
Jerome, as the candidate of New York
county, actually lead Low by more than
5000 votes in the boroughs of Manhat-
tan and the Bronx. So far as suppressing
crime and corruption and enforcing good
government are concerned, the district
attorney has far more actual power than
has the mayor. Jerome's election is for
four years, and Lows for two. 1t is
special cause for rejoicing that Van
Wyck, the Tammany mayor. whom his
followers tried to provide for by electing
him to a supreme court judgeship for a
long term of years at salary of $17, ,5OO
was hopelessly defeated The air of the
whole country is purer and better as the
result of Tuesdays elections in Greater
New York
AS much cannot be said for the result
in Philadelphia, where the corrupt Quay
machine was victorious, though by a
greatly reduced majority. 1t is probably
true that in no previous "off year" Col-
lowing a presidential election) has the
party in power received such endorsement
in the state elections as has been the
case this year in nearly every election
held, and notably in Massachusetts, New
Jersey, Ohio, Iowa and Nebraska. In
Iowa, the Republican majority is the
largest ever given in that state. Ne
braska repeats its verdict of last year
in spite of the fact that Bryan went on
the stump in an effort to wipe out the
adverse majority in his home state, which
was, to him. the most humiliating feature
of his defeat in the presidential election
yaar