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About The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936 | View Entire Issue (March 5, 1897)
I J WAS THERE FRAUD IN ' I THE ELECTION OF 1896 ? I If So , Was It in Eepublican or Dem- I „ ocratic States ? H i Some Startling Figures Showing Systematic Suppression Hj I of Republican Votes. . The South Would Hare Given a Majority for jttcKinley , as Did the B v North , Could Her Voters Have Had Fair Treatment ' ft B A Non-Partisan Discussion of the Election Results Based Upon H Official Figures. M The final count by Congress of the elec- 1 toral vote , coupled with the various H charges which hare been made by differ- H ent people of excessive votes in certain of M the Northern States and suppression of H the Republican votes in the South , sug- M gest a careful study of the figures of the P I election in the light of those of other elec- H _ tions and records of population as well as B ! Gov. Altgeld and Senator Allen have B charged a fraudulent excess of votes in H nearly all of the close States which were M carried by the Republicans in the late H campaign , including Ohio , Indiana , Michi- M gan , Illinois , Kentucky , Iowa , Wiscon- H 6in , Minnesota , Oregon , California , West B Virginia , Maryland and even Pennsylva- H nia. Senator Allen published as an ollicinl B | # document a paper containing a charge of K J this character and also introduced a reso- H | lution calling for an investigation , but B I has not up to this time made any move in Bj the way of even asking consideration for K his resolution. Bl ' Fortunately ; it is possible by examining B the figures of the census of 18D0 to get a H pretty fair idea as to whether the alleged K j vote in any State was actually in , excess H of the number of voters in the State. The H census of 1S90 shows the number of males K above the age of twenty-one in each State H and it is reasonable to assume that there H has been a very 'material increase in the H number of males of voting age In all parts Mi of the country , and especially in the Mis- BB sissippi valley , in the six years between H * Ue date of the census and the election of HF 1S96. This makes it comparatively easy Hi to examine in an intelligent way the B charges ' , of rqud : os. _ , made by Senator AlB - B leg andf gov. Jtitgeld.fU4 .u . . , # t ilA Let us examine a few of these charges. In Ohio Mr. Allen charges that the "fraudulent excess" of votes in 1896 was 1 94,500. Let us see. Ohio , according to his figures gave 1,011,576 votes. There j were in Ohio in 1S90 , according to the H I census , 1,016,464 males of voting age , or M I more than 500Q ; in excess of the number H 1 of votes cast in 1896. Ohio increased her H population 14.88 per cent in the decade H j ' 1 from 1SS0 to 1890 , and it. is reasonable to B I assume that , with the great prosperity M J ' 1 which has attended her development of B t manufactories in the natural gas region B 1 in the past few years , the increase of H j > population from 1890 to 1896 has been , at B . a very low estimate , ten per cent , which H would bring the male population of 21 H years and upwards , up to 1,117,000 , or M 106,000 in excess of the number of votes M cast , yet Mr. Allen charges officially , but M admits that he does not know by what B | ' process he arrives at the conclusion , that H , 94,500 "fraudulent excess" of votes was H I cast in that State. M In Indiana and Illinois the total num- H . ber of votes cast in 1896 slightly exceeds VB W j-\ \ the total number of males above 21 years ! \ of age shown by the census of 1890 in 1 those States. In Illinois the excess of I • > * ' ' * • • lOOC tl > eve those of voting age , I in 1890 in that State is less than 19,000. J Illinois gained in population in the decade I Mfrom 1880 to 1S90 24.32 per cent In view of the great number of people drawn to Chicago during the World's -Fair period , many of whom remained there , it is rea- I sonable to suppose that the rate of gain _ _ I since 1890 has been quite as rapid and H I that the increase of population and in the B J number of persons of voting age is fully B I 16 per cent. This would bring the number B B of males of voting ngc in the State up to H I 1,243,000 , or 232,000 in excess of the numB - B ber of votes actually cast. In Indiana B the increase of population has been much 1 more rapid probably than in Illinois , be- B cause of the wonderful development of Hl the natural gas region of that State , where Bj Industries have been extremely active and " " 1 prosperous , even while there was depres I sion and absolute inactivity in nearly all other parts of the country. The total _ , „ male population of Indiana above 21 years • j \ of age in 1890 was 595,066 , but with the j ' phenomenal growth of population which • j it has had since that time , it has probably , H | increased 100,000 , so that there is every j H reason to believe that the total number of ] H > I voters in the State was , in 1896 , nearly H or quite 700,000 , while the total number , _ of votes cast was only 637,284. B The Voters Did Not All Vote. H > It is unnecessary to pursue in detail the investigation of the relation of the votes cast to the voting population in all the States charged with a "fraudulent excess" of votes in Senator ' Allen's official raper. The following table gives the number of males of voting age in each of the States in question in 1890 and beside it the num I ber of votes in . cast 1S96. When it is re membered that the natural growth of pop ulation in these States in the six years since the census of 1890 is from 10 to 15 cent it will be per seen that in no case was the vote actually cast in 1896 nearly as large as the number of males over the [ age of 21 years which must have been in these States on Nov. 3 , 1S96. Table showing the number of males of voting age in 1890 and the number of votes cast in 1896 : 1 Males above 21 years of Votes cast age in 1890. in 1896. Pennsylvania . . .1,461,869 1,188,354 Maryland 270,738 240,866 H Ohio 1,016,464 1,011,576 Michigan 617,455 544,278 H. Indiana 595,066 637,284 Illinois 1,072,663 1,091,166 Kentucky 450,792 445,934 B J Iowa 520,332 521,551 . f .Wisconsin 461,722 448,106 B I H'l I fl T H'B J MB. I Minnesota 370,036 341,539 Oregon 111,744 96,846 California 462,289 294,000 The student of the above table should bear in mind constantly that it is entirely proper to add from ten to fifteen per cent to the figures of the first column in order to obtain approximately the number of male persons of voting age in the States in question at the time of the vote about which Mr. Allen complains , Nov. 3 , 1896. The Vote of 1892 Was a LiKht One. There is another way of looking at it , and a way which Senator Allen seems to have entirely overlooked. He apparently bases his assumption as to the number of voles to which each State is entitled upon the number of votes cast in 1892 , since he includes in his table the figures of that election and compares those of 1896 with them. Had he taken the trouble to ex amine the figures of the.presidential elec tions during the past twenty years he would have found that the vote of 1892 was the lightest in proportion to the pop ulation that has been cast in a presidential election for many years , perhaps the light est at any time since the close of the war. Certainly the percentage of gain in the total vote in 1892 over the preceding presi dential election is lighter than has been the case in any presidential election since 1872. The following table gives the num ber of votes cast in each presidential elec tion since 1S68 , the increase in the num ber of votes and the percentage of in crease. Table showing the total vote cast in each presidential election since 1868 , the gain in the number of votes in each elec tion and the percentage of gain in the number of votes cast : iaj > - - - i L iGaiu preced&g - • * " * * - * Total presidential Per cent Tear. vote cast , election , of gain. 1872 6,466,165 741,479 12.9 1876 8,412,7331,946,568 80.1 18S0 9,209,406 796,673 9.4 1884 10,044,985 835,579 9.1 188S 11.3S0.860 1,335,875 13.3 1892 12,059,351 678,491 5.9 1896 13,951,283 1,891,932 15.6 It will be seen by a study of the above table that the vote of 1892 was an unusu ally light one , being a gain of but 5.9 per cent over that of the preceding presi dential election. This is the lowest gain made at any time in the quarter of a cen tury which this table covers. The vote of 1892 was evidently the lightest in proportion tion to the voting population that has been given within the period in question. It would not be surprising , therefore , if the increase in 1896 , compared with 1892 , should be an unusually large one , especially in view of the fact that the in terest in the election was more intense than was perhaps ever felt before , at least in the memory of the present gen eration. An examination of the percent age column , however , will show that the actual increase overilSDO was only 15.6 per cent , while in 1S76 the increase over the preceding presidential election was 30.1 per cent , and 'the increase in 1888 over that in 18S4 was 13.3 per cent , nearly as much as 1896 , on which occasion the interest in the campaign was unusually great and the efforts to rally every vote , by both sides , were exceptional. A study of this table will show to those who ex amine it that it cannot be successfully charged that the total vote of the nation in 1896 was excessive or out of proportion tion in its increase , especially