legislature which will choose a successor to Senator A. P. Gorman. P. L. Goldsborough, Republican candidate for controller, was elected by about 7,000 plurality.

In Massachusetts, as usual, the Republicans swept the state, though with a reduced vote, electing their entire state ticket as well as three-quarters of the members of both branches of the legislature. For governor, the total vote was 269,795, distributed as follows:

Roger Wolcott (Rep., re-elected), 165,095, giving him a plurality of 85,543;

George Fred Williams (regular Democratic candidate), 79,552; William Everett (National Democrat), 13,879; Thomas C. Brophy (Socialist - Labor), 6,301; Bascom (Prohibitionist), 4,948;

all others, 20.

Wolcott's total vote in 1896 was 258,204, and his plurality over Williams, 154,542. The reduction in Wolcott's plurality is attributed in part to the unpleasant weather, which kept many voters from the polls, and in part to the vigorous efforts put forth by the Democratic organization. The Democrats gained one senator and twelve representatives in the legislature, and also elected one councillor.

In the city of Boston the proposed alteration of the present bicameral

system of municipal government was defeated by over 5,000 votes. In place of the present system, which includes two houses, the Board of Aldermen (12 men) and the Common Council (75 men), a bill was drafted, chiefly under the auspices of the Municipal League, providing for a consolidation of the two boards into a single legislative chamber of 38 men. In order to continue the local administration so greatly desired by many, the 12 men at large were to be retained, and elected, one from each ward of the city.

The principal advantages claimed for the single-chamber plan were: That under it larger and better men would be secured; that the governmental machinery would be more efficient and less liable to such delays as come from party differences in two houses; and that greater economy in administration would be secured. All such procedure, for example, as one house

forcing the other to accept added items of appropriation, would be avoided.

In Nebraska the Populist-Democratic fusion ticket was successful as to the state officers by practically the same plurality as in 1896-about 13,000, Judge John J. Sullivan being elected justice of the supreme court. The vote fell considerably below that in the national contest. But in Lincoln, Omaha, Hastings, and Beatrice, the Republicans elected their municipal tickets.

In New Jersey the Democratic state committee, under the leadership of United States Senator James Smith, Jr., rejected the issues of last year's campaign and fought on state issues alone, all voters of Democratic affiliations being invited to join hands. The result was an immense Democratic gain over last year. Of the six senators chosen, five were Democratic, some from counties which had always been Republican; and in the assembly, which last year contained 56 Republicans to four Democrats, the latter greatly increased their representation. The control of the legislature, however, on joint ballot, remained in Republican hands by a small majority.

In New York state the Republican party, under the leadership of Mr. Platt, suffered most serious reverse. It was not alone in the municipal contest in the Greater New York, where the greatest interest centred, that the Republicans incurred losses. Democratic gains were made in almost all sections, even in such Republican strongholds as Allegany, Broome, Chautauqua, Clinton, Erie, Monroe, Saratoga, and St. Lawrence counties; and members of the assembly were lost to the Republican party all over the state. The assembly in 1898 will, however, still be Republican, though by a reduced majority. Democratic mayors were elected in Albany, Binghamton, Rochester, and Buffalo.

Alton B. Parker, Democratic candidate for chief judge of the court of appeals, was elected by a plurality of 60,889 over William J. Wallace (Rep.), the vote standing 554.680 to 493.791. Baldwin (Pro.) polled 19,653 votes.

In Ohio the contest was fought chiefly on the silver ques

state treasurer nominally as a Prohibitionist, but really as an anti-machine candidate, though without any effective organization or campaign fund.

A proposition to increase the debt of the city of Philadelphia

for various municipal purposes by $12,200,000, was carried by a majority of 17,475 (see article in this number on "Affairs in Various States," subhead “Pennsylvania").

In Rhode Island, municipal elections were held in the five cities of the state. The Republicans elected mayors in Pawtucket, Central Falls, and Woonsocket. The Democratic plurality was reduced by about 4,500 in Providence, and a Democratic mayor was chosen in Newport. Republican city councils were elected in all the cities. The vote was small owing to a severe storm.

In South Dakota an election for district judge was held in each of the eight districts of the state. Six of the Republican candidates were elected. Last year Mr. Bryan carried the state by a small plurality, and the Democrats and Populists, by fusion, elected the governor and railroad commissioners and carried the legislature.

In Virginia the vote is said to have been the smallest polled since the war. J. Hoge Tyler (Dem.) defeated Patrick McCaul (Rep.) for governor by a majority of about 50,000 in a total vote of only about 100,000. The legislature also went overwhelmingly Democratic, assuring probably the re-election of Hon. John W. Daniel as United States senator.

The Prohibitionists feel considerably encouraged at the showing made by their party at the polls, which indicated an advance all along the line. Noteworthy gains were reported from Ohio, Iowa, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, and Massachusetts. In the last named, one Prohibition member was elected to the state legislature. But it was in the Keystone state, Pennsylvania, as intimated above, that the Prohibition vote surprised all parties by passing even the expectations of Prohibitionists. The candidacy of Dr. S. C. Swallow, who ran nominally on the Prohibition ticket, but was avowedly opposed to both the Quay and the Hastings "rings," appealed very strongly to the independent voters of the state, and rallied a support on voting day numbering about 118,000. Last year the Prohibition vote in Pennsylvania was only 19,274.

THE BERING SEA DISPUTE.

The International Conferences.-A final decision was reached by the British government in the early days of October (p. 617), not to take part in any sealing conference with representatives of Russia and Japan at Wash

ington. This decision was communicated to the United States ambassador, Colonel Hay, October 6; but, at the same time, Lord Salisbury's government declared its willingness to confer with the United States alone. The reason of the refusal to treat with the representatives of Russia and Japan was that those governments are not interested in the Bering sea seals to a degree entitling them to representation in the conference. The telegram which conveyed the intelligence of the final refusal of the British cabinet to be represented in the conference, stated that the abstention of the British government was due entirely to Canada's opposition to meeting Russia and Japan, out of fear of being outvoted. Thus does England recede from her first position toward the conference, which was one of approval.

On receipt of Lord Salisbury's note of declination, Mr. Sherman, secretary of state, addressed a reply to the British foreign office, in which he recounts the facts of the case, namely, that up to September 23 the United States government had had every reason to expect that England would send representatives to the conference, though long before that date it was well known that Russia and Japan were to be represented. But now that England had definitely refused to take part with Russia and Japan, Secretary Sherman proposed to Lord Salisbury a conference between England and the United States alone. While Lord Salisbury's reply was awaited, the officials of the British foreign office expressed astonishment at "the tone of surprise" assumed by Secretary Sherman, thus implicitly denying that the British premier had ever agreed to be represented in a conference to which Russia and Japan should be parties; and the London "Times" said:

"It is unnecessary to deal seriously with expressions of astonishment obviously intended to cover the failure of an attempt to bluff the British government."

Secretary Sherman's new proposition to the British government was to hold two conferences, one dealing with the broad aspects of the sealing question and the preservation of the herd, the other dealing with the narrower application of it to the regulations under the Paris award of 1893. This proposition was formally accepted. by Lord Salisbury in a dispatch of October 15; and Professor D'Arcy Thompson and a Canadian expert, Pro