The Close States

The United States is democratie. The elections held in the close statcs since 18S4 have almost unifonnly shown democratie gains. The people have been satisfied with Cleve1 and 's administration. They have expressed that satisfaction at the polls. A little study of the election returns since 18S4 as compared with the returns of that year will show this. In New York state Cleveland's plurality four years ago was 1,047. A year later it gave the democratie candidate for governor 11,134 pl111"ality and in IK87 the democrats elected their secretary of state by 17,077. The bteady gain in the democratie majority is worthy of note. In the latter year, the republicans professed to be sure of success. Henry Georg e running on the unión lbor ticket received 70,055 votes for secretary of state that year. This year Henry George is a warm supporter of Cleveland and is doing yeoman service for him through the columns of his paper and on the stump. He estimates that So per cent of his vote last year will vote for Cleveland this year. Adding 80 per cent of the Géorge vote to the democratie vote of a year ago and 20 per cent of that vote to the republican vote, we have a democratie plurality of 59,100. It will be plainly seen that the republicans have at least up hill work before them in New York. InNevr Jersey the democratie plurality of 4,412 in 1884 grew to 8,020 in 1886. This year the prohibition candatefor president isf rom Newjersey and is very popular at home. He has been a republican and in New lersey his vote will come írom the republicans very largely. The republicans have no hope of New Jersey. In Connecticut the democratie plurality of 1,284111 1S84 grew to a plurality of 1,897 in This pluraiity is small, it is true, hut it showsagain over 1884 and Connecticut is a small state with a comparitively small vote. A majority of 1,897 m Connecticut is equivalent to one of 16,078 in New York. In Minnesota the large republican majority of 41,620 in 1884 dwindled to a paltry plurality of 2,600 on governor in 1886, on a total vote 30,516 largerthan in 1884. Thelarge decrease in majority cannot be Jaid to a stay at home vote; for the vote was out. This yeai large numbers of Scandinavians are leaving the party. The rank and file of all parties in Minnesota believe in tariff reduction. The figures are enough to make the republicans quake for Minnesota. In Indiana the republicans gained in 1886. There was however a light vote. The republican plurality in 1S86 was 3,324 and the democratie in 1S84, 6,512. The revolt of the working men in Indiana from the republican party is assuming large proportions this year. In California, the only state election held since 1S84 showed that the state was politically revolutionized. In 1884 Blaine had 13,128 majority. In 1886 the democrats elected ti.eir governor by 652 . The vote was a i uil one and was only 991 less than in 1884. The legislature elected was also democratie. Harrison is particularly unpopular in California owing to his Chinese votes. In Colorado, the democrats also revolutionized the state in 1S86. Blaine carried the state by 8,567 but two years later a democratie governor had 1,596 plurality. Rhode Island gave Blaine a ity of 6,439 but e republicans got mixed up with prohibition there- just . as they have in Michigan, only a little more so - and last year Rhode Isiand elected a democratie governor by 2,984 plurality and the republicans will have to make a hard fight to keep Rhode Island in therepublican column. Michigan gave Blaine 3,308 plurality. The next year Regent Whitman had 17,390 The following year the repubheans carried the state by 7,432 and last spring they had 4,609 over the democrats and greenbackers. The votes in the offyears were light and the margin is so close that Michigan can well be classed among the doubtful states, especially as a large numbei of intelligent republicans in this state will this year vote for Cleveland. New Hampshire gave Blaine a plurality of 41O63, but so satistactory was two years of democratie national administration that the republicans only got aplura'ity of 461 for governor in 18S6. A very little additional change would make New Hampshire democratie. Nevada gave Blaine 1,615 plurality. Two years later on a total vote of almost the same, the republican candidate ior governor had 594 majority. Harrison's Chinese record will lose him many votes in Nevada and he certainly cannot afford to lose many there. It will be seeu that the election returns in the close states have been very favorable to the democrats and indícate a trend of public opinión in I that direction