Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1915-11-13
POLITICAL FADS IN ELECTION.
No Time for Experiments" Is Pub
lie Sentiment Expressed
at Polls.
By Ellis b. Usher.

BY Ellis b. Usher.
The election results of last Tuesday,
all in eastern and southern states, ARE
more interesting and important as
an expression of public sentiment.
speaking broadly, than as an index to
political sentiment or party tenden-
cies The significant emphasis seems
to be against political lads, and the
things that should never be intruded
as political issues. If last year, as
the New Republicans analysis then
proved was mo time for expert
ments, the recent elections give new
emphasis to the popular feeling that
the time has past for ventures in go
yernment under the leadership of en-
thusiasts in things merely revolution
airy, and having little else to COM
mend them. OF last years PROPOSE
tions the New Republican said of the
progressive measures submitted to
vote of the people, that regardless
of where they were voted upon or
who proposed them, the ban of popu-
lar disapproyal fell upon them with
deadly uniformity"
HIRAM's PLAN BEATEN.
This seems to have been the rule
this year. Beginning with Califor-
mia, in October, Gov. Johnson's nom
partisan scheme for state elections
was decisively defeated. On Tues
day last, the deadly uniformity" of
last years defeats followed this
years proposals., and whether it was
a new constitution backed by the
great name of Elihu~ Root, in New
York, old age pensions supported by
Gov. Walsh of Massachusetts, pro
hibitiOn in Ohio, or wOman's suf-
ffage, the voters had a very definite
purpose in voting them all down.
There were minor incidentals every
where, as usual, but the result was
primarily influenced by "the ban of
popular disapproval" that is done
with experiments. Nugent may have
voted in New Jersey, Tammany in
New York, and the Germans and
anti-CathOlics may have united
against Walsh, yet the broad field
shows a very general impulse to
"swat the fly" everywhere, and leave
the tariff and Mr.. Wilson to be set
tied with when their turn comes.
The result has therefore an unusual
appearance of intelligent and pur-
pOseful voting that is encouraging.
The one great and menacing discour-
agement is the small aggregate vote.
New Jersey, where the returns are
all figured up, illustrates the field.
That state should poll roo. 900 votes.
1t actually polled less than half that
number upon the question OF suffrage
Womans suffrage was nevertheless
greatly encouraged" by receiving
20 per cent of the total vote that the
state should cast. 1t is difficult to
believe that such figures repr esent
any adequate expression of public
sentiment. The only justification
for such an Interpretation is that in
localities where the total vote was
largest the majorities against wOm-
an s suffrage usually increased with
the size of the vote, suggesting that
among the stay-at-homes the feeling
existed that their votes were not Wit
al to the result. If anybody wants to
follow out this study they may start
on the theory that Pennsylvania,
New Jersey, New York. and Massa-
chusetts should have pOlled an aggre-
gate vote last Tuesday apprOximat-
ing seven millions. The vote actu-
ally polled will be found to be far
short of that
1t just happened that when l Went
to box in my library, the other
morning, l found, along with the
thing l was after, pamphlet enti-
tied 1.-The Bennett Law and the Ger
man Protestant Parochial School of
Wisconsin" by Christ Koerner, and
another: 1.-The Supremacy of the
Law of Family Should Never Be For
gotten" by F. w. Won Cotzhausen.
the latter a spee ch on the Bennett
law before the Lutheran convention
in Milwaukee, June 4, 1890. had
Just read the announcement that Gov.
Philips committee had selected for
mer Governor Hoard as Wisconsin,
most distinguished citizen, and [
thought of how the times have
changed Twenty-Five years ago l
was earnestly defending the paro-
chial schools against Governor
Hoard's campaign for the enlighten-
ment of the little German boy.
because | believed and, as it proved,
large majority in Wisconsin be-
java3 pOmDuISiOn unnecessary to