The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-10-31
CONTESTS NOW RAGING.
The Fight for Supremacy In the
East Favorable to the
Dem ocrats.
Ohio and Pennsylvania D~ebatable,
tho Others Are Sure for
Our Side.
"A Correspondent Who Doubts Gov. Hill's
Political I.oyalty-ConErsssman
Bynum's Opinion of Ohio.

WASHINGTON, Oct. W.--lhe news received
\ here from the state campaigns now coins
on Ia, on the whole. favorable to the demo-
Gratis. 1t seems to be reasonably certain
that Flower and his colleagues will carry
New York; that Russell will be reelected
\ in Massachusetts; that Boies will carry
RI Iowa. and that the debatabls ground is
narrowed to Ohio and Pennsylvania. In
the Keystone state Boss Quay has taken
active hold Of the helm in Philadelphia. A
few DAYS ago he notified the bosses of the
Quaker city that they must put up 10000
majority in Philadelphia in order to elect
the republican ticket in the state. Quay is
fighting for life or death. II he elects his
ticket this time by II good, sturdy majority
it will, to a certain extent, rehabilitate him
in Pennsylvania politics. but if he 10 beaten
or even il his ticket is elected by a meager
majority. it will be construed to mean a
verdict or the people of Pennsylvania,
twice repeated, against the methods of
Quay 4 Co. in politics.
In Massachusetts the democrats are max
ing the earnest fight that was ever made IN
New England. The state has been a low
with oratory and torch-light professions for
the past month. Impartial spectators here
from New England think that Gov. Rus
sell will be reelected, and the prestige of
rspublicanism broken in Massachusetts, for
Ill time.
There is only one fear entertained con
corning New York. It is the fear that Hill
will knife the democratic ticket. Every
body is asking, rs Hill going to play fair?'
or ''Can Hill afford to have Flower elect
ed?'' This is a remarkable commentary
upon the reputation of the political mar
plot who ia now at the head of the state
government of New York. The republicans
arc hoping that Hill will prove treacherous
to his party; the democrats are fearing that
he will DO treacherous. 1t may be asked
why Hill should prove treaoherous to his
party in this emergency. The answer IS
simple. Hill wants to demonstrate that he
is the only man who can carry New YORK,
and in that way attempt to enhance his own
power and prestige. 1t is astonishing to
democrats hereabouts that a man like Hill
should be tolerated 80 long by his party
and placed in q position where he could be
of injury whenever he feels 10 disposed.
Imagine the democrats of Missouri, for
instance, being afraid that George Vest
would knife his party ticket, or the demo,
Gratis of Texas being fearful that Richard
Coke was carrying a knife in his sleeve for
his party, or the democrats of Illinois be-
ing nervous lest John nj. Palmer should
insert some secret poison into his follow
ers that would kill the chances of his party
in a popular contest. Yet this is the posi-
ton of Hill at the present time. Nearly
every democrat in New York is afraid of
him and every democrat in New York is
free in declaring that if Hill acts squarely
Flowers majority will not be less than
$4,000. 1t seems, according to all accounts,
to have anGered Hill much that Mr.. Cleve-
land should make speeches and take an
active interest in the success OF his party
ticket. Hill seems to be afraid that q dem
ooratie victory in Now York would be in
part credited to Mr.. Cleveland and is anx-
ious to have it noised abroad that he is the
sole proprietor of the democratic party in
the Empire state himself. There is no
doubt, however, that the democrats of New
York are keeping q very close watch on Mr..
HilPs operations. and if Flower and the
democratic state ticket 10 defeated Hill will
hear something drop.
The interest in the Ohio campaign is,
perhaps, taking it all in all. greater than in
any of the others at the present time. It
is the universal opinion that Campbell is
making a canvass of extraordinary ability.
vim and tact. Mckinley, as a campa1gner,
has been a surprise to his followers, be-
cause they expected that he would do much
better than he has done up to his time.
Mckinley, however, is not a debater.
Everybody who served with him in congress-
or watched his course while here is aware
OF That. he can make q good set speech,
couohed in telling phrases and high sound
ing generalities, but he cannot debate, and
he oannot defend his utterances and ideas
when they are punctured bv sharp criticism.
The reports that have come to this city
from Cincinnati are to the effect that the
expected democratic disaffection in that
city has dwindled down to practically moth
ing. A well-informed republican, fresh from
Ohio, who ia a strong partisan of both Nc
kinley and Sherman, said this evening that !
it would not surprise him a bit, while hoping
to the contrary, If Campbell should be elected
by from 10000 to 90, 200 majority and the
democrats should control the next ~legisla-
ture.
Every democrat who comes here from
Ohio seems cheerful. while the republicans,
in the main, are Respondent, and bent evil
IDENTIFY upon building up plausible theories
TO account for possible defeat. Clarkson
has given up the fight in Iowa unless, as he
says himself, an earthquake or something
of that kind should occur on election day.
Indeed, Clarkson not only comedies the
election OF Boies, but also a democratic |
majority in both branches of the next leg
~1slature. Ut course allowances ought al
ways to be made for the emergencies of
politics. and there is no man or set of men
who can calculate to n nicaty in advance
the result of a state election. but old politi-
cal n.athematicians in Washington of both
parties. who have been figuring upon public
sentiment and pre-6lectlon indications for
a quarter of q century, are very much in
clined to believe at this time that the dem
ocrats will sweep all the states in which
there iS q contest being made at neYt waak,n