The Washington herald., 1916-11-11
Democracy Triumphant.

ocsunleS Tor another four years. Il
While the Democratic victory upset not few
political precedents the result does not come as
great surprise to the majority of the electorate,
who, in the closing days of the battle came to
realization that one of the closest contests in his
tory had reached stage where the wisest political
Solomons could not definitely forecast the out
come. So they were prepared for an announce
ment either way.
Just what the predominating factor in the re-
turn of Democracy for another four years, the
canvas of the returns does not disclose yet with
any degree of certainty
The average man will say the fact that the diplo-
macy of the White House and the State Depart
ment has kept US safely in the spectators seats
while the European conflict has been raging, with
its stupendous sacrifice of men and money, weighed
more heavily than anything else. The average
man also will say that the enfranehised women of
the West and Middle West who viewed the can
didates from human rather than political
standpoint could not forget that it the Presi-
dent with his policy of infinite patience in trying
moments, who guided the ship of state safely
such record the women were content to let him
continue at the wheel
More astute politicians will assert that the
Democratic victory was predicated largely on Re-
publican bunders, the major one being the at
tempt to make the railroad eight-hour law cap
ital issue Labor evidently construed the Repub-
lican attack against the methods used in passing
the law as an attack against labor and the eight
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than in any previous national campaign, and Mr.
Hughes suffered accordingly
How the hyphenated vote went is an open
question. At the beginning of the campaign, lead
ers in both camps placed the American followers
of the Kaiser safely sealed and delivered in the
Republican column. The assaults upon the Kaiser
and the early German activities in the war by Col.
Roosevelt alienated much of this support without
a question, and in the closing days it apparent
that the hyphen army had more generals than
privates.
Perhaps one of the chief causes of the victory
was the Democratic record of achievement in the
matter of legislation. With all its propensities for
pork and patronage, the Sixty-third Congress and
the first session of the Sixty-fourth Congress
could actually point to constructive legislation
that had actually been written upon the statute
books
beginning Win the OnQcrWoOQ revision OF tnc
tariff, the solons, dominated guided you
please, by President Wilson, had worked against
stubborn minority for the adoption of the ma
jority of the planks of the party platform adopted
at Baltimore.
Republicans yet have abiding conviction
that the Underwood tariff for revenue only would
have been a monumental failure and the country
plunged into poverty had not the European war
with its gigantic orders and cornucopia of gold
poured the golden stream into the manufacturing
plants of the United States and the pockets of
the working But it is hard to argue hard
times when a man has full stomach and pay
envelope arriving at regular periods The Re-
publicans realized this early in the campaign, and
their criticism of the Underwood tariff was based
largely on what might have been rather than on
what was.
The passage of the Federal Farm Loan
Act or Rural Credits Law attracted the votes of
thousands of farmers. The grip of the money
shark and usurer had extended deep into the agri-
cultural country and in seeking to make it posi-
Bile for the farmer to move his crop and secure
loans his physical assets at reasonable rate
of interest the administration benefited apparently
to large extent
In fiscal legislation, the passage Of the Federal
Reserve Act placing check on the possibility of
financial panics, the Income Tax Law, shifting a
greater burden of taxation on the more prosperous
classes, and the amendment to the Aldrich-Vree-
land Act, probably attracted much support.
Humanitarian legislation represented by
the eight-hour law, the workmen's compensation
act, the child-labor law, and increased pensions
for veterans and their widows.
The Clayton amendment to the Sherman anti
trust law, the Alaskan railway BILL the La Toilette
seamens BILL the creation of the Federal Trade
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the emergency revenue bill all marked matters
which gave the Democratic spellbinders effective
offensive material.
Last but not least was the masterful ability of
President Wilson himself a practical politician.
He came to the White House less than four
years ago with reputation of being considerable
of amateur in the game Of politics. Prom the
time that he called the first extra session of the
Sixty-third Congress until the beginning of his
campaign for reelection, when he rounded up the
disgruntled Murphy of Tammany Hall and turned
him into rnthusia site he has time and