St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-09-18
Milwaukee's Mayor Certain to
Carry the Great Badger
State.
His Majority Will Be at Least
5000, and 1t May Reach
!. 10000.
f5e Bennett Law the Rock
. - Ipon Which the Republic
can Party Is Split.
'nts in the Field Where
he Two Contestants Will
Lose Heaviest.

~NSAA6ANNO3 w AC't OOP~ i1O OtAiA-
paigh is developing the fact that each
OF the great parties will suffer some
losses on account of the all-absorbing
Bennett law issue, which has thrown
into Obscurity all other questions. 1t is
evident that the Democrats will make
extensive gains when the final balance
is struck election day, and the question
in doubt now in the minds of well-in-
formed politicians is whether these
gains will be sufficient to overcome the
majority Of 2O,273 which Gov. Hoard re-
ceived two years ago. The sources from
which the Democratic gain will be
mainly drawn are the Lutheran and
Catholic churches. The figures COM
piled by the newly-formed state central
committee of the LutheranS show that
$500 legal voters in Wisconsin are
members of the German Lutheran
church, and that rather more than two
thirds of these voters have been Repub-
licans. The entire church, as repre-
sented by its ministers, leading laymep
and newspaper organs, is intensely hos
tile to
The Bennett Law
and thoroughly organized in opposition
to the law and its political supporters,
the Republican party. The more san
guine of them believe that the entire
vote will be cast solidly against the rep
resentatives of the law and in favor of
the Democratic state and legislative
tickets; but this belief is not shared by
conservative politicians, who know that
all political arts will be exercised to
convince the people in German COM
munities that the Bennett law will be
practically amended out of existence,
and that there Is no intention to enforce
the shadow of it that will be left when the
Legislature has got through with it. The
better opinion Is that about go per cent
of the Republican Lutheran voters will
be turned. This means loss of $4,000
to the Republicans. and a correspond
ing gain for the Democrats, and. if
there were no other factors to be con-
sldered, would make certain the cleo
ton of Peck. There will also be DEM
ocratic gain from German and Irish
Catholic Republicans; but, inasmuch as
these classes are not numerous, the
gain cannot be heavy. 1t Is probable,
however, that the gain from this source,
together with that from the class of in
dependent voters, who see in the Ben
nett law dangerous innovation of the
opinions by voting
Against Its Sponsors
and supporters, will amount to not less
than 5000 votes, and a like loss to the
Republicans. Mr.. Peck would seem,
therefore, to have reasonable assur-
ance of about 10000 majority, " ere it
not for the Democratic losses and Re-
publican gains, which must be taken
into account. There is some Demo-
cratic disaffection on account of its
platform, which is voiced in the open
declarations of Felker, of Oshkosh:
Sears, of Racine. and Regan and others,
of Milwaukee. In the northern section
of the state they have few, if any, fol-
lowers, and it is pretty certain that these
supporters will come chiefly from the
free thinkers, who are found in large
numbers in Milwaukee, Oshkosh and
Racine. The desertions will be con-
fined, for the most part to the eastern
section of the state. and will not be
numerouS-in the opinion of good OBJ
Seryers-nOt over 1900. The Prohibit
tionists, who cast about $4,000 votes in
1888, have become indoctrinated with
the idea that the public schools are in
danger from the assaults Of foreign
priesthood, ,and there is reason to believe
that many of them will conclude to
ent, and cast their ballots for Hoard.
There will certainly be Republican
gain from this element which may
amount to 5000 votes. but it will not be
a Democratic loss. There were 9,17S
Labor Votes
cast for Powell for governor two years
ago. Col. May, their present candidate
for governor, will not have as many. A
good many of the voters who are in the
labor movement believe in purely
secular education under control of the
state, and, as Hoard has come to stand
for that idea in Wisconsin politics, some
of them will vote for him. 1t will not
be surprise if 5000 of them do so. If
these estimates are correct, and liberal
allowance has been made against the
bias of Democratic hopes Peck will
have clear majority of 5000 over
Hoard. All calculations may be upset
by errors in the conduct of the cam
paign, but the Democrats are confident
that a poll of the state to-day would
elect their entire state ticket-and the
legislature as well. A vigorous cam
paign is being set under way, and
strong effort to organize the party. In
previous campaigns the Democrats haoA
been weakened by lack of thorough
organization and newspaper organs,to
present Democratic principles. This
year they will have the benefit of a better
organization. and the help of great
Democratic newspapers, like the GLOBE,
and the Times and Herald of Chicago,
while every important point in Wiscon-
sin is now supplied with well-con-
Quoted daily newspaper. The journal.
of Milwaukee; Recorder, of GAINESVILLE;
Democrat, of Madison; Chronicle, of
La Crosse; Times, of Oshkosh; Re-
porter. of Fond du Lac; Leader and
Call, of Superior. and News, of Ash
land, are all Democratic newspapers
which are giving intelligent expression
to the principles and policy of the party
Altogether. the prospect for a great
victory in Wisconsin is so bright that it
can almost be promised as a certainty.