when it Is remembered that the vote of 1892 was unusually light and that the percentage of gain is estimated upon that light vote. In order to give however , , those who as sume an excessive vote in certain States , the full advantage of every fact , let us examine the votes in the States of which Mr. Allen complains and compare them with the vote of 1892 , confessedly a light vote. Pennsylvania increased her vote-In 1896 18.4 per cent , as compared with the vote of 1892 , and Mr. Allen complains that there was a "fraudulent excess" of 94,000 in Pennsylvania's vote. He makes no complaint , however , of the fact that tne estate of Montana , which was as earnest for the free coinage of silver as was Pennsylvania against it , increased her vote 21.9 per cent. Indiana increas ed her vote 14.7 in 1896 , as compared with 1892 , yet Mr. Allen , whose party carried" South Dakota , makes no complaint of the fact that South Dakota increased her vote 17.1 per cent , nor does he refer to the fact that Indiana , in the election of 1876 , when she went Democratic , increased her vote 26.3 per cent. Iowa increased her vote 17.6 per cent , and Mr. Allen charges 77,500 "fraudulent excess" of votes , but makes no comment on the fact that North Carolina , a Populist State , increased her vote 17.8 per cent , nor does he refer to the fact that Iowa in 1876 increased her vote 35 per cent. California increased her vote 9.1 per cent in 1896 , as compared with 1892 , and Mr. Allen charges 22,000 "fraudulent excess" of votes , but makes no reference to the fact that his own State , Nebraska , increased her vote 11.1 per cent in the same election. Maryland Increased her vote 12.9 per cent in 1896 , as compared with 1892 , and although Mr. Allen charges a "fraudulent excess" of 8,700 , he raises no objection to the fact that ten States , giving their votes to the Populist-Democratic candidate , increased their votes in a much greater ratio than did Maryland , nor does he refer to the fact that Maryland herself , in 1888 , when she went Democratic , gained 13.5 per cent over her own presidential vote in the pre- ceding election. Ohio , of1 which Mr. Allen complains as casting 94 , 'COO "fraud ulent excess" of votes , increased her vote 19.1 per cent in 1890 over 1892 , yet Mr. Allen contemplates with entire calmnefid the fact that Wyoming , a Stnte as ar dently for the free coinage of silver as was Ohio nguinst it , ineresised her vote 25.8 per cent in the same election. He also complains bitterly of Minnesota , which he says cast 12,100 "fraudulent excess" of votes in the election of 1890 , but he omits to call attention to the fact that Minnesota's vote in 1890 was actual ly S.9 per cent less than her own vote in the presidential election of 1892. Her vote in 1892 was 374,807 , and that of 1890 341,539 , a falling off of 33,000 votes , but as 107,000 of the votes of 1892 were cast by the Union Labor party , which after wards merged with the Populists , Mr. Allen makes no complaint of the vote of 1892 , which was a gain of 42.1 per cent over that of 1888 , while the 1888 vote was a gain of 38.4 per cent over that of 1884. Illinois increased her vote in 1890 24.9 per cent over 1892 , and Mr. Allen charges a "fraudulent excess" of yotes amounting to 137,000. Yet he offers no complaint over the fact that Mississippi increased her vote 31.9 , or that Florida , the birthplace of Populism , increased her vote 30.5 per cent in 1890 , as compared with 1892 , nor does he refer to the fact that Illinois also gained 25.8 per cent in 1876. The highest percentage of gain of any State in which Mr. Allen charges a "fraudulent excess" of votes is Kentucky , 'where the gain was 31.1 per cent , as com pared with 1892 , and the "fraudulent ex cess" charged is 43,300. Mr. Allen does not , however , offer any objection what ever to the fact that Idaho , which sup ported the free coinage of silver as enthu siastically as the Kentuckians opposed it , increased her vote in 1896 52.5 per cent , as compared with 1892 , nor does he refer to the fact that Kentucky herself gained 36.1 per cent in the year 1876 and 24.7 in 1888 , and also omits to mention that his own State , Nebraska , gained 50.7 per cent in 1888. It may be interesting to see some of these figures side by side , as follows. Table showing the percentage of gain in 1890 , compared with 1892 , in votes cast in presidential elections : Republican States Democratic States gain in 1896 over gain in 1896 over 1892- 1892 California 9.1 Nebraska 11.1 Maryland 12.9 South -Dakota. .17.1 Indiana 14.7 North Carolina..l7.8 West Virginia. . 