Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-10-24
POLITICIANS IN A FOG.
TVLIIHCHANS IN n EOsse
They are Completely at Sea as 60 the
Result in New York.

- n
They are Completely a, Sea as 20 she
Result in New York.
THE SITUATION As VIEWED FROM WASHINGTON
DEMOCRATS HOPING TO BREAK REPUBLICAN MA
JoRrr1Es IN THE NoRrHwEsT-A FIGHT TO BE
MADE FOR CALIFORNIA AND MICHIGAN.
However confident politicians of either party
may talk, 1t Is quite evident that Just at present
the greatest anxiety and uncertainty is felt.
Every possible effort is being made to
get money and workers into the field, and
In private conference the same confidence is
not manifested that is given expression to for
publication. The average politician always speaks
confidently in public. The democrats are more
hopeful Of New York than they have been here
toiore, put In truth they do not feel that they
have anything like a sure thing there They are
not SO much annoyed by the cross-fight for mayor
Of large vote among the laboring classes that
they have heretofore held. There is pretty
general genera faith that Governor HILL both
WILL as far as possible, prevent his friends from
scratching the national ticket. His friends well
understand that any thing to indicate that he had
traded OF the national ticket would blast his pOit-
ical future.
CAUSE OF ANXIETY TO DEMOCRATS.
Therefore the friends OF the Administration do
not fear much from that quarter. What causes
them the greatest anxiety in New York is the fact
Iudb IuelE uSuFnS on Cn6 canvass Is all mixed up,
and does not enable them to judge OF the feeling
OF the state at large. The increased registration
IN the city is felt to be. as matter OF course,
to how much Of this new registration is 'for reve-
nue. only" and may be bought up by the men with
Men who have been much at the democratic
the dirncuity in the way of making a
They even are sasssa shse w faGs Ss
a large increase In the democratic vote In their
oIi.sds old strongh0lds, put they have no as
ity they can can raise in the city city may not
be swept away in the interior The whole thing
Is as uncertain as can be. The republicans as
much as the democrats are perpleXed by this un-
certainty. They both feel that there might be a
sweeping plurality either way.
sTRAINING EVERY NERVE
Every nerve is being strained and every re-
source taxed to carry on the fight. 1t is very
generally understood that as much money
as can be raised for that purpose will
be put into New York state Both
parties Will do as much in this way as they can
AFFORD. 1t Is said that a strong pressure is
being brought to bear on the Govern
ment employees at Washington, and that
the intimatlons that the money is needed very
badly ale made more pronounced as the day or
election approaches. Reluctance on the part OF en-
ployes calls for renewed appeals and Is probable
that the money collected here WIN round up to a
the extra months pay, the employees OF the House
have generally found it possible to contribute
DEPARTMENT OFFICIALS.
All OF the higher officials in the Departments are
expected to feel enough interest In the result to
contribute, and many in the lower grades are
doing SO: Applications are being made
tie. tie money is going CHIEFLY one way, number q
officials are out taking part In the campaign
secretary Whitney, Secretary Fairchild and As
sistant secretary Maynard the Postmaster Gene
raj and large number or the subordinate officials
OF his Department are In the canvass actively.
MORE UNCERTAINTY THAN IN 1884
The elements OF uncertainty are felt by all poll
tictans to be greater even than they were in 1884
Well informed men OF both parties, who have been
recently about the headquarters Of the two CON-
the private views OF the managers, nave told Tas
STAR man that both committees are frightened at
the way the canvass has got out OF their control
situation is lncomprehenslble to the mere poll
tcian, and the ordinary campaign methods
oSse9yer eSsn for nut nothing there clever
movement on the part Of the people, but neither
Mr.. Quay, Mr.. Brice, Mr.. German nor Mr.. Barnum
great distance: They know It is moving, by the
dust 1t raises, but they can't tell which way 1t is
going The voters appear to pay less regard to
political leaderShtpS than they did In "a. All the
small political bosses appear to have lost their
power, and the more aspiring leaders seem but
nttle better on. There is great demonstration
refuse TO give account to any one.
BREAKING PARTY LINES
In "a the politicians were thrown entirely out
Of their reckoning by the Independent or mug
wump vote. Since then both parties have done
much TO weaken party ties. The general policy OF
House has tended in this direction. There has
been deliberate effort to break party liDes, and
the Issues presented are calculated to cause many
changes. 1t is known now that in nearly every
state many votes are going from one party to the
other, and In the general shifting back and forth
1t is impossible to tell which way the popular
From some localities m in
New York will get reports OF large migration OF
republicans over to the democratic side. Then
republican gains In democratic strongholds The
result OF 1t all is TO befog and bewilder the polit
clans.
DEMOCRATIC FIGURING.
The democrats see number Of possibilities be-
fore them, and they are probably scattering their
forces more than the republicans are. The danger
OF defeat by the loss OF Indiana and Connecticut,
even should they carry New York. makes them
turn their attention TO other states to make up
for such possible loss. Besides this 1t is the
wish OF Mr.. Cleveland, second only to his hope for
rejection, tnat the repua .ican power In the
Northwest should be broken; Lnat the majorit1es
all along the line should be reduced and one state
be carried II possible For this reason energy is
being expended in states with hopeless repubn-
can matOritieS, and decided efforts are being maze
to carry Michigan and Minnesota. The principle
efforts to reduce maJorities are being made in
determined EFFORT is being made to carry
California an Offset for the possible loss OF Con-
necticut and Indiana. Giving Cleveland all The
other states he carried In a. with The loss Con-
necticut and Indiana he would lack three votes OF
being elected. Either Colorado or Oregon could
make this up but is among the least or probabil
tiles that the democrats can carry either OF these
But they have hopes OF California which would
secure the election with f1ve votes 10 spare But
West Virginia cast six votes for Cleveland, IN S4
that they are by no means sure OF this time.
The loss of Lhese-even II they carried Calfor-
nia-would leave them one short OF a victory.
Michigan has thirteen electoral votes that would
then come in handy. But II they carried the
state they would not get the full thirteen, as
part OF them would be lost by the fusion. The
state would count them about nine or ten votes.
STATES THEY WILL STRUGGLE FOR.
With certain states safely democratic they are
fighting for New York, Indiana, Connecticut, New
Jersey, West Virginia, California and Michigan.
popular impression is that California and Michi-
gan are much safer to the republicans than West
Virginia, Connecticut, Indiana or New York are to
the democrats, that harder lighting is necessary
for the latter both in the missionary field and at
home.
The democrats feel safer in New York and
New Jersey than In Connecticut, West Virginia, or
Indiana.
The republicans have but to hold their own and
concentrate on New York
SENATORIAL COMPLICATIONS.
InNew Jersey and West Virginia the campaign
is complicated by senatorial contests While
working for the presidency the democrats are also
striving to regain the Senate and to hold control
of the House. II they Can re-elecC Kenna and NC
Pherson the Vice-Presldent win have the casting
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