Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-10-20
Prospects of the Gubernatorial Con-
test.
bow IT LOOKS TO A BYSfANDER.
Senator Voorhees, Pocket Picked
in Richmond.
SERIOUS FIRE AT PASSAIC, Nj.
FAssETT AND FLOWER.
Democratic View. of the Situation On Nev
1ork-Gov HTn's Attitade4

Democratic vievs OF the situation ta New
York-Gov. Hm's Attitude.
Special pispa,ch 10 The Evening star.
ALBANY n Y. Oct 2o-The feeling thas
Senator Fassett, the republican nominee for
governor. is injuring his own canvass by in
temperate and ill-advised utterances upon the
stump is growing even among his adherents.
His speeches. il is asserted, reveal no ability,
be avoids what the democrats claim are the
pertinent issues OF the campaign and seeks 70
raise such q cloud OF dust over ''Tammany"
and its methods that his opponents viii b
blinded.
Dcmocrnssappcsr TO derive considerable salts
faction from this state of facts IL the cam
paign were Two weeks later or IL the election
could have occurred a week ago democrats say
Fassett would have polled a phenomenal voteA
His tour OF the state was opened with great en-
thusiasm and eclat and his personal magnetism,
youth and engaging personality won him
friends then. which, il is claimed. his conduct
now is estranging. One statement pointed out
by Mr.. fassetts critics as particular unhappy
one was that made At Ithaca during the past
week. that southern soldier the orator at the
dedication Of the 1ammHny monument at Get
tysburg. This immediately brought q spirited
refutation of the charge from Gen. Daniel T.
sickles who IN specifying the statement ~ un-
true said:
81 was the orator. Col. Fellows made an
admirable speech. az loyal as mine, and the
same occasion Edward Mcpherson and Presi-
dent Mcknight. both republicans, made elo-
quont addresses. This reply coming from
one of the bes:-known generals in the Uuion
Srmy who left a leg at Little Round Top. is not
without due effect In other matters az well as
this IL is claimed his utterances have been in
discreet, notably the disposition OF the direct
tax refund amounting to 81 2i3. .OOO in which
he has causelessly reflected upon the integrity
of republican banking officials throughout the
state. On the other hand, Flowers silence.
which initiated strongly against him st the
opening OF the campaign, has been. democrats
claim the means OF attracting the staid conserva
tive business element. which is opposed TO
Fassett's so-called ''fippancy." His inability
TO stump the state in his own behalf on ac-
count Of his lack of oratorlcal ability 10 in
direct contrast TO Fassetts brilliancy, but this
in itself carries weight with It, since il Is in
keeping with his other characteristics as \
solid business man. HIS great effort Was made
last night in New York at the Belmont Riding
Academy.
GOV. HILLS COURSE.
Gov. Hills attitude toward the state ticket
has been variously regarded. The fear that
his lukewarmness would affect the result on
November 8 has made the party managers
watch him closely. but since his Cooper Union
speech his course has been regarded BY demo-
crats above criticism. Prior 20 that time,
however, his speeches and actions were such
as TO cause them the gravest apprehension.
His antagonism to the Albany county democ-
racy in the person of Hon. ID. Cady Heirick.
the avowed leader Of the Cleveland senti-
ment in this state, especially demoralizing.
IL was not that Hill had simply private AK TO
grind with the redoubtable Herrick but because
Herrick the personification Of. Cleveland
ism IN Its most pronounced and loyal form and
! that. too, in a county where the governor had
made no record Of his efforts TO undermine
Herrick's influence. IL is doubtful IL Herrick
I would have come out victor in the prolonged
contest were il not that he has n following that
/ prize loyalty to their leader above all else.
The contest had more than local bearing
and il was only under the influence
exercised by the candidates the democratic
state ticket, Chairman Murphy OF the state ex-
! ecutive committee and other leaders of the
party that Hill ieslsted. His defeat in Albany
! county is second only TO that suffered by HIN
at the Saratoga convention, where his most
| strenuous efforts TO incorporate n ''straadle
| on the silver question in the democratic plat
form were rendered nugatory by the anti-Hlll
| element. The subsequent effort 90 send out a
copy of the silver plank, which would embody
what he sought, like wise defeated by the
| watchfulness of the Cleveland people.
His work, however, during the past week,
| il is said, meets the unqualified approval Of
all elements in the democratic party. has
only descent from "A statesmanlike level in his
speeches being on saturday, when he made .
puerile effort to create fun at fassetts action
in kissing his wife and mother after his nomi-
nation at the Rochester convention. He has
ably met all of Fassetts attacks, and hls de-
parture from the state to be present at the
ceremonies attending the unveiling OF the
Grady monument at Atlanta will give the re-
publican candidate for governor a few days
respite.
| CLOSE VOTE EFFECTED.
1t cannot be gainsaid that the vote on No
vember will be a very close one. Conserve
tive democratic estimates place Flowers ma
| jority at not to exceed 10000, while even his
most sanguine supporters do not claim that
his majority viii exceed 10000. In lss5 Gov.
Hill received plurality of but III, l34, and but
! l9.l7l in 1885, his last victory being over .
candidate who could not bring out the full
strength of the republican party. Fassett
docs not labor under the disadvantage
| with which Warner Miller conducted his
campaign and has also the added prestige of
Platts backing. Aside from party issues DEM
ocrats claim that two things will operate
heavily against Fassstt on election day. The
first is his course IN regard 20 the location Of
the world fair in New York city, which DEM
oerats assert defeated ,he claims Of that CITY,
| This point is being used effectively sgainst
Fasseit in Harlem and the upper metropolitan
districts, as well along the lower Hudson
counties. The other thing referred 10 is the
reputation of the republican candidate
by the Afro-American League. The oppo-
! sition of the league is based upon tho
refusal OF F&ssett while in the senate last
winter to push two OF their bills through
the legislature, the senate having a republican
majority One OF them called Tor the enforce
ment OF their civil rights and the other forbade
insurance companies 20 charge higher rates for
life risks on colored people than they did on
white people. The inception Of the auti-fassett
colored movement IN this city, and the
agitation OF their grievances has developed .
feeling which, 1t is claimed, viii hurt tassett
materially. The Afro-American League has
always been worth, il is stated, nearly 5000
votes to the republicans, but though the
entire strength, or even large portion Of
. il, will not be cast against Fassett,
yet IL may be an important factor in such .
close canvass the present one. The disaf-
fection existing against fassett and Plat in
Eric will lie balanced by the ''surly and sullen"
sentiment against Flower in Kings county and
outside of these two counties there Will De no
appreciable defections fronnthe ranks of either
party. The campaign managers Of zach party
thoroughly realize the necessity Tor earness
and sustained work, ana they are making IN
exceedingly careful canvass OF the state