Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1902-01-18
THE BRIGHT OUTLOOK.
Everything Points to a Splendid
Victory for the Republican
Party

Never did party begin a year of
an important political canvass with
brighter prospects than present
themselves to the republicans at this
moment. The country's prosperity
in 1901 and the probability that a
still greater degree of prosperity will
come in 1902, the year in which a new
congress is to be chosen, is fact
of great consequence for the party
which is dominant in the nation, and
which is popularity credited, even by
the bitterest of it's enemies, with
having a large share in bringing this
happy condition. All the indications
point to a heavier trade, to greater
industrial activity and to a higher
level of prosperity in the year which
has just begun than were scored in
the one which has just ended. In
the first business day of 1902 many
stocks on the New York exchange
touched higher points than were ever
reached before. The orders for all
sorts of iron and steel products
which are being placed at present
are far in excess of those given at
this time in 1901. There is a general
feeling throughout the country that
the financial record of the year
which has just opened will be much
better than was that of any other
twelvemonth in the country's his
tory. Obviously all this will be ire
mendous factor in favor of the main
tenance of the republican party's
power, says the ST. Louis Globe-Dem-
ocrat.
There were many predictions of
republican discord recently, some of
them being based on the rivalries of
different aspirants for the presidency
in 1904. Indiana was said to be par
ticularly disaffected on account of
the aspirations of one of its sena-
tors, but at banquet just held in
Indianapolis, at which both the
states senator's and several of its
representa- tives were in attendance,
the opposite sort of feeling was de-
cidedly manifest. Said the particu-
lar senator who had been mentioned
in connection with the presidential
nomination two years hence, in
speech on that OCCASION: eve meet
with no trace of factional disturb
ance. With the party united and
harmonious throughout Indiana, this
is indeed happy augury. 1t fore
casts certain republican victory"
That particular parsonage and the
rest of the speakers declared that
there was the utmost harmony be-
tween the Indiana republicans and
the head of the national administra-
ION. The same condition has been
expressed by Ohio's leading repub-
licans, especially by Messrs. Hanna
and Foraker
The election for congress this year
will, in a large degree, forecast the
result of the presidential canvass two
years later. The democrats were free
with their representations a few
weeks ago of republican disagree
ments on several important issues,
but none of these predictions have
shown any signs of verification. On
the question OF the general treat
ment of the Philippines there is no
divergence of any consequence
among the republicans. This was
shown in the action taken by the
house on the Philippine tariff bill,
in which there was only trifing de-
lection on the republican side. On
the Cuban question there is likewise
practical unanimity. If there should
be disagreement on the ship sub
sidy question it cannot possibly be
greater than was that in the late
congress, II months ago, and that di-
vergence, as the overwhelming vic
tory for Mckinley afterward proved,
did not hamper the republicans in
the slightest degree. The democratic
soothsayers have been widely astray
in their divinations of republican dis
cord. The party was never more
harmonious and enthusia site than it
is at this moment. An overwhelming
majority of the people of the United
States are, manifestly, on the repub-
lican side. A reverse of some dimen-
sions or other for the party in power
is the rule in the congressional cleo
ton in the middle of the presidential
term, but it seems clear that the re-
publicans in the canvass of 1902 will
pass this danger line in safety as
they did in the congressional contest
less propitious than they are to-day