16.3 Tennessee 20.2 Iowa 17.6 Montana 21.9 Michigan 18.8 Wyoming 25.8 Ohio 19.1 Missouri 24.8 Wisconsin 20.4 Florida 30.5 Illinois 24.9 Mississippi . . . .31.9 Kentucky 30.1 Idaho 52.6 Where the Real Fraud Was. It must be apparent to anybody who takes the trouble to examine the above figures that the charges of fraud in the election in the States carried by McKinley - ley are false. Nobody , whatever his po litical sentiments may be , can doubt that if he examines carefully these figures , which are taken from the official publica tions. But how about the South , where the Democracy is always triumphant by one process another ? It is a notorious fact that inthe , ex treme Soufcern States the colored voters have been disfranchised by one process and another until their participation in national and State elections has practi cally disappeared. This has been accom plished by various processes at various times , that process which combines the greatest success with the greatest showing of virtue having finally been hit upon in amendments to the State constitutions which require an educational test as a qualification for voting. With a clause In the State constitution requiring each voter to be able to read or "satisfactorily explain" a clause in that instrument itself , and the jury which is to determine wheth er the reading or "explanation" is well done being "packed" beforehand , it is easy to see that the average colored voter In the South stands little show of an op portunity to cast his vote. This require ment exists in several of the Southern States. In others there is also an educa tional test in the form of a law which re quires a separate ballot box for each can didate with his name printed on the out side , the voter being required to place his ballot for each candidate in its proper box. In order to prevent the successful coach ing of voters not able to read the names upon the boxes , the custom is to change the location of the boxes from hour to hour or more frequently if necessary , thus making it absolutely impossible for the voter who cannot read to know whether he is putting his ballot In the right box. In some cases it is found more convenient to count the votes cast for Republican candidates , as cast for Democrats and vice versa , but those are now exceptions ) and the "educational test" is becoming the popular method in the South for keeping the negroes away from the polls. It sounds well , prevents charges of violations of law and yet does the business most : effectively. That the experiments which : the people of the South have been making , In the last twenty years in the line of , "How to Exclude the Black Vote from ' the Polls , " have been highly successful , ] will be seen from the following votes and • figures taken from the official records of ' the Government. Seven of the extreme ' Southern States , which contain In them- ' uoIvpb more than one-half of the entire colored population of the country , are selected as an example. These States occupy the extreme southern belt and in them the art of depriving the negro voter of his right of suffrage seems to have at tained its highest perfection. Suppressing Republican Votes in the South. The States whose vote will be examined herewith are South Carolina , Georgia , Florida , Alabama , Mississippi , Arkansas. Louisiana. Twenty years ago the art of suppressing the negro vote was in its In fancy. In the presidential election of 1876 the total vote returned from these States amounted to 989,114. Since that they have gained , according to the United States census , 3,305,405 in population. Yet in the year 1890 they report only 791,011 votes cast , an actual loss of 198,108 votes. Here is an example for those who admire the art of suppressing votes. A gain of 3,306,465 in population and at the same time a loss of 198,103 in the number of votes. A gain of 66 per cent as shown by the official figures and at the same time a loss of 20 per cent in votes , as also shown by the ofiicial figures. That this ' reduc tion in the number of votes was caused by keeping away colored Republican voters from the polls is shown by the fact that the percentage of the vote cast for the Republican tickets in these States has dwindled year by year until it has reached as low a figure as 4 per cent in Alabama In 1892 , 3 per cent in Mississippi in 1892 , while in Florida and Louisiana no votes I * " iir I i i / . - , . were recorded for the Republican presi dential candidates in that year. Not con tented with this , the vote was brought down In many of those States even lower in 1890 than in 1892 , the number of votes cast being actually less in the recent elec tion than in an' which had preced ed it. The above statements are verified by the following figures taken from the official records of the Government. They indi cate the population of those States in 1870 and 1890 as shown by the United States consuls , and also show the total vote In each State in the presidential elections of 1870 and 1896 as shown by officinl returns. Table showing the population in 1870 and 1890 , and also the vote in 1870 and 1896 : Population Population 1870. 