New-York tribune., 1907-11-08
MISLEADING THE SIGNS.

Our esteemed contemporary The New York
Times has recovered its balance enough to ad-
nit that perhaps it was not justified in reading
into the New Jersey election returns an omen
of widespread disaster to the Republican party.
The returns which ii moved to. interpret
so oddly were not real returns, and it is now
ready to disavOw a desire to eXaggerate their
significance" 1t might be still more To the
point if The Times would withdraw entirely
IT'S illogical conclusion that the returns from
New Jersey or from Massachusetts, Maryland
Kentucky. Nebraska or Rhode Island disclose
reaction against Republican policies a whole
or weakening of the position of the Republican
party.
As we pointed out yesterday the plurality of
Governor-eect Fort is more than twice large
as that obtained by the Republican candidates
for Congress in New Jersey year ago. The
combined Republican nominees had total vote
in 1906 of 172,266 and the combined Democratic
nominees had a total of 1690OS. The Repub
lican advantage was only 3.25S Judge Fort
has beaten Mayor KatZenbach by 1000 or more
Nobody pretended to discover a sensational anti
Republican reaction last year because on local
issues-largely differences over the question of
license and Sunday liquor selling-New Jerseys
Republican plurality was temporarily reduced to
a minimum. The same issues were operative
this year and the plurality was doubled SO
far Republican prospects in general are con-
cerned they are decidedly better instead Of worse
because of Tuesdays contest in New Jersey. and
the change for the better is emphasized by the
recapture by a large majority of the now Demo
cratic lower legislative branch.
The Times" has weakened on New Jersey as
a horrible example, and. strange to say is
now trying to make Massachusetts do duty
substitute. To the ordinary observer at this
all, ;y,Top tl,.
spot. the plight Of the Massachusetts Democracy
is about as hopeless a one as its worst enemies
could have contrived As party it has been
thoroughly disrupted and discredited. But The
Times" must have an example to point the
moral of reaction. and with the optimism OF des-
peratiOn it points TO Governor Guilds victory Of
Tuesday as an unmistakable warning TO the Re
publican party IN Massachusetts of the wrath TO
come. Says our contemporary with solemn en-
phasis:
He 1.-THE President will note that in Massa-
chusettS where the opposition to the Republl-
can party was split hope!essly into three OH
ferent and contending factions. the Republican
candidate has a majority Of only some 1000.
against majorities in the last three years run
ming from 22 600 to 5000, and the question VIII
be Inevitable, What would have been his fate
had the opposition been united?
Irreverent scoffers who recall merely that
Governor Guild had plurality over the regular
Democratic nominee OF more tnan one nuluTtNl
thousand and do not see why he or the Repub-
lican party should worry because he had clear
majority of "onIy some seventeen thousand over
the Democratic candidate, the anti-merger can
ddate and the Independence League candidate
combined, will. of course, miss the inner refine
ments of The Times's" logic. They will wonder
WHY three factions or interests which unsuccesS-
fully combined to defeat the Republican ticket
in 1905 and 1906 are more dangerous to Re
publican success when they have separated and
are intent chiefly on doing one another harm
What if the opposition had been unitedF' But
simply TO ask that question is to confess the
holowness of The Times'S' reasoning. The
last thing the Democratic factions in Massachu-
setts-or in New York, for that matter-are
capable of is to unite and stay united. They
have no common ideas principles or beliefs, and
could not get together even for the purpose Of
helping THE Times out with the horrible ex-
ample" of anti-Republican reaction which it
needs and seeks. The Democratic party has
everywhere troubles Of its own and is too busy
with them to challenge the Republican party in
any state to an open fight on national issues.