Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1904-10-04
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Especial washtnxton Letter.l

Especial Washington Letter.
N last weeks letter mention was
made Of the idiotic 1abber about
Vermont's vote being "barome-
ter" by which to measure the re-
suit of the presidential contest Now
we are gravely told by Republican edi-
tors who ought to know better that
1.-THE Maine vote is barometer" The
strange thing about the result in Maine
is that both Democrats and Republic
ans are claiming it as victory, but
really the Democrats have the best of
II, for they did pull down the large
Republican majority somewhat and
did make substantial gains in members
Of the legislature and in local Offices.
There are no better Democrats in
America than those in Maine. They
deserve well Of the country and are to
be most heartily congratulated on max
ing gains this year.
Just how the Republican editors
figure 1t out that ''the Maine barome-
ter" indicates Colonel Roosevelt's cleo
ton Is mystery, for any man who
understands the rudimentary rules Of
arithmetic can soon satisfy himself
that the same percentage Of Demo
cratic gains as the Maine results show
would land several states in the Demo
cratic column which have been going
Republican for ten years.
Figures will not lie," 30 it is said.
We are also told, however, that ''liars
will figure" One great Republican pa
per Is SO anxious to distort the re-
suits in Maine into victory for the
Republicans that in discussing the mat
ter it gives the majorities beginning
with 1876 except the majority in 1880.
The exception ia the principal thing in
that case. At the September election
in 1880 the Republicans lost the state.
but in November General Garfield car
ried it. Now, If the stock Republican
argument that greatly reduced Re
publican majority ut the September
election in Maine invariably means q
| Democratic presidential victory, and
| vice versa, how did it happen that the
| Republicans lost Maine in September,
1880, and carried 1t in November of
that year for Garfield?
Maine is Republican state, and the
fact that the Republicans carried It this
month is no more indicative of the re.
suit in November than 1t would be fol-
Mississippi to 60 Democratic in Sep
TENDER II she held a September cleo.
ton for state and county officers.
Warrington Post and Chicago Chronicle
The Washington Post contains the
following vigorous editorial:
The Chicago Chronicle. having trans
tsrred its political designation from
Democratic" to Republican" without
having undergone any material change In
other respects. continues to manifest the
4 same exuberance Of zeal that was ita
distinguishing characteristic when. in
Democratic" guise. It Joyed in indicttns
chasttsement on the Democratic party IN
the only reliably Democratic section of
the country. In q recent editorial en-
titled "Taggart's Tactical Error the
Chronicle remarks that from one point
OF view the managers Of the Democratic
campaign are wise in determining to
make their chief campaign In the cities"
Why that determination 10 wise" the
consisting Of seven paragraphs, Of which
these three are fair samples:
1T Is evidently their purpose to appeal
| to the passions and prejudices OF the ig-
norant. criminal and vicious, who abound
in great centers OF population. II there
10 any chance OF Democratic success ii
lies In such an appeal. since there IL moth
Ing In the platform or the record Of the
| present day Democracy to justify hope
OF response from intelligent, respectable
and conservative voters.
| III tho Democrats are to win at ALL or,
rather. II they are to make even re-
spectacle showing at the polls. they must
rely upon the ignorant and idle, the dis
contented. dangerous and desperate Of the
cities. .ss
"Mr. Taggart and his associates cannot
4 pilot such an organization to victory.
There are not enough fools. knaves and
criminals-not enough fossilixed Demo
aries-to overcome the elements which
stand for honesty. deoency and good gov
eminent"
It is not the custom Of any political Or
sanization to demand proof Of good moral
character as condition of membership.
Each OF the leading parties contains men
| OF whom Its respectable members are
ashamed. But the party that Ia held re-
sponsible for Addicks and his method of
campaigning makes itself ridiculous whom
It puts forth q claim to superior morality.
| It Is true that 1.-The ignorant, criminal
and vicious abound In great oenters of
population" and It IL equally true that
no one party monopolizes them and that
their votes arc not undesired or unsought
| by Republican or Democratic managers.
But in rural Delaware. IN the domain OF
Addioks. the ignorant, criminal and VI
cious" are mostly on the Republican side
OF the party line. And how Is It in the
city OF Philadelphia. where, according to
the testimony Of the Philadelphia Press,
the Republican leaders are in the habit Of
polling some $1,000 fraudulent votes, or
In other words. committing 5000 felonies.
whenever those leaders deem such an
effort expedient2
We take 1t that the highest authority
in the United States on both the urban
and the rural vote IL Chairman Babcock,
the man who has led the Republican par
ty in five successive and successful cam
paigns for control OF the national house
of representatives. He 1t was who, at the
close of his latest campaign, in Novem-
Der. 1902. foresaw and foretold where the
next Tight must be waged. He saw and
said that the rural vote, the support of
the farms. had saved his party from de-
feat. He noted the almost uniform Demo-
cratic trend OF the city vote from the At
Iant1c to the Pacific, and he knew and
named the cause OF 1t. It was not the
work OF She ignorant, criminal and vi.
ctous." 1t was. in his expert opinion. the
direct result Of Republican policy. It
was the protest against the enormously
Increased cost Of living. the protest made
| by many thousands of salaried men and
others whose incomes had remained in