The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1907-12-03
THE NEW JERSEY VOTE.

Discussion Of the vote cast in New
Jersey at this years election has beer
revived by the announcement of tn,
result of the official canvass. The siz,
of the total vote cast and that of thu
plurality secured by the Republican
candidate for Governor are considered
from various points of view, as of some
unique and portentous significance
Popular esteem of President Roose
velt's administration, the future pros
poets of the Republican party and the
ultimate destiny Of the American
| Union itself are assumed to be mex.
tricably interviewer with the facts
that a total of 1884, l6 votes was cast
and that Mr.. Fort had plurality Of
5000.
For ourselves we cannot preceive
ANY such epochal significance in the fig
ures. 1t is quite true that the total
vote was not as large as in 1904, at the
next preceding election for Governor.
But 1904 was a Presidential election
year, when the vote in every State
was, as usual larger than in other
years. The vote of 1907 was by far
the largest ever cast in New Jersey at
a State election outside of Presiden-
tial year, and was considerably larger
than any cast at any Presidential cleo
tion before 1900. 1t is, of course, to be
wished that all qualified voters would
vote at all elections. But they do not,
in New Jersey or elsewhere, and there
seems to be no practical way of max
ing them do so. Certainly the New
Jersey election this year did not indi-
cate any unique or phenomenal degree
of apathy. The increase in the vote
was not as great as in former years.
From 1895 to 1898 it was 23,836, or
7 ,945 year. From 1898 to 1901 it was
% 1922, or 1907 year. From 1901
to 1907 it was 80, 149, or only 5,525
year. But it is not improbable that
the census would show that the popu-
lation has not increased as rapidly in
the last six years as in the six preced-
ing them.
As for the Republican plurality, it
was of normal size for non. Presiden-
tial'year and year in which no phe-
nomenal conditions prevailed to bring
out full vote. 1t was much larger
than that IN 1893, which was only
5,499, and it was larger than in any of
fourteen of the twenfy-one governor
ship elections which preceded it since
the adoption OF the present constitu-
tion. The seven which exceeded it
we're those of 1862, 1874, 1877, 1889,
1896, 1901 and 1904, in each of which
abnormal conditions prevailed. Com
pared with the Republican pluralities
of last year, it showed fine increase,
for those were only 3, 1913 on the Con-
greSsional and ], 1852 on the legislative
ticket. Moreover, the Republican vote
this year was the largest ever cast in
the State excepting in recent Presi-
Dental years. 1t is true that tile
Democratic vote this year was the
largest ever cast in the State, even in
Presidential year. Still the Repub-
licans won over it by 5000 for Cover
nor and 1870 for Assemblymen, and
thatwithoutp polling theirfull strength.
That is really about all there seems to
be in the recent vote in New Jersey,
excepting pretty positive indication
that the State remains, as for many
years past, strongly Republican and
that in next years election it will be
found steadfast in the Republican
column. Y. Tribune.