1890. South Carolina 705,606 1,151,149 Georgia : . . . .1,184,109 1,837,353 Florida 187,784 891,422 Alabama 969,992 1,513,017 Mississippi 827,922 1,239,660 Arkansas 4S4.471 1,128,178 Louisiana 720,915 1,118,527 Vote Vote 1876. 1896. South Carolina 182,766 68,938 Georgia 130,534 102,744 Florida 40,770 44,740 Alabama 171,697 194,576 Mississippi . 104,778 09,513 Arkansas 96,740 149,454 Louisiana 145,823 101,040 The above table , it will be seen , shows a large gain in the population in each of the States in question from the census of 1870 to the last census of 1890. It also shows , however , that in every case except two the vote of 1890 was much less than that of 1870. The total population in these States increased from about five millions in 1870 to nearly eight and a half millions in 1890 , yet the total vote fell from 939- 000 in 1876 to 791,000 in 1896. The detail of the vote by States with the gain in population and loss in votes is shown in the tables which follow. Table showing by States the gain in population in twenty years and gain or loss in votes in the corresponding period : Gain in Gain or loss population in vote 20 years. 20 years. S. Carolina. . 440,540 Loss 113.82S Georgia 643,244 Loss 17,770 Florida 263,038 Loss 2,636 Alabama . . . 516,025 Gain 22,879 Mississippi . 461,638 Loss 95,265 Arkansas . . 643,70S Gain 52,714 Louisiana . . 391,672 Loss 44,777 Totals . . .3,366,462 Net loss 195,003 Table showing by States the percentage of gain in population in twenty years and the percentage of gain or loss in votes in the corresponding period : Percentage Percentage of gain in of gain or population loss of vote in 20 years. in 20 years. S. Carolina. . .Gain 63 Loss 62 Georgia Gain 53 Loss 10 Florida Gain 108 Loss 4 Alabama Gain 51 Gain 18 Mississippi . . .Gain 55 Loss 57 Arkansas Gain 132 Gain 54 Louisiana Gain 53 Loss 31 ELECTION FIGURES. The Story of the Presidential Canvass of 1896 in a Nutshell. The canvass of the electoral vote for President and Vice-President in the 'two houses of Congress presents some inter esting figures. The popular and electoral vote were as follows : McKinley. Bryan. Popular vote 7,105,959 6,454,943 Electoral vote 271 176 States Lz rT 23 22 The nsa erof votescast shows that ti y v of McKinlf over Bryan , and P ifcSr all , indietes a decisive vic- over t < > 3Jj F ! T : wMi pacty. Old party lines were obliterated , and ahigh principle was vindicated by men wio believed in the honor of the nation above mere party adherence. The total result of the can vass is exhibited in the following figures : Total popular vote il3,875,653 McKinley over Bryan ? 651,016 McKinley over all / 336,255 National Democratic vote. . . . 132,870 Prohibition vote \ 131,870 Socialist Labor vote * . 36,260 Free Silver people * 13,873 Populnr votal892. . . , . 1 .5 51 Increase in four years 12& ; . 1 Electoral vote for Watson f. 27 Bryan received the total Popinist vote of 1892 , in addition to which w s the Re publican silver vote , as well asihe vote of those Democrats who "voted first and read the platform afterwards/ This ac counts for the large number or votes cast for him. From Missouri heeceived the highest number of electoraJ-fotes seven teen. The votes of nine Sates were giv en him , the highest ofVhich had only four electors. The canvass indicates a divergence in the vofesVf States contrast ed by the moral lines of wealth and popu lation. For McKinley the votes from the prosperous , conservative and largely wealthy and populated States were almost unanimous. Bryan's strength lay in those States consisting mainly of territory and not of people. The figures and facts show that after all , while the plurality of Mr. McKinley was great , yet the comparisons of territories make it still more signifi cant St. Joseph Herald. DEMOCRACY AND POPULISM. They Cannot Co-operate Remains but One Course for the Democrats. There is no possibility of amalgamation between Democrats and Populists , as the principles for which they stand will no more mix than oil and water. It requires no particular powers of political prophecy to foresee that the result will be the same as it was in the last national convention of the Democracy the Populistic forces will control it and name the platform and candidates. Making due allowance for the many thousands who voted direct ly with the Republicans , the sound money Democrats can have no reasonable doubt , after their experience in the last cam paign , that they are in a hopeless minor ity In their own party , and that the most they can expect to do , either as individuals or as an organization , is to defeat the aims of their former party associates by sup porting the Republican candidates and platform either directly or through a de coy organization contributing to the same result. To recapture and dominate the Democratic organization or to win as a separate organization they have not a ghost of a show. The most effective and consistent course , therefore , for them to pursue is to take the advice recently given to them by Senator Piatt , to unite directly with the Republican party. Pittsburg Commercial Gazette. The truly great are those who conquer - { quer themselves. j i 1 - - * * - * * ? 