The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1910-11-11
THE democrats gained great vic


tory throughout the country at the
polls Tuesday. 1t was veritable ava
lanche, complete reversal of things
political. States where party vote has
always been SO close as to place them
in the doubtful column, have returned
to democracy, while old republican
strongholds, where the chances of dem
ocracy have heretofore been hopeless,
have switched their allegiance. New
York, Ohio, Massachusetts, Indiana,
Connecticut, New Jersey have swung
into the democratic column. Where
the republicans have won they are COM
PEELED to be contented by greatly re-
duced majorities. The change in the
congressional delegation is so sweep.
ing that the democrats are again in
control of that body. OF couse many
wise men are now busy assigning rea-
sons why this revolution has taken
place, and naturally opinions differ.
The basic cause of revulsion is no
doubt the new tariff schedule. Tink
ering with the tariff has always been
a dangerous proceeding with the party
in power. The principles of tariff leg
islation is understood by few, and yet
it is discussed volubly by all classes,
and new schedule is usually criticised
and condemned by those who know the
least upon the subject. The Payne
Aldrich law has come in for more de-
nouncement than any similar legisla-
tiOn since the war. Before any OPP
portunity was given to ascertain by APP
plication whether or not the measure
is to prove success or failure, as
success or failure is weighed by friends
or enemies of protection, a majority of
the writer's and speakers OF the coun-
try were assailing the bill, and charg
ing all the ills that af1lict the body
polite to the Ubiquitous measure.
Such feeling of antagonism was Gre
ated among the bulk of the voters that
any defense of the bill carried little
weight in counteracting awakened pre-
judice. There are other causes that
divide up responsibility for the over
throw OF the republican party. The
insurgent movement, that split the
party asunder, was playing directly
into the hands of democracy, and it
looks as though that was the object
the leaders had in view. Then the
attitude of Col. Roosevelt had it's in
fluence in turning the scale in favor of
the democrats in New York, Ohio and
Connecticut. People are slow to recog-
nize the advantages to be gained by
discarding several so-called bosses and
accepting a single one, and they can
hardly endorse the colonel's insistence
that no one in public life is clean and
upright but himself His going up
and down the land like a roaring lion
accusing, denouncing, vilifying all men
who may differ with him on questions
of public policy has a tendancy to
arouse disgust and weaken his influence
as vote getter. Also there has been
q spirit Of unrest prevailing for some
time, caused largely by an increased
cost of the bare necessities of life
that directly and Immediately affects
and appeals to every class of citizens,
who rather than "bear those ills we
have" would "fy to others, that we
know not Of" There are numerous
causes to which may be ascribed the
reversal of political sentiment through
out the country. 1t makes little diff
ference which may be the cause that
led up to the effect, the electors have
registered their verdict, and the ma
ton will continue to exist.