New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1902-11-15
VICTORY IN DEFEAT.

lutte success in every detail to con
stitute substantial victory, Tri-
umph has often been purchased at
Il cost which has left those win
ming it more disastrously y undoue
than We're their opponents who lost.
1t seems to have been such result
as this that the Republicans achle-
we'd in the elections last Tuesday.
In the sense of losing control of
the country they may be said to
have won. bnt as compared to the
sweeping victories they have been
accustomed to since 1896 the result
may truly be characterized as dis
astrous from Il Republican point
Of view. While there appeared to
be good ground for hoping that the
Democrats would wrest control of
the House from their Republican
opponents, yet there is some com
fort to be drawn from the fact that
when the day Of reckoning comes,
as come it inevitably must within
short time, the responsibility for
all the ills that result from over
capitalization, ,trustcontrol every
thing, and the desperate financial
and legislative exploration of the
past few years will be chargeable
wholly to the Republicans.
The splendid vote that Coler
pulled up in New York, while fall
ing just short of securing his elec-
ton, was nevertheless a marvellous
victory. New York is the home of
the President and of Tom Platt,
who is regarded as the most astute
of all the Republican State leaders,
and a plurality for the Democratic
candidate of $4,000 votes in
Greater New York was not only
unprecedented, but under the cir
cumstances it can not be considered
in any other light than as notable
victory. An unusual and most
suspicious vote in the upper part of
the State saved Odell, but the big
vote in Greater New York is like
the handwriting on the wall, pre-
saying an early and disastrous
downfall of the Republican forces.
In the Congressional elections dis
tinctive gains were made by the
Democrates in a number of States,
and the Republican majority is sub
stantially reduced.
There was never any doubts
with regards to single district in
Louisiana, but from the returns so
far in, it will be seen what pitt
full showing the little coterie of
Office seekers styling themselves
"Lily White" Republicans, made.
This was inevitable from the outset,
but when they endeavored to hold
the favor of the President by en-
dorsing his administration on the
one hand, and on the other, to hold
the favor of the sugar interests by
opposing reciprocity there was no
escape from falling between the
two stools They have lost ig
ANONYMOUSLY, and in their deserved
fall they are "none so poor to do
them reverence" A respectable
white Republican party in Louis
isna, or in any part of the South,
is wild dream which can be real
lied because it is based upon fun
damental injustice to the only real
Republicans in Louisiana and the
South-the-negro-and no party,
founded upon injustice and black
ingratitude, can hope to prevail.
On the whole, it would appear
that the Democrats came out of
this election with much cause for
congratulation. They did not reap
the laurels that some overenthu-
siastic friends predicted for them,
but they lost nothing and they did
make the mostastonishing substan
tial gains, which is a great deal
more than the Republicans can
claim to have accomplished. It's
moral effect upon the party can not
fail to be most salutary, as it is re-
cognized to be but the foreshadow-
ing of vigorous aud irresistible
forward movement all along the
Democratic lines during the two
years intervening before the great
battle of 1904 Daily States.