Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1916-12-02
The Election and Look Ahead

President Wilson will enter upon his
second term majority President, which
he was not at his first election. He re-
eeived over million votes more this
year than four years ago. He has Il
majority in the Electoral College of ten
votes, and popular plurality of some
thing over 100000 votes. This is the
smallest electoral majority since the fa-
nous contested election of President
Hayes in 1876; and the smallest popular
plurality since the second election OF
Grover Cleveland in 1892. Mckinley at
his two elections received popular plur-
alities of 100000 aud $4,000 respec'
lively, Roosevelt plurality of two ana
a half million, and Taft plurality OF a
million and quarter. -Four years ago
Mr.. Wilson led his nearest opponent by
\ little over two million votes, but MI
Roosevelt and Mr.. Taft together reeeiV'
ed considerably more than million
votes more than Mr.. Wilson. The demo
Gratis this wear carried thirty states and
Aha republicans eighteen; but the ag'
gregate population of the republican
states was slightly greater than that Oh
tho democratic states.
1t was a narrow margin for the presl'
dent A difference of less than foul
thousand votes in California, the state
whose thirteen electoral votes turned
the scale finally against Mr., Hughes
would have changed the result But the
victory, narrow as it was, is an unden,
iablo triumph for Mr.. Wilson personal
K. II was his administration that was
On trial, in no far, moreover as the vot
srs were Judging the legislative record
Of the democratic party during the past
three years. il was record which ms
hand had done more than any Other
force whatever to write.
It was sectional victory--perhap'
enc might be pardoned for saying
two.sectional victory. Ii was the SOLID
south and an almost solid west--Oregor
and South Dakota the exceptions -
against an almost solid east and middle
west-New Hampshire and Ohio falling
similarly on the other side.
The significance of the result woul,
seem to consist of four elements, som'
Of which overlap and intcrtwine. They
are these;
(1) The approval by the west OF thu
president IS success in keeping us GU
Of war;"
(2) The support of the women in thu
suffrage states. only two of which, Ore
gon and Illinois, went into the republl
san column;
(3) The conviction ON the part o
the western progressivcs, who are NOR
radical and warm hearted than thel
eastern brothers, that Mr.. Wilson wa
more their kind of progressive thai
Mr.. Hughes and their belief that tn
democratic party under the Leadership
Of Mr.. Wilson is the present party o
progress, while the republican party un
der its present leadership is the part,
of the backward look;
(l) The willingness of the lepubll
can candidate to content himself Wit
an attack upon Mr. Wilson and hi
deeds, and the failure of the repuhli
can campaign TO develop any kind q
positive appeal to the voter,
The election has one clear lesson 70
the American politician. The America
people in this generation are on the sid
of progress, No party can win to powe
that ignores that fact. The demoeratl
party was successful this year heeaus
il had faithfully followed progressiv
leader. The republican party failed, i
spite of the fact that its candidate wa
an acknowledged enemy OF reaetion am
his principal ally the founder of the lat
progressive party, because its leader
ship, as displayed at the Chicago cor
yention and later carried no convictio
of enlightenment, displayed no detcl