Rosebud County news. [volume] (Forsyth, Mont.) 1901-1906, 1904-11-24
THE STAY-AT-HOME VOTE.

eviden. that the result was due not so
much to an Increasing confidence in
the republican position as to dissatis-
faction among democrats with the posi-
ton taken by the democratic party.
While in some cases this dssatisfac-
ton led democrats to vote the republic
can ticket, yet in more cases it led
them to stay at home or TO refuse
to vote on the national ticket
For instance, in Illinois Mr.. Roose-
velt's vote is only about $4,000 in ex-
cess of Mr.. McKinley's vote four years
ago, while Judge Parker's vote is
about 40, 900 less than the democratic
vote in 1900 Thirty three thousand
democratic votes cast for Mr.. Roose-
welt would account for tbs republican
increase, if it is not accounted for in
the natural increase in popula alton,
while if that number of democrats did
actually vote for Roosevelt it would
still leave more than 10000 votes un-
accounted for. The socialist vote and
the populist vote are not yet obtainable
but it is evident in Illinois the demo
cratic party is much stronger than the
returns would indicate, and it only re-
quires a straight forw ard, honest
fight for reform to bring out that vote
and put the party in fighting condition
again in that state.
In the state of Indiana eighty-two
out of nnety-two counties gave Roose-
welt eleven thousand votes less than
Mckinley had four years ago, while
the same counties gave Parker Some
rs, 600 votes less than the democratic
candidate had in 1900. Here again it
is evident 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
The republicans have gained about
$4,000 and the democrats have lost
about 100000 If the entire republican
increase was made up from the demo-
cratic votes. it would still leave about
10000 votes unaccounted for.
In Missouri the indications point in
the same direction. AT the time of the
writing of this editorial it is impossi-
BILE to obtain the figures from all of the
states, but if the situation i'm other
states is as it is in the states already
reported, the president cannot regard
the result as a personal vindication.
If the loss in the democratic vote is
not offset by corresponding gain in
the republican vote, the result cannot
be considered as an endorsement of re-
publican policies but rather as a con-
demnation OF the democratic plan of
campaign.
The 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. 1t is much easier to SO
shape the policy of the party as to
bring back dissatisfied democrats than
1t would be to convert republicans.
There is every promise, therefore, Of
our party recovering in 1908 what it
has lost this year, and as the exactions
OF the great corporate become heav-
Ter and heavier we can expect an in
creasing revolt among the republicans.
Now is the time to plan for 1908! Let
every democrat buckle on his armour.
Various means may be employed for
| spreading democratic doctrine, but one
OF the best ways is for each democrat
to pick out a republican among his ac-
qua'ntances and supply him with
literature. 1t is much easier to make
an impression upon the voters between
elections than it is during the cam
paign. After national ticket has
been nominated party lines are drawn
and conversions are more difficult.
Let the democrats begin now to do
their campaign work. When demo
crat reads good book upon economic
questions let him loan it to his repub
lican neighbor. When d good speech
is made along democratic lines, lie,