Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1905-11-15
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER Is, 1905
THE ELECTIONS.

tremend ous Importance to this:
country. Never since the vic story
of Abraham Line coin in 1860 has
an election carried such cheering
news to the friends Of reform. +.
=. To the republican or demo,
cratic partisan there is nothing
in the election to cause rejoicing
or sorrow. Each party had it's
victories and defeats. But there
was very little of partisan dis,
cussion in the campaign, and
therefore the result signifies.
nothing in that way. .s !.
The fight was on two issues
opposition to boss rule and the
consequent corruption, and the
question of municipal ownership
Of public utilities. !. +.
In Pennsylvania the rotten re.
publican gang, probably the worst
in the country, received a sting
ing defeat. Last year the re-
publicans carried the state by
half a million> majority. This
year a democratic candidate for
state treasurer carried the state
by over 100, 900 majority. TWAS
not because he was a democrat;
it was because he stood as the
opponent Of the gang. In Phil,
adelphia the reform ticket re-
ceived an overwhelming majority
over the republican gang ticket.
In Ohio the democrats elected
their state ticket by a large
majority, for the first time in
eighteen years. But it was not
a democratic victory; it was q
defeat for the corrupt boss Cox,
who had come to dominate the re
publican party in the state. 4
was also a, glorious victory fol
the temperance element who thru
the Anti. Saloon League were
making war on the present gov
ernor, who was the republican
candidate for reelection, for his
subserviency to the saloon inter
ests. Tt was a victory for decent
government. = = I.
In Toledo Mayor Tom u. John
son was for the third time elected
mayor. Nominally he is a demo
GRAFT; actually he is a populist
He: stands for municipal owner
ship Of public utilities. On thai
line the battle was fought anc
the result is q triumph for this
populistic doctrine. In a large
numb of Indiana cities the same
battle was fought, and with thu
same result: r. Ss,:7'' -.
In New York both these ideas
cut a large figure in the election
William Travers Jerome, the
present city attorney, was re
fused denomination by thu
Tammany boss, Murphy. The
republicans of the :. city would
gladly have nominated him after
he had announced himself as an
independent candidate, but the
republican boss, Oden, forbade
it. A republican candidate was
nominated. He withdrew from
the race and recommended the
endorsement of Jerome, but the
boss refused and Planners
name was kept on the ballot to
mislead voters. In spite Of this
and Of the intricate ballot which
seems specially designed to make
independent voting difficult
Jerome was elected. ....%" 4 81. j.
The municipal ownership idea
was represented by w. r: Hearst
as candidate for mayor. He made
a whirlwind campaign and sc
alarmed the bosses that they
joined in an effort to defeat him.
The most stupendous election
frauds were perpetrated. u
spite Of all this the plurality
figured out for Me- lellan, The
Tammany candidate, was only !
tritle over 3, 600. No one doubts
that Hearst was really elected,
and he may yet be seated. He
has instituted 9 contest and vii
push it with al the Wig o. and
determination for which he j
famous. But whether or not he
is seated as ayor. he has shoWr
i ! d sE
that the people desire unicip a
ownership Of pub bic utilities
The people are waking up