'iw * * * * i . . . i PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT. SKETCHES OF THE LIVES OF M'KINLEY AND HOBART. Their Tublic and Home Life Interest ingly Outlined. The new President and Vice-President and their families are naturally subjects of much attention in the public mind and the public eye at the present moment , both in Washington and elsewhere. Both those gentlemen have been before the public for some time , and the Btory of their lives Is pretty well known. It may not be amiss , however , now that they are just assuming the reins of government , to sketch briefly the career of the President nnd Vice-Pres ident , and to give to those interested some facts relative to their families and home life. William McKinley celebrated his fifty- third birthday a few days before his in auguration. Born Feb. 20 , 1844 , in the State of Ohio , his career has been a re markable one nnd full of activity in public affairs since reaching the age of seven teen. At that early age he entered the Twenty-third Ohio Volunteer Infantry in May , 1801 , as a private soldier , serving continuously until the close of the war , when he was mustered out September , 1865 , as a captain and brevet major. He was then but 21 years of age. Returning to his home in Stark County , Ohio , he resumed his studies , making such rapid progress with his pursuit of the law that in 1869 , only four years later , he was made prosecuting attorney for his county , which position he filled with honor to himself and satisfaction to the people of his county until 1871. His success in this work was such as to clearly point to him as valuable for service in more im portant fields , and he was elected to the Forty-fifth Congress as member of the House of Representatives , taking his seat in that body when it met in special session Oct. 15 , 1877. It is a somewhat singular coincidence that he himself will call a special session of the Fifty-fifth Congress , twenty years from the time that he sat as a member of the special session of the Forty-fifth Congress. His congressional career was an inter esting one , indicating from the first that his constituents had made no mistake in placing in his hands the responsible busi ness assigned to him. From the beginning of his work he developed a special inter est in tariff matters and maintained that interest through term after term until reaching the Fifty-first Congress , the careful , persistent work which he had done in his earlier years proved the turn ing point in his career. He was the can didate for the Speakership , but fate seem ed to have reserved for him the higher honor of the presidency , for his defeat for candidate as Speaker was followed by his appointment as chairman of the Commit tee of Ways and Means , and he thus be came leader of the Republican majority in the Fifty-first Congress , which enaeted what has since been known as the "Mc Kinley tariff act. " That act , taking effect but a short time prior to the national election , had not time to prove its value , which , as a result , went Democratic , as did also the presidential election which followed two years later , by which the control of Congress and the presidency was swept into Democratic hands. Mean time , however , the McKinley tariff law had made a record for itself which has since proved so valuable as to commend to the public for the presidency the man whose name it bears , and when its work ings were compared with the Democratic tariff law which was enacted three years later , the comparison proved so favor able that in 1896 the people of the coun try voted not only to elect William Mc Kinley President , but to put into Con gress a power which could sweep off from the statute books the Democratic tariff law and enact one framed upon the gen eral lines which gave prosperity during the years the McKinley law was in opera tion. tion.Mr. Mr. McKinley , at the close of his con gressional career , was soon taken up by the people of his State and made Governor of Ohio in 1891 and again in 1893 , by an enormous majority. In his Tiome and family life Major Mc Kinley is