Evening star., 1942-11-08
Fifty Years Ago
in The Star

Fifty years ago, exactly to the day,
President Harrison, Republican nominee,
was defeated for reelection by ex-Presi-
dent Grover Cleveland, Democrat. The
campaigning had not been strenuous,
due largely to Mrs. Harri-
National sons fatal illness and her
Election death not long before.
Hindsight showed that
Cleveland had a safe majority, but this
was by no means obvious at the time, as
is evidenced by report from New York
in The Star of November 8, 1892: Be
cause. This is the reason of the party
leaders on both sides for thinking that
their candidates will win in today's bat
tie. The politicians are looking at face
through fog. A good sized plurality of
those who are not thoughtless enthu-
siasts or professional Chalmers are greatly
in doubt. The managers of both parties
keep up the appearance of confidence
with very good grace, and for the
most part their expressions represent
their feelings :. AS to the doubtful
States elsewhere opinions are heard on
about the same reports that are common
property. At both headquarters favor
able reports are received from the centers
of interest, and the wish is usually the
father Of the conclusion. The prevailing
opinions appear to be that after all the
fight is in Indiana, Connecticut and West
Virginia"
An extra edition later in the evening
told the story, principally in headlines:
Cleveland Probably Next President.
Victory Claimed by the Democrats. Re-
suit of the Voting Returns
The So Far Indicate Triumph
Result of Democracy. New York
Overwhelmingly D m O.
cratic. Illinois Counted in the Demo-
cratic Column. New Jersey Conceded.
Doubtful States Claimed" When the
smoke blew over, it was found that
| Cleveland had 277 electoral votes to
| Harriscn's 145, comfortable majority,
although the popular majority was not
| so disproportionate, being 5,554,4l4 to
| 5,190,802. A portion of the Populist vote,
1,027,329 would have sufficed to swing
the election the other way, although
their electoral vote was but %.
There also was an election in Italy.
The Star of November 7, 1892, reprinted
dispatch from Rome: "The returns of
yesterdays election for members of the
Chamber of Deputies shows
| Election that 1874 government sup
In ItoIv porters and II members of
the opposition were elect
ed" Among those not voting was little
9-year -old Benito Mussoiini. under whose
rule now nobody votes or at least nobody
votes the wrong way.
The Star of the same date carried a
belated report of the loss of the whaler
Helen Mar in Pacific Arctic waters: "On
october 6, when in latitude II north, the
vessel took two whales. The
Ship crew was so busy in trying
Disoster out the catch that they
did not observe the swift
current carrying them toward great
ice foe In the center of which was q
huge iceberg. When they observed their
peril there was no time left to escape
wreck. They had got out two boats, but
had no time to get into them before the
vessel came into contact with the foe.
The sharp edge Of the ice cut through
the hull as knife cuts cheese. In a
moment two masts snapped of and fell
on the Ice and the vessel went down as
though the bottom had dropped out
A few men were saved by reaching the
berg, where they were picked up two
days later by passing ship; but no less
than "a died.
The Star Of November Z, 1892, in q
correspondence item from New York, re-
ported: Work is going on in the build
ing and repair Of ships In the Navy Yard
| The battleship Maine
News From has occupied the
| The Navy Yard stone dock for long
time :. The Milan
tonomoh, Philadelphia and Atlanta ar.
also receiving some repairs" The times
however, were peaceful, and more interes
was felt in the coming Army Navy foot
ball game, scheduled for West Point
three weeks later-the third game In 9
series which has continued to date, al.
though there have been breaks, no games
having been played in the years 1894 Il
1893 inclusive, no game in 1909. none ir
either Of the war years, 1917 or 1918
and none IN either Of the peace years
1923 or ls9o.
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