The United States elections have resulted in a decisive victory
for the Democrats. A Democratic majority of fifty in the next House of Representatives is assured, and the Republican majority in the Senate has probably fallen to ten. The outstanding features of the elections have been the defeat of Mr. Stimson, the Republican candidate in New York, by Mr. Di; and the triumphant return of Dr. Woodrow Wilson, the late President of Prince- ton University, and of Mr. Harmon in Ohio, both of them possible candidates for the Presidential election. But while the Democrats have won, the issues are so confused, and the elections have been fought to such an extent on local lines, that the result is rather to be regarded as a victory for the progressive element than as a regular party triumph. In any case, it is absurd to regard it as Mr. Roosevelt's "Waterloo." On the contrary, the elections have conclusively justified his warning to the Republican Party of the need of setting their house in order, and may only prove the prelude to a reconstruc- tion of that party 'on truly progressive lines. Mr. Roosevelt, in effect, told the "old gang" and the Republican Party that be would not allow them to retain power unless they cleaned the Augean stable and put away corruption. He has been as good as his word. A has for partners B and C. He sees that they are about to commit a crime, hurls himself on them, clings round their legs, and prevents them from committing it. In such a case, even if A gets a blow in the strqggle, we,..do not say : "Complete defeat of A." On the contrary, we say he has given B and C a lesson, shown his power, and taught his partners that they will not succeed unless they mend their ways.
