New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-11-06
GoVERNoR oDELrs PLURALITY.

TOFEhNOh ODELLS ILtA1LL1 J.
Democrats are trying to find consolation in
their failure TO elect Mr.. Coler by saying that
while Governor Odell secures a second term he
has personally suffered a moral defeat Such
a reading Of the significance of the vote is most
fallacious, and fails TO take account Of the con
ditions. quite aside from the Governors per
sonality and record. which accounted for the
tremendous plurality Of two years ago and the
comparatively narrow margin this year.
No sound conclusion can be drawn from COM
parison of the vote Of 1900 and 1902. Governor
Odell's plurality Of 111,O00 two years ago was
in no sense a personal tribute TO him or an In
dication of the normal strength Of the Repub-
lican party in this State. The State ticket
was carried along on the wave Of Mckinley
sentiment Thousands Of Democrats voted for
Mr.. Odell merely as an incident to voting for
Mckinley and Roosevelt and he fell behind the
Republican electors by only about thirty-two
thousand Neither the Governor nor anybody
else thought of considering this vote normal.
The only fair comparison 70 he drawn in judg-
ing Governor Odelrs strength IS with the re-
suit in 1895. Then Mr.. Roosevelt carried the
State by 1900 He was u war hero fresh
from the battlefield. and aroused great enthu-
slasm At the same time. his record as re
former appealed to a more sober portion of the
but coIorless man. nominated by Croker, and a
brother Of Croker's notorious Mayor. The fear
Of Tammany domination at Albany was strong
with country Democrats. Yet with all these
advantages Mr.. Roosevelt had only about seven
thousand larger plurality than Mr.. OdeI now
secures. and nothing but his great popularity
and his brilliant campaigning. in spite of advice
from party managers. brought victory ar oil
that year.
Governor Odel is not a popular idol He
was running for reelection on the record of two
years Of quiet business achievement, and had
TO face the criticism Of all who differed with
him on any one Of many matters of policy, as
every man. whether he has done well or Ill.
must do when his official career is submitted
10 popular judgment Yet the Republican vote
outside of New-York City compared favorably
with that of 1898; in some counties being con-
siderably larger. The great Coler plurality in
this city was due to causes with which Gov
ernor Odell and his policy in the executive
chamber had little or nothing to do. In Kings
County Lieutenant Governor Woodruf's ma
chine was unpopular, and it had been for
months common talk that unless the organiza-
ton there was reformed Il would lose the sup
port of independent Republicans, who are par
ticularly numerous in Brooklyn. In this county
the natural and inevitable reaction against the
Low administration, for which that administra
ton is not mainly responsible though it has
made some dissatsfying mistakes, strengthened
Tammany. The returns from some wealthy
normally Republican districts in this city like
wise indicate that great corporate and financial
interests were dissatisfied and thought this a
safe time TO show it The franchise and cor
porate tax laws passed in the Roosevelt and
OdeH administrations. the activity of officials
IN New-York, Pennsylvania and elsewhere in
settling the coal strike and relieving the wants
of the people at a time when the mine owners
thought a better and more lasting solution
could be found by lighting 10 the bitter end, the
attention Republican leaders are giving TO the
question OF curbing trusts doubtless all contrib
uted to spread the feeling In Wall Street that
the Republican party was not as devoted 10
corporate interests as It's Democratic critics
would persuade the voters to believe
These causes operated regardless OF the per-
sonal standing of the Governor. AS a matter
OF fact It was on all hands acknowledged be
fore the campaign opened that he had been an
excellent Governor. The severest critics OF
particular measures, like the hospital law, paid
tribute TO his work respecting everything but
that in which they were adversely interested.
II the people IN general had not believed in him
and stood behind him he would have been de
feated by the combination OF circumstances
which gave Tammany a tremendous majority
in this city. Governor OdeIl carried the Re
publican ticket through in this State as Presi-
dent Roosevelt carried it through in 1s9S His
plurality in of year in a State which the
Democrats always claim as normally Demo
cratic is a gratifying tribute of public trust and
approval