The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1915-01-14
THE OFFICIAL RETURNS.

The result of the elections of Nov
ember last proves three very import,
ant political facts
First: The republicans carried up
on national issues states that would
give a clear majority in the electoral
college, and elect a republican presi-
dent.
Second: The democratic majority
in the next House is only the result
of the progressive vote in certain dis
tricts of the country, and the demo
Gratis will be really minority party
in the House of Representatives
! Third: Two-thirds Of the progress
| i've vote of 1912 has not only ceased
to support third party candidates
but has returned to the support OF
republican principles and candidates
This is the story that is told b. the
official figures of the last election just
compiled by the Republican National
Committee. They are the official fig.
ures of thirty-eght different states,
representing all sections of the COun-
try.
The republicans carried % states,
which in the electoral college cast
28S votes for president clear ma,
jority of % over the 266 necessary
for a choice. There are three states
which may be temporarily classed
as doubtful, as on national issues
they divided their allegiance. These
are Oregon, South Dakota and Ne.
vada, in which democratic senators
were chosen but republican congress.
sional delegations were elected.
At this election 230 democratic
members of congress were success
full. In 80 of the congressional dis
tricts of the country, however, the
progressive vote was larger than the
democratic plurality, so that, had it
not been for the progressive vote, the
democratic membership in the next
House would be only 49,, with 21S
necessary for a majority. The pro-
gressive vote also elected four demo
cratic senators, those in California,
Colorado, Indiana and Oregon.
The question of what has become
of the progressive vote of 1912 is well
answered in these official returns. In
the SO states whose returns have
been compiled, there is a republican
gain of 2,4S9,588 over the republican
presidential vote of 1912. There is
a progressive loss of 2,507,811. as
compared with the presidential vote
of that party two years ago. In other
words, the progressive loss is within
less than l per cent of being the
same as the republican gain.
In these % states which put them
selves in the republican column, the
republican plurality over the demo
cratic vote was over a million where
as, in 1912, the Wilson vote in the
same states was larger than the Taft
vote by over one million. OF the
total vote cast by the three parties
in these states in 1914, the republi-
cans cast 1915 per cent; the demo
Gratis 1873 per cent; and the pro-
gressiyes lis per cent. In 1912. the
presidential vote cast was. Republi-
cansfi 2S.4 per cent; democrats, 1877
per cent; progressives, 3l.9 per cent.
OF the total progressive vote cast
by these % states, it is interesting to
note that half of it was cast by two
states. Illinois and Pennsylvania, and
nearly two-thirds of the total by the
three states of Illinois. Pennsylvania
and Kansas.
The three doubtful states. accord
ing to the last election, were Nevada.
Oregon and South Dakota. In Ne
vada. the democrats won the senator
ship by 40 votes. and the republicans
won ongressman-at1arge by pIu-
rality Of ST.. In Oregon the demo-
Gratis, and his own personal popular
ity. reelected Senator Chamberlain
by margin OF $4,000: while the re-
publicans carried all three congress
sional districts and had plurality Of
the congressional vote OF $4,000. be-
sides electing q governor BIZ $1,000.
South Dakotn elected democratic
senator BY s.s60 and at the same
time. elected two republicans out Of