Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-10-04
Only One Explanation of the
Unusual Apathy That Pre-
walls In Politics
3 s : 4
TO LET WELL ENOUGH ALONE
The Voter is Ready to Continue the
Republican Party in Power and Has
Already Made Up His Mind as to
How He Will Vote at the Coming
Election.

wonder as to the exact situation at TINS
time With little more than month
before the election--an election Of es-
pecially great Importance to every cit
izen Of the United States-there is lit
tie more interest manifested than in
the ordinary "off years"
| Many reasons have been assigned for
this apparent lack, not only of enthu-
siasm, but even Of more than passing
interest. or recent years presidential
campaigns have been accompanied by
noise and hurly-burly; the excitement
of street corner and hotel lobby discus
sions, the blare Of bands and the flash
| of torch light professions, while busi-
ness has been for the most part given
over to the work of saving the coun-
| try." But this year all this Is changed.
| The torch light procession seems to be
a thing of the past while one can ride
from New York to San Francisco,
without once encountering the straw
vote taker. Business is progressing
without any unusual interruption and
the people seem disposed to take as
little interest as pOSSlUle III PoieAS.lA
matters.
What is the occasion for this condi-
ton of affairs? Is it general apathy.
or are the people satisfied to let we'll
enough alone?"
These are the questions which worry
the POLITICAL managers in these days
when, according to all previous ex-
perience the campaign should be at its
height.
Without assuming to decide these
questions, it is interesting to note the
tendency which seems to have sprung
up in these later years among the
people of Iowa, to stay from the polls
except on occasions when some novel
issue awakens the people. A compare
son of the vote cast during the past
two presidential terms. will afford
abundant cause for criticism of the
average voter.
Vote Of the State in Previous Years.
The total vote cast In this state and
the vote cast by the two leading parties
since 1896 is as follows:
Total Rep. Dem.
1896, president 521,547 2S9,293 223.741
1897, governor. 43S,292 224,729 194,s53
1898. secretary
of state .... .421.636 236,524 $4,000
1899. governor .433,351 239,464 1S3,301
1900, president.530,35 3O7,SOS 209.265
1901, governor .390,591 226,902 143,7S3
1902, secretary
of state ....395,412 22s,225 150,O11
1903, governor. 417,919 23S,SO4 159,725
1t will be seen by the above table
that in 1895 when the country was
I,1,< l,o =, a -
currency of the people, the vote was
larger than it had been any time since
then except in 1900, when the same
candidates for president again asked
suffrages Of the people. 1t should be
noticed however, that the off year
elections" since 1900 have shown
considerable decrease in democratic
votes as compared with the election in
1S97-8-9. The republican vote, on the
other hand since 1900, with the except
ion of 1902. compares favorably with
the republican vote cast in the off
years prior to that date. Neither party
however, have been able to cast the
vote they did in the presidential years.
and If, as seems the case, it requires
enthusiasm in an ordinary presidential
campaign to get out the vote In Iowa.
no one can tell with any degree of GER
tainty, what to expect this year when
such apathetio conditions exist.
The census Of 1900 shows that there
were at that time 635,29S males of vo,-
ing age living in the state. or this
number 1894 had only filed first pap
ers, 11,431 were aliens and 23,436 were
classed as unknown" Subtracting
the 40,501 represented by these three
classes, leaves 594,797 as the voting
strength Of the state in 1900. There
were, in fact, 53O,s55 votes cast In the
state that year. leaving 64,442 stay-ar-
homes, or about II per cent of the vot-
ing strength of the state.
Voting Strength IN 1904.
The census bureau estimates that
there are S6.339 people In the state who
will be entitled to cast their first pres
idential vote this year. Adding to this
number the 1894 who had filed their
first papers In 1900, and assuming tina,
the number Of aliens remain pract,-
cally the Same, and that those classe0
as unknown by the census report need
not be taken into consideration, we
have D1,e73 to add to the number OF
voters in 1900. Then, assuming tina,
10000 have died or left the state since
1900, we have e46,7T0 as the voting
strength Of the state this year. II
there is the same percentage of stay
at-ho1ne votes as four years ago, these
figures would indicate poll of 575,e2e
votes or $4,000 more than were polled
last fall.
Duty Of Republicans.
The census figures are undoubtedly
correct. 1t now remains with the
people of the state to see that the vote
is polled. It seems probable that no
one can be In any measure of doub.
regarding the issues, and there is no
reason why every republican should
not come out and vote his ticket. The
principles Of republication are the
same. The supremacy Of these prin-
ciples have brought about good times.
and 1t is Just as necessary that the
people should vote for the continuanc.
of these good times as 1t was to vote
for the reinstatement Of the republican
party in 1895. II it was wise and
patriotic 10 save the country from hard
times brought on by the Wilson Cor
man bill and from the threat of de-
based currency which was the slogan
of Eryan. II Is 1ust as wise and patti
riotic to vote this year for a continu-
ance OF these principles, whicn |
h,.o,lpht about tha results sought for |