extremely happy , though a shadow has been cast over it by the loss of his two children , both of whom died in early life. Mrs. McKinley is a native of Canton , which has been Major McKIn- ley's home for many years , and is the daughter of James Saxton , whose father was for sixty years editor of the "Ohio Repository. " published at Canton , and still a prominent paper in the State. Mr. Saxton , who was a banker , placed his daughter , at the termination of her col lege life , in his bank , where she acted as cashier until her marriage with William McKinley , Jan. 25 , 1S71. Mrs. McKin ley always accompanied her husband dur ing his life in Washington , but being an invalid , was able to appear but little in social life , though she was extremely pop ular with those who were so fortunate as to make her acquaintance. She has , dur ing the past few years somewhat improv ed In health , and although the duties of the mistress of the White House ar * nf an exacting nature , It is hoped that she will be able to assume them without en dangering her health. Vice President Hobart. Garret A. Hobart , who is to serve as Vice-President during the term of Presi dent McKinley , was born at Long Branch , N. J. , in 1844. He was graduated from Rutgers College before he was 20 years old , and studied law with Socrates Turtle at Paterson , being admitted to the bar in 1866. In 1872 he was elected a member of the New Jersey House , and was re elected and chosen Speaker. He declined an election in 1S75 and in 1877 he was elected Senator from Passaic County. He was re-elected to that position and served until the expiration of the year 1882 , be ing president pro tem of that body for the last two years of his service. In 1884 he was nominated by the Republican cau cus of the Legislature for United States Senator , but was not elected , as the Leg islature was Democratic , and John R. McPherson - Pherson was chosen. In 1SS4 he became a member of the Republican National Committee. In business life he has been energetic and active. He is president of the Pas saic Water Company , the Aquackaknonck Water Company , the Paterson Railroad Company's consolidated lines , the Morris County Railroad and the People's Gaa Company. He is a director in several na tional banks , including the First National of Paterson and the Paterson Savings In stitution. He is also on the directory boards of the New York. Susquehanna . . . ' " * 'i j- - .j- _ _ _ t Z.lTT" - * | | w * JW11" ' ' - MniwWBWPw . i .i . gg iiatajB < n B ' - i B and Western Railroad , the Lehigh aa 1 Hudson River Railroad , the Barboa * * Bros. Company , the Barbour Flax Spla- ning Company , the Piouecr Silk Company. m the American Cotton Oil Company an * M some forty or more additional corpora- k tions. With ninny of these concerns h > H holds the position of legal adviser. Mr. W m Hobart is a resident of Puterson , where * H ho has a beautiful home , which in th M center of the social amenities of the city. j M Mr. Hpbart will reside temporarily ia t H one of the hotels in Washington , for , although - ! H though a wealthy mnn , . he has up to this W M time omitted the selection of a permanent ff H residence for himself for the term of hb H service in Washington. His family consists - M sists of a wife and one son of twelve years M of age ; their daughter , who is spoken of H as an especially attractive young huly , | H having died in Rome a few years siuec. H Mrs. Hobart is highly spoken of by H those who have known her in socinl lif M in New Jersey , and will doubtless prove M helpful to Mrs. McKinley in the official B socinl duties which devolve upon the head M of an administration. H DYING , A HUNDRED A DAY. H The Veterans of the Lnto War Pass- H inir Rapidly Away. H The veteran Union soldiers are dying at H the rate of one hundred a day. That I * H what statistics of the Grand Army and of H the pension office show. Away back in H the days when the battles were being _ M fought the news that in any day's engage- 9I | ment one hundred men had given up their H H lives would have pierced the hearts of H waiting millions , would have deepened the J H gloom that overhung the land. In many ] H battles thousands rather than hundreds j H were the victims , but days and weeks , H even months , elapsed before the record H of the dead was lengthened. It was not H every day in the fiercest , bitterest , bloodl- M est days of the war that a hundred met H fell from the ranks , with ' their pulses still- J H cd forever. Those who did die then were M mourned , not alone by their own mothers i H and sisters and sweethearts sitting in B their lonely homes , but by the sympathetic Hfl heart of the nation. They ranked as heroes - H roes , as martyrs , as men worthy of all H honor. They had