Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1915-12-03
Indications and Results.

cedes a contest for the presiden-
cv, politicians always scan cleo
ton returns with the greatest
care. What omens do they see
in the recent elections? 1t need
hardly be said that the prophets
of both the leading parties pro.
fess to find in the returns full
assurance of a victory next year,
saws an exchange.
The most prominent fact in the
voting this year, as the observ-
ers of every party admit. is the
virtual dissolution of the Pro-
gressive party. It was an off
shoot from the Republican par
ty. and in 1912 cast GOO, 900 more
votes than the organization from
which it broke away. In the
recent elections it almost disap-
peared. Undoubtedly the larger
part Of Mr.. Roosevelt's support
ors REALIZED themselves with the
Republicans, but a considerable
number have ranged themselves
permanently with the Democrats.
SO, although the combined votes
for Taft and for Roosevelt in
1912 exceeded the vote for Will
son by more than 1900, 900, it is
not certain either that they will
combine next year against the
Democratic candidate, or that
the partial union effected this
year would have given them the
victory had the election beer
held at this time.
Four years ago, long before
the actual split in the Chicago
convention, the hopeless break
up of the Republican party clear
" foreshadowed a Democratic
victory. Today both parties are
fairly we'll united, and each see.
good reason to hope for success
next November. The result p
that time will depend to an VI,
usual degree on the course o
political events in the comm
year.
So much for Indications; nov
for the results. In Massachu
sets the partial union of Repuh
licans and Progressives resulted
in the election of a Republican
governor, but Massachusetts, ha.
really been a Republican stat'
during all the past five years;
for, although it has had a Dem
ocratic governor, the Republicans
have controlled the legislature
and have held most of the state
offices, The same union gave the
Republican party continued con
troll of the legislatures of New
York and of New Jersey-two
states essential to Democratic
success in a national election. II
was not a Republican revival, but
local antagonisms among the
Democrats, that made the result
very close in Maryland and in
Kentucky.
But the two most interesting
events in the election were the
rejection of the New York con-
stitution and the vote in four
states on the question of woman
suffrage. The constitution suf-
fered defeat apparently because
it attacked too many intrenched
abuses at once. Tammany was
against it for certain reasons,
the upstate" voters for others.
those who would have suffered
financially by losing their posi-
tions for still others, and so on.
For although a majority of half
a million New Workers. regarded
it as deserving of rejection, to
outsiders it seemed a much bet
ter constitution than the one in
use at present.
Woman suffrage received a
severe check. In four states
that have almost exactly one.
fourth of the total population of
the country, the voters emphatic
ally rejected the amendment tc
give women the vote, although
the adverse majority in Pennsyl.
vania was not large. There is
little to be said about the result
except that the woman suffrag.
lists do not accept the defeat as
final, and are already arminq
themselves for the next battle.
They have this advantage: sue
cessive defeats do not end the
struggle, but a single victory
does.