Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1892-10-27
THE NATIONAL BATTLE.

well determined how they shall make
their final assaults. 1t Is an open secret
here in Republican circles, or rather
hardly secret at all, that the Repuoll-
can managers lave given up Indiana as
utterly hopeless. From the day that
Gresham made his announcement
against Harrison the State has been
anchored in the Cleveland column, and
the Presidents own State will
be spared the shame OF
rejection of the debauchery
of 1855 simply because money cannot
carry 1t. In this State the Republicans
are making most desperate and some
what hopeful battle. They are not con-
fdent of success. but they have re-
mote chance of winning the Electoral
vote. Believing that success here
would assure Harrisons reelection,
exhaustive efforts will be made from
now until election day to carry New
York, but even while thus giving the
utmost efforts and resources TO carry
the Empire State, the Harrison leaders
feel that the odds are largely against
them, and that they must look outside
of both New York and Indiana to as
sure success.
They have figured closely on the
electoral vote, and assuming that Harrl-
son will carry all the States be carried In
1883, with the exception OF New York,
Indiana and Nevada, they could, with
the aid of the six new States, and by
carving nine Of the Electors in Michi-
gan and the Electoral votes OF Connec-
ticut, Delaware and West Virkinia, give
Harrison q bare majority Of the Elec-
toral College. This is skating on fear
fully thin ice, but they don't do 1t from
choice. 1t is the last chance OF saving
Republican power. Grasping at these
remote possibilities as drowning man
would grasp at a straw, there will be the
most bewildering efforts at deoauchery
in Connecticut, Delaware and West Vir-
glnia during the next two weeks. All
the money that can be used TO debauch
voters will be expended in Connecticut,
Delaware and West Virginia from now
until election day. 1t is possible that
they may carry one or even two OF
them, but it is hardly within the range
OF possibility that they can carry all OF
them. They carefully prospected New
Jersey, and at one time were hopeful OF
success there, but they have given up
New Jersey on the electoral ticket, as
the Republican leaders themselves say
that the State cannot be taken from
Cleveland.
Such is the situation as 1t appears to-
day in this centre Of political direction.
The Democrats understand the situa-
ton precisely as the Republicans do,
and they are fully prepared for the des-
perate assaults that are to be made upon
Connecticut, Delaware and West Viz
ginia; but, while the Republicans are
! assaulting these States, the Democratic
leaders understand that the Republi-
cans are much more likely TO lose
some OF the Harrison States OF 1883
outside of Nevada, which seems to
be conceded to Weaver, than the
Republicans are to carry Connecticut,
Delaware and West Virginia. Rhode
Island and New Hampshire are GER
tainly more debatable for the Republl-
cans than Connecticut and Delaware
for the Democrats, and even Massachu-
setts is not entirely ironclad for Repub-
lican Electors. In addition to the New
England States, all OF the States west
of the Mississippi to the Rocky Noun
tains, and also the Northwestern States,
are disputed with more or less energy
by the Democrats, and certainly with
reasonable expectation Of partial sue
cess in some OF them. In Wisconsin
would estimate the chances of the
Democrats as one out Of three for sue
cess, aud in Iowa one chance out OF
five, while in New York State the Re-
publicans have not one chance In twenty.
Colorado is certainly doubtful, with
probabilities in favor OF Harrison.
Nebraska, Kansas, Minnesota, Wyoming
and South Dakota all have fusion move
ments against Harrison, and 1t will be
remarkable IL some Of them do not sue
ceed.
II David Martin had remained In Phil
adelphia and not attempted to manage
affairs In this city, the Republicans
would have been in very much better
condition here to-day. He came herald
ed as an expert in election crookedness,
and his coming has been resented as an
insult to the city. While he is master
in the management OF the Nineteenth
ward Of Philadelphia, aud like centres
of political crookedness In that city,
when he is called upon TO handle
great city like New York against
Tammany Hall, the most perfect
political machine the world has
ever known, 1t is like sending todding
child to wrestle with giant. While the
Democratic papers have made Martin
most odious In the estimation OF honest
citizens, the practical politicians OF this
city have met Martin in his own way,
and they have played him In the most
bewildering fashion, They have set up
innumerabe jobs upon him, arranged
TO get vast sums of money out OF the
corrupt fund that he is disbursing, and
they could to-day arrest him and put
him in prison in scores OF cases where
they have busted his eyes and
PLAYED him for a political tenderfoot.
| They believe that they can do better
| however, than by sending him to
prison, and they will play him from this
until election day. Even with all the
shrewdness OF John l. Davenport to aid
him Martin has been gobbled up over
and over again in this contest, aud Is
to-day at the mercy Of hundreds OF
Tammany experts who have lured him
into almost every phase Of political
crookedness. Martin In New York with
out Quay to throw his protecting arms
around him is pitia5le novice in poll
tics, as he and his party friends will
learn sometime within the next two
weeks. l am quite sure that he has
never done more 70 help his own party
in Philadelphia than he has done this
year to help Tammany in New York
City.