Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1904-11-30
THE STAY-AT-HoME VOTE.
From w. J. Bryan's Commoner.

From w. j. Bryan's Commoner.
AS the returns come In it becomes
evident that the result was due not so
much to an increasing confidence in the
republican position as to the dissatis-
faction among democrats with the 20.
sitiOn taken by the democratic party.
While in some cases this DISSATISFIED
tion led democrats to vote the republic.
can ticket, yet IN more cases it led them
to stay at ome or to refuse to vote on
the national ticket. For instance, in
Illinois MIR. Roosevelt's vote is only
about 33 1000 In excess of Mr.. McKin-
ley's vote four years ago, while Judge
Parker's vote is about 170. 900 less than
the democratic vote in 1900. Thirty
three thousand democratic votes cast
for Mr. Roosevelt would account for
the republican increase, il it is not &C.
counted for by the natural increase in
population, while If that number of
democrats did actually vote for Roose
Welt it would still leave more than no.
600 votes unaccOunted for. The social
list vote and the popullst vote are not
yet Obtainable, but it IS evident that in
Illinois the democratic party is much
stronger than the returns would indi-
cate, and it only requires straight for
ward, honest fight for reform to firing
out that vote and put the party in
lighting condition again In that state.
In the state of Indiana elgnty-two
out of ninety two counties gave Roose-
welt eleven thousand votes less than
Mckinley had four years ago. while the
same counties gave Parker some $4,000
less votes than the democratic candl-
date had in 1900. Here again it is evi.
dent that the republican strength has
not been largely increased but that
the democratic vote did not come out.
In Iowa the total vote this year is
not as large as 1t was four years ago.
The republicans have gained about o..
600 and the democrats have lost about
10000. If the entire republican in.
crease was made up from democratic
votes, it would still leaYe about 10000
VOL0S unaccOunt0Q Tor.
In Missouri the indications point In
the same directions AT the time OF the
writing of this editorial it is lmpossi.
BILE to obtain the figures from all of the
states, but if the situation in other
states is as it is in the states already
reported, the president can not regard
the result as personal vindication.
II the loss in the democratic vote is
not offset by corresponding gain in
the republican vote, the result can not
be considered as an endorsement of re-
publican policies but rather as a con.
demnatlon of the democratic plan OF
campaign.
This matter will be considered more
at length when the results are all In
but attention is called to the figures
given above as indicating something OF
the situation In the nation. And IN
this situation there is encouragement
to the party. It is much easier to sc
shape the policy of tie party as to
bring back dissatisfied democrats than
it would be to convert republicans
There is every promise, therefore, Of
our party recovering in 1908 what it ha.
lost this year. and as the exactlons Of
the great corporations become beayiel
and heavier we can expect an increas
Ing revolt among republicans.
Now is the time to plan for 1908! Lee
every democrat buckle on his armor
Various means may be employed fol
spreading democratic doctrine but on
of the best ways is for each democra
to pick out a republican among his &C
| quaintances and supply him with liter
ature. It is much easier to make al
impression upon the voters between
elections than it is during the cam
! paign. After national ticket ha
been nominated party lines are drawn
and conversions are more difficult. LIE
the democrats begin now 20 do thei
campaign work. When a democra
reads good book upon economic ques
lions let him loan it to his republican
neighbor. When a good speech il
made along democratic lines, let eacl
democrat secure copy for his republi
can neighbor. Good work can be don,
also by circulating democratic news pa
pers-the newspaper being the leas
expensive form of literature.
Do not delay. Begin at once.
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