The age-herald., 1898-10-23
OUTCOME STILL IN DOUBT
Democratic Candidate Has Been Steadily Gaining Ground Throughout State.
THE BETTING GROWING BaIsKER
Odds on Roosevelt Have Been Con- stantly Dropping Until Now it Is Even Money on Van Wyck--
 Croker in Full Power.
BY WALTER L. HAwLEY.

BY WALTER IL. HAWLEY.
 New York, October 22.-(Special )--The present political campaign in this city and state has been full of surprises and sudden changes from the beginning, and it has de- veloped so many new and unexpected fea- lures that comparisons with other cam paigns are probably of little value in mak- ing estimates of the result. The leaders of both parties as usual, are making extray- agant claims, but the outcome is still in doubt, and any day between now and the election may produce some surprise that will change many votes.
 When the campaign opened immediately after the Syracuse convention it looked as if Roosevelt would sweep the state without an effort on the part of the republican or ganization. That was the way all repub- licans and many democrats felt about the situation. and that condition gave the oena- ocrats a chance to make winning cam paign against big odds. For a time 1t, looked as if they would make the most of the opportunity. and a week ago the pros poets of democratic success were decidedly good. But there has been big change in the situation in week, and the present
 
 conditions slightly in favor of the republ- can candidate.
 Both sides have made some big biunders, but the republicans seem to recuperate from mistakss faster than the a2;,; cG,9 @@. .s 'Er or a .een .nes nave been building up from the bad breaks made in the early days of the campaign, while the democratic campaign managers keep right on doing and saying things that should be left un- done and unsaid if they want to win.
 The Campaign Betting
 There has been great deal of talk about the betting, and outside of the state this talk may be accepted as an indication of the true situation. Like many. other fea- lures of this campaign, there has been more bluff than reality in the gambling on the result. The odds have changed from 10 to 6 on Roosevelt to even money, but in day or a week they may go back to to on the republican candidate If there is any significance in the real betting it is in the fact that bookmal1ers men who bet for the sole purpose of gaining money, are not putting their cash on the democratic ticket The well known gamblers who have
  been acting as agents They have not, with a few exceptions, begun to bet their own money. A few of them have bet on Roose- welt at small odds or even money. When the Gmblers begin to bet their own money the week before the election the ruling odds will show the real drift of things at that time.
 There are several thousand voters in this city who always want to be on the win- ming side in elections. These men are cas- fly influenced by the campaign betting. The democratic managers got alarmed over the outlook ten days ago and set out to change the betting odds. A big pool was formed in the democratic club, and some big bets were made.
 Tammany has an enormous campaign fund this year, and a part of the money, s1OO 900, it is said, was set aside to wager on the result for the moral effect. It was this sudden influx of democratic money in- to the ring that changed the odds to even money on Van Wyck. The real betting to win will not begin until five or six days be- fore the election.
 The republican leaders were at first so cconfident that Col. Roosevelt would make
  bany and win on his war record that they let the campaign take care of itself for two weeks. They did not put up any money and were unprepared for active cam paign. The democratic leaders were quick to discover the real condition of affairs in the camp of their opponents, but instead of keeping quiet about it and working still hunt for votes they raised a. great hue and cry about republican apathy and indiffer- ence. In the phraseology of the race track the democrats went out and made the run ming in the first quarter, and by the time the race was we'll on they were winded.
 Republicans Awakening
 A week ago the republican leaders awoke to the fact that they had a fight on their hands, and since then they have been mak- ing one of the greatest campaigns ever seen fin this state. They now have ten speakers in the field to where the demo- 'crats have one and they are bending every energy to get out a full party vote in the country, upon which they always rely for victory In a state election.
 The democratic campaign managers base their hopes of victory on big vote in Greater New York and strong German vote in Buffalo and Rochester. It is easy to prove anything in New York poli- tics by figures: they can be made to elect anybody in advance of the returns if prop erly manipulated, so the claims of both sides must be regarded with doubt at this time.
 But few general facts based on the election returns of recent years are worth consideration by anyone interested in the present campaign in this state. New York state outside of the cities is always repub- lican In New York city Tammany can always defeat divided opposition. but 1t cannot overcome all opposing factions when they are united. Last year the democratic candidate for judge of the court of appeals was elected by plurality of Gi.Ooo The republican vote in the state out side of the cities was 3s per cent. less than the vote in 1896, and in this city s5,Q0o of the ballots cast for Seth Lowe for mayor