given up homes and the H pursuits of peace for their country's sake ; H they had lost their lives , and in losing H won everlasting fame. But of the two ) | millions of men enlisted a vast number J H escaped the bullets of the enemy , tha | bursting shells , the starvation prison H camps and the scarcely less fatal hardships - H ships of field life. They came home and I H took up individual life again , but not H where they had laid it down oh , no ; the O threads had been broken that connected | these returned soldiers with their former | existence. They labored under certain H disadvantages at first on account of this H lack , but the soldierly qualities they had fl gained as a compensation carried them | through and they have made good citl- H zens in peace , as was to be expected of H men who were equal to their duty in great H emergency. They have served their country - H try and their fellow-creatures well in H whatever capacity they have been tried , | but through all the years since the war H the soldier spirit in them has been dis- H cernible. As they pass on , one hundred H a day , they may have assurance that those < M years and their glories are to grow bright- H er and brighter in the country's record ; H that they mark an epoch whose importance - H tance is not yet to be measured. If the j H veteran as an individual craves a little ' | share of this praise and esteem it is a human - ' | man hunger , and should be gratified. For | the service that he and his comrades rendered - H dered was great. And they are dying , one H hundred a day ! Indianapolis Journal. | j H " ' ' " - f M OUR CASH PER CAPITA. f H It Is Increasing Steadily and Kxcect/- * - | That of Nearly Every Nation. H The monthly statement from the Treasury - | ury Department shows that there was in H circulation on the first day of February , H $1,665,977,688 , being an increase of $76- j H 257,081 over the amount in circulation on H the same date last year. H Estimating the population at 72,288,000. M this gives a per capita circulation oi H $23.05 , being perhaps the largest of any of H the leading nations of the earth , excest H France. H The circulation of gold coin on Monday j j | last was $645,568,492. One year ago H it was S499,262,6S6 , being a gain of $146- H 293,806. This great increase in our stock H l of gold is primarily due to the great trade * 1 balance which came up in our favor last | It does not require so great a volume of | money to do a given amount of business as | it did five or ten years ago. This Is one of H the reasons why so much cash is lying idle | in the banks now. A country merchant | can fill a small store with $3,000 worth of | dry goods. Five or ten years ago it would | have required $5,000 to do it An individual - H vidual can buy his clothing , furniture and M supplies for much less money than for- H merly. So that , it will be seen , the bus- H ness of the country can be done success- H fully with relatively a smaller volume of H money than at any time , perhaps , in oar 1 history. i H This fact , taken in connection with the ] 1 other fact that we have a larger per can- 1 ita circulation than we had a few yeari | ago , or at any time In the history of our H country , strips naked the plea that all th * | ills of mankind are due to the t-mw „ * - H money in the country. There is plenty j H of money. The people need more collat- 1 erais and better prices for their products. 1 The one is largely a matter of Individual H effort ; the other , of supply and demand. H How to regulnte the latter is not only H the problem of the age , but it has been the H problem of all the ages. H BUSINESS IMPROVING. | AStaKeof Substantial Improvement l l Entered Upon. J | During the past week the marked im- 1 provement in tone noted two weeks aeo H has more than been retained. There has H been an increase in Oia volume of trans- H - actions , and a further moderate advance l l in prices , with little disposition to realise 1 upon the higher range of values now ea- 1 - tablished. The buying of bonds for In- H vestment has been a conspicuous feature. 1 The gradual return toward ease in the Bu 1 1 ropean money markets has induced mora fl active movement in ' securities H across the Atlantic. In London this change has de- ssssH veloped a return of speculation in Arner- H lean stocks , and during the week the dut. - i ' H chases in N ew York for that market have H been larger than for many months .sssH , indl- . eating some restoration of r H our investments Mr. Clews confidence thinks tS sssB tributable 6 m almost e investm t market is a iH entirely to the H con- sdousness that at last we have entered ii upon a stage of great and substantial S B " ' * ° financial ESS" ? eonditions.-Da enport Republican , * * * - h