The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-09-20
CITIES NOT SO LOYAL.
Maine Returns Emphasize Republican
observation-disclosures Make Up the

fSepuDIlCdu EOPto VI eicCtN1S - lie
lent in November. Neither viii they
discourage Democrats when close
analysis is made. Observe ~ this
campaiga have been chiefly occupied
in ascertainins whether Gold Demo
Gratis we.e all coming pack ini wheth-
er Bryan Democrats we're suiking.'
Those were the points OF commanding
interest in Vermont aud Maine. But
possibly there IL 4 more significant
lesson to be had from those elections
the rise of Republicauism in rural dis
tricts and its decline in cities.
The Associated Press dispatches on
the Maine election Included one brief
sentence. which the thick AID thin
Republican organs Of New York and
Philadelphia carefully edited out. This
was the statemen that returns showed
an increase of 10 per cenc. IN the Ite-
publican vote and 81 per cant. IN the
Democratic vote. mhe figures for 400
towns and cities out of "A total Of 522
showed even a larger discrepancy in
| percentages and more favorable to the
| minority party. The Vote OF 15,455 for
Cobb. as against S6,34s for Davis, COM
| pared with the returns OF 1900, SHOW
d Republican Increase of Ills per cent.
and a Democratic increase of sos.
| However, the first percentage of in
| creases will probably be not far from
correct when all the towns are heard
from.
| Democratic Gains i'm Maine Cities.
The falling of of the Republican
| vote in the Maine cities vas the most
significant feature, Lewiston, where
the influential Journal, the late
| Representative Dingley's staIwart Re-
publican organ, is published, being
one OF the cities that gave a Demo-
| cratic majority. 1t should be said,
| ally gone Democratic in previous
| years. But had 1t not been for the in
creased Republican vote in rural dis
tricts, the Republican plurality for the
state would V gon much lower
than it did.
In that connection the proportion of
| population in cities of the two states
may afford some explanation Of the
difference in returns from Maine and
Vermont. According to the census Of
1900, a little over one-half the people
of Maine-56.2 per cent. to be exact
reside in rural districts, by which is
meant those who live on farms or in
towns of less II $500. In Vermont,
where the Republicans nav Just scor-
ed a more satisfactory victory than in
Maine the rural poulation out-num-
bers that in the towns n cities al
most three to one, being 1873 per cent.
1t is generally conceded that the farm
ing sections have been the largest ben
eficiarieS of the two last Republican
administrations. The farmer has flour
ished under the era of high prices that
have caused the urban jewellers to cry
out. AS much was forcibly demon
strated in the election two years ago.
However, it is very doubtful wheth-
er Democrats can draw any consola-
ton about the prospects of the No
| yember election from the apparent in
crease of Democratic strength in the
cities. A major part OF the people of
the United States live in the country,
almost 60 per cent, according to the
1900 census. which IS undoubtedly
correct for all practical purposes the
| present year.
The Farmer Vote in Indiana.
Some northern states they are try
ing to carry are largely agricultural,
as, for instance, Indiana, where ap-
p~roXimately &c per cent. OF the people
are rural residents, and, therefore, in
the main, engaged in agriculture. In
diana Republicans, coming to Wash
illSloil III liz ldSl TWO VI Three T1OIlnS.
have al. emphasized The Republican
tendency among the farmers OF tina
state. The report of the polls by both
parties in Indiana, as t~elegraphed east
recently, spoke of Republican gains in
certain counties. which, on eXamina-
ton, are found tc be agricultural.
The smaller rural population IN IL
: linois and the great influence Of Chica-
: go's vote constitutes the chief reason
1 WhV manV Democrats have haIiaUa6
it was more important to make a fight
there this year than IN Indiana. 1t
was the big slump in the Republican
city vote of Illinois in 1892 which gave
that state to the Democrats, much to
their surprise. The people OF the two
states are much alike in sentiments
n surroundings. but where Indiana
has only 34.S per cent of her popuJa-
ton in cities n towns of over $500,
Illinois has cas- per cent. Wisconsin,
where Democrats profess to have
some hope by reason of Republican
~dissensions, has but few cities. els per
cent. Of the people of the state living
in agricultural regions. In West Vir-
ginia. where the Democrats also hope
to profit by Republican diss ansions.
S6.s per cent. of the people live in the
country.
New York Il Conspicuous Example.
But dry and uninteresting as figures
and percentages are. .ht ST. wi'ng to
tolerate them for The Sl:.e o1 possible
information bou the poIitica. trend
will probably 'a more Impressed with
the situation in New York than else
where. New 'ork is me of the very
few northern states that showed
q slump in Pepup:i,a IL vuie twu years
ago as usually rresasas the app.o bach
of a Democratic vict"cy. t;u,tInor
Odell was barely Reelected, and a
| Democrats candidate for attorney
general won. But in New York almost
thTee-fourths uf nj the lt.)p,e i've La
cities and large towns. alnost two
thirds. or 55.9 PER cnn1. Wing III titles
of over 100000 population. The exact
percentage of Few Workers IN the
rural districts J.. 1900 was 27.1.
There is still another an.l mCre
striking example In Rhode Island,