Evening star., 1896-10-27

He unQual;fiedly asserted. however, that
the dem ocrats ard populists would fuse
on the electoral ticket, but he did not
speak so confidently as to ''co-operation"
on the state and congressional tickets. II
turns out that Col Staples was right as
to the electoral ticket, ard that his doubts
as to the fusion on the state and con-
gressional tickets were well founded"
Last night in reply to questions from the
reporter Col. Staples said:
This Is a year of political surprises,
the land is full of political astrologers and
the political frr ament Is full OF new con-
stellations and wandering stars. There is
no political astronomer on the face of the
earth who can read the answer in the
stars to the outcome of the present
contest.
mo man in this state can tell what
the result on the state and congress
sional tickets will be-the only thing
at all certain is the election of the Bryan
electoral tcket-of this there is no rea-
sonable doubt. but as to what the result
of the state ticket will be II Is simply a
matter Of speculation based upon a specu-
lative basis. There Is no precedent in the
state that can aid the judgment in a tri-
angular fight, such as we now have.
Whether Guthrie will poll the full popu-
list strength no man can tell. That Wat
son will poll the full democratic strength
is reasonably certain. Russell will get the
full negro vote. but what detection, IL any,
VIII occur among the white republicans is
also a matter Of conjecture.
THAT there have been many fraudulent
registrations goes without saying. No state
in the Union has an election law 80 easily
adjusted to fraudulent registration as ours.
In many instances 1t will be almost fmpos-
s;ble to prevent fraudulent voting. The
time to try challenges is the Saturday be-
fore the election and the trials may be so
conducted as to reduce the cases heard to
a minimum. and where not heard the cha;-
lenged party will probably be allowed to
vote. When your name is once on the poll
cnn qaf nj a ind
ment of the board which passes upon chai-
lenges. You can readily see that the party
registering the most voters, whether legal
ly entitled 10 vote or not, has a great ad-
vantage.
The unprecedentedly large registration
of the negro vote in this state indicates
either a large increase of population, a sur
prising apathy heretofore on the part OF
the cOlored voter. or an amazing number
of young men who have attained their ma
jority since the last election.
The Repatriation.
'Ii is doubtless on account of this largely
increased registration that a considerable
number of well-informed republicans claim
the election of the state ticket, and even
the election of the Mckinley electors. but
1 am slow to believe that such will be the
result. My opinion Is that Watson, the
democratic nominee, will receive a plural
ity of the votes and be elected. About the
congressional districts and the legislature IL
is hard TO tell In some of the districts and
many of the counties there is fusion be-
tween the democrats and populists, and the
republicans and populists. and in Others
there are three tickets-democratic, repub-
lican ard populist.
The democrats lose more heavily where
there is a populist candidate than the re-
publicans, because the larger number of
populists. or members of the peoples party,
Were formerly democrats.
You can readily see from this state of
things how utterly pretentious and bonn
hastic must be the claims of the republican
leaders In the state.
They may win If wind will take them in