The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-10-30
TWELVE PAGES.
A PROBLEM FOR THE POLITICIANS

A PROBLEM FOR THE POLTTICIANS
Never in the history of politics was
such an altogether interesting problem
presented TO the politicians on the eve OF
an election as that which results from TIE
death OF Henry George.
At low estimate the George ticket
was good for q hundred thousand votes.
How many more than that would have
been cast on election day nobody has pre-
tended TO prophecy. 1t might have been
enough to elect the advocate OF the single
tax Mayor of the city. That was far from
being beyond the bounds OF possibility.
AS a matter of record. Henry George
pollod 6s. 600 votes in campaign eleven
years ago that was confined to New York
city. He was then regarded as crank,
and his following represented only the
crank element. so-callvd. In the present
campaign he has still represented the ad
vocates Of his peculiar theories and. be-
sides, the Chicago platform of the national
Democratic party. 1t was surely not too
much to estimate his strength in the
larger city under these conditions at
100. 600 votes.
1t was an organized constituency, quite
as solid and Substantial and easy to trace
as that of the Tammany ticket or the
straight Republican force ana far easier
TO place than the Low vote. Today by
reason of their leaders deatE these 100 600
voters are . disorganized mob. What
their effect will now be on the election
no one can estimate with any authority.
1t is all easy enough to talk about
throwing them in body to Low OF to
XaaMyck, or of holding them solid tor
Henry George, Jr. That Is plainly
political impossibility. 1t is too late
in the campaign to be able to so direct
them. They are no longer an organized
body, bound together to man and to
principle They are an army without
leader. Kept together they would be
powerful to decide the result next Tues
day but they are scattered, demoralized
and how are they To be got together
seems more improbable than that they
should bs so held, although another week
Of campaigning might MAKE a large
proportion Of this disorganized mass
available to some one OF the candidates.
: Today they are disorRanized. 1t is every
man for himself Of this hundred thousand
to vote according TO the best OF his judg-
mont without any guidance. The lines
OF battle have already been drawn by the
respective campaigners. The programs for
the election have all been made. The
allotment to the respective candidates has
teen figured out as accurately as may be
before the actual casting CT the vote. One
hundred thousand votes were set apart "a
tho George strength, given np by all the
other parties whose estimates did not
claim them or hope for them or account
for them in any way except rs belonging
TO George. Now these hundred thousand
votes are flung into the campaign at tho
last moment TO confuse and confound
tho plaus and expectations for election
day, to paralyze the estimates and break
up the alignment of the respective forces.
Who can foresee the result of this new
and strange element in n campaign al
ready confusing and complicated beyond
precedenty
II Is calculated to dismav the respective
campaign managers, rs it surely knocks
oil their calculations TO smithereens
And il IS nightly interesting thing.