Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-09-20
CAMPAIGN NEWS AND COMMENT.


the canvass naturally lacks much of the
vigor comm on to more debatable localities,
Even predictions as to the size OF the Repub.
| lican ma jority have been scarce up to date
| this year, though the election Is only seven
weeks away. The few prophets who have
been quoted as to figures range in their
estimates all the way from 10000 to 100000.
These are Republican calculations, of
course, but nobody has yet ventured to deny
them. Whatever gains they may
make elsewhere it is evident
that the Democrats cannot depend
on cutting down Harrison's majority of
four years ago in the city of Philadelphia.
Singerly's Record comedies more than this,
saying: "Never before in this city or State
has the great Democratic organization
fallen so low or betrayed such feebleness.
In 1888 Mr.. Harrison carried Philadelphia by
$1,000 majority: to-day it looks as though he
would have 10000 majority in the city in the
November election. This would certainly
have been cut down to 10000 or less but for
the malfgnity OF the attacks upon Mr. NC
Aleer. All over the city Democrats by hun
dreds are already saying that they Will not
vote. They realize not only that their bal
lots will be useless, but also that If cast they
would be used merely to perpetuate heart
less and selfish political cabal, the chief end
OF which is to persecpte faithful Democrats q.
Republicans of New York State In 1882
adopted the heroic method OF disciplining
their party managers by permitting the cleo
tton or Cleveland as Governor by nearly 2OO-
900 majority, so a great many Democrats Of
Pennsylvania are now talking of conveying
q similarly useful and necessary lesson to
the men who have disrupted the Democracy
Of the Keystone State"
CLEVELAND has written letter to q
Philadelphia Democrat in which he says:
"It seems to me that the friends and neigh
bcrs of such q good Democrat as your pres
ent Governor have abundant incentive to
Democratic enthusiasm. l am sure that
those who profess Democratic doctrines
cannot go wrong If they follow the lead OF
Robert e. Pattison."
WITH tidings the reverse of encouraging
from Philadelphia it follows that Democrats
throughout the State are not in a remarka-
bly, hopeful frame of mind. A we'll known
party leader in conversation the other day
said: 81 think we will cut down the average
Presidential maj ority in Pennsylvania. II it
were not for the Philadelphia tangle it
would be cut very materially, and 1 am
still in hopes that the muddle there will be
adjusted. Elsewhere throughout the State
the Democrats are certain to make gains,
the size of which cannot yet be accurately
estimated. Part of this change will be due
to the labor troubles, and the Australian
ballot system will have some effect. am
not one of those who claim that employees
were intimidated to any great extent, and
do not expect much of gain from that fea.
ture. But in many parts of the State and
even in Allegheny county the party has
been so poorly organized that voters in
some districts nave not been able to get
Democratic ticket without considerable
trouble. Now all tickets will be on the Off
cial ballot and on an equality. Then, too, 1
think that in this State ut least a larger pro.
portion Of the voters likely to make mis-
takes under the new system are in the Re-
publican ranks. But we can tell better
about November g."
KANSAS gave Harrison a slightly larger
majority than Pennsylvania in 1885, but
since then Kansas has been afflicted with
Simpson and PETER, and the odds are that
the Keystone State will again assume the
banner.
THE list of Congressional nominations in
this State is complete, that OF Hicks, in the
Twentieth district, being the last. The
Pennsylvania delegation in the present
House consists of II Republicans and 10
Democrats, and there is one vacancy caused
by the death of Congressman Craig, who was
admitted to his seat on a contest against
Colonel Stewart. The certain Democratic
districts are the Third, Eighth, Ninth,
Seventeenth, Nineteenth and Twenty
eighth, the majoritIes ranging from 5000 in
the Third district to more than Il, GOO in the
Ninth, and it is a significant fact that the
only district in which the Republicans have
not nominated q Republican is the one
giving the smallest Democratic ma jority.
The Democrats renominated who are GER
tain OF election are Mutchler, Wolverton,
BeltZhoover and Kribbs. With them will be
Erdman, the new man nominated in the
Democratic Ninth district. The Schuylkill
and Lackawanna districts are very close
and exceedingly doubtful this year. and
Luzerne is debatabe ground. In nearly all
the districts the Prohibitionists have made
nominations, and in a number Of them. par
ticularly in the western part of the State,
there are candidates of the Peoples party.
Not one of those outside candidates have
any show of success. In every instance
Republican or a Democrat will be elected.
THE result in the Twentieth district may
depend on whether the nomination of Hicks
was filed in time to go on the official
ballot under the regular party heading.
THERE are two Western Pennsylvania dis
tricts naturally Republican, over winch pc
culiar circumstances throw something more
than doubt. With the situation in the
Twenty-fourth district. comprising part of
Allegheny county. Washington, Fayette and
Greene. the public is sufficiently familiar.
Political tlgurers think the chances are
about even whether the candidacy of Jobes
and Cox, backed by the Greene county kick
ers against un fair representation will suffl ce
to take the long term from Acheson and the
short one from Stewart. Sipe is making q
vigorous eanvass ~ on the part of the Democ;
by the apparent confusion in the
ranks OF his opponents. The other doubtful
district is that composed of Erie and Craw-
ford counties, where Rev. DIR. Flood, the Re-
publican candidate, is battling with Sibley,
of kite-shaped-track fame, who is the nom-
ominee of the combined Democratic, Pro-
also handicapped by disaffection in the Re-
publican column in his own town of Mead
Vile. The normal party majority in the
district Is large, but Crawford county in
particular is in a chaotic state politically.
The district will attracta great deal of at
tention until the returns are printed.
THE Democratic National Committee is
distributing as q campaign document part
of I. V. Powderly's article on Labor and
Protection" in the North american ReuisD.
THERE are Judges to be elected IN No
vember in seven Pennsylvania districts,
two being to succeed Judges now sitting by
appointment. In three of the seven dis
tricts the Judges now on the bench will be
reelected without partisan opposition.
These are Judge Arnold, Democrat, in Phil
adelphia, who has been regularly nominated
by the Republican as well as the Democratic
conventions; Judge Stowe, of Allegheny, and
Judge MCPHERSON, of the uphin-Lebanon
district, against neither of whom will there
be a Democratic candidate, in accordance
with the growing sentiment in favor OF non
partisan judiciary elections. In the McKean-
Potter district the Democratic opposition to
Judge Olmstead does not amount to
the dignity of contest. The only
district in which there is real con-
test against an elected Judge now on the
bench is in Schuylkill. Judge Pershing, al
fhnnRh alactad tWice has now recaiYed the