The evening times., 1896-10-23
OUTLOOK TWO YEARS AGO
Then the Democrats Claimed
Everything in Sight.
PREDICTIONS OF LEADERS
Senator Faulkner and Secretary Gard
ner Laughed at the Claims of Re
publicans-Same Committees Have
Charge of the Congressional Work
This Year-Forecnsts Similar.

| taches have found much amusement in col
lecting the predictions made by the Demo-
| cratic leaders two years ago Just before
the election, and issuing them in the form OF
bulletin. 1t says:
On October 23 Senator Faulkner gave
out the following Interview:
I'VE are not content with carrying the
solid South. We want everything in sight;
| SIX Northwestern States. That is not half
| enough. 1.-THE Republicans will 90 to sleep
| with the idea that we are going TO confinc
| ourselves TO that and nothing more, they
Will wake up with surprised look when
they see how rar-reachiig our scheme Of
campaign really is"
HAD GOOD NEWS
| On Saturday, October ct, the follow ing
interesting morsel was given out by
! Senator Faulkner and Secretary Gardner:
/ The Democratic headquarters were in
receipt OF good news yesterday. From a
reliable source came the most cheerful
estimate of the probable result in Indiana
| hich mas been received since the opening
OF the campaign. 1t was to the effect that
the Democrats were fairly sure of holding
all the districts now represented by them.
| This information caused a good deal OF
| quiet satisfaction to pervade the committee
rooms. Another piece of good news came.
! from Wisconsin, where the Democrats
| claimed they would carry five districts
certainly. The last dispatch of the commit
| tee was from North Carolina, where they
| expected to carry every district i'll the
| State"
on October 80 the following was pub
| lished: Secretary Gardner, Of the Con-
| gressional campaign Committee, returned
| from his visit to New York at O'Clock
last evening. He has been closely watch
| ing the drift Of events in the Empire
state, and expresses great confidence that
| Senator Hill VIII be elected. The Congress
sionai situation in New York, he admits,
continues TO be mixed. but he has hopes
that the Democrats Will come out all
right. Reports from the Western States
received today are, very encouraging.
| Just as Mr.. HiH's chances are growing
brighter every day. SO the prospects of the
| Democrats in the West are improving right
! along. People are beginning to find that
| they can buy things much cheaper than they
| could year ago. ard sugar, instead of
( going up has gone down in price, SO that
| you can now buy thirteen pounds of brown
| sugar for 80 cents. The merchants are
| now everywhere displaying signs in their
shop windows that prices have becnreduced,
owing TO the reduction in tariff rates. and
all this is told in favor OF the Democrats"
RIDICULED BABC0CK'S ESTIMATES.
Next came this, Senator Faulkner, who
spent Sunday at his home in West Virginia.
returning esterjidy afternoon, found a large
number OF letters and telegrams awaiting
his attention. The committee is in receipt
! Gf much encourag ging news from Illinois
Indiana and Wisconsin. Senator Faulkner
| predicts that the Democrats Will elect tn .ir
| state ticket in the latter state
on November =, Senator Faulkner, with
a cynical smile,'' ridiculed Chairman Bab-
cocks prediction OF a landslide, especially
! in Wisconsin, and in order to reassurc him
| self, wired Mr.. Wall, chairman of the
| democratic committee OF Wisconsin. who
replied that that state was safely Demo.
! cratic, and suggested that Mr.. Babcock
| was not entirely sure of his own election.
on Tuesla ymorning, November 8 election
| day. the figures or estimates. of both Chair
man Babcock, of the Republican Congress
! sional Committee, and Senator Faulkner, of
! the Democratic Committee, were published.
Mr.. Babcock claimed S3 Republican mem
bers as sure, with a probability of 81 g, Civ
ing the vote by States in detail. The fol-
lowing paragraph, dictated by the cheerful
chairman of the Democratic Committee is
given intact:
Senator Faulkner chairman of the Dem
| ocratic committee, lefton the afternoon train
| for Martnsburg to cast his ballot in the
| election. Apparently the chairman was
| well satisfied with his summary of the
work accomplished up to the eve of election.
| Il do not look like a man who shows signs
| of fearing defeat, do H.? he said. He
| was sked if he Would initiate the example
! of Chairman Babcock. by giving out an
estimate of the result.
NO said the Senator, I'm not going
| to give out an estimate Though he had
positively promised to do SO n week be-
| forel, but you can speak with authority
| from me, by saying that it is certain the
Republicans will not organize the next
| House, and / say this With absolute con-
| fidence in the assertion. If Mr.. Babcock
conceded us ten Congressman in Illinois,
he is coming nearer to our claims than he
| did a short time ago. He only reverses the
| figures, for we claim twelve from Illinois
have heard from the managers of the
West Virginia districts, and We shall elect
all four of the Congressman from that
State"
SECRETARY GARDNER FRANK.
Then follows this piece of frankness by
Secretary Gardner: 'This committee was
oryanized tn elect Congressman and there