The record-union., 1898-11-08
One of the Most HotIy Contested in
California History.
An Air of Joy Around Headquarters Of the
Respective Parties.
Both Republicans and Democrats
Sanguine of Carrying the State
by Comfortable Majorities-A
Big Vote Predicted for Gage In
Southern California.

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. This
State Is on the eve of one of the most
hotly contested elections in its history.
The candidates for State offices nave
traversed the commonwealth for weeks
past, and during that fine almost
every accessible town of any proml-
nence has been visited. Henry T.
Gage, the standard bearer Of the, Re-
pubhcans, ended his campaign in this
city on Saturday night, and left for
his Los Angeles home yesterday. Judge
Mcguire, the fusion candidate Of the
Democratic and Populist parties, will
continue his battle for votes until al
most midnight tonight. He ad-
dressed five meetings in this city to-
night between 8 and II O'Clock. During
the noon hour to-day he addressed the
employees of the Union Iron Works, and
later in the afternoon went across the
bay to Sausalito to close the campaign
in Marin County.
There is an air of joy around the
headquarters of the respective parties
in this city. Both parties seem phe-
nomenally sanguine Of success.
At the rooms of the Republican State
Central Committee in the Palace Ho-
tel, a large crowd of orators have been
in attendance all day, glad that 1t is
all over "but the shouting" Assistant
Secretary Steppacher said to-day: I'VE
have the fight Won We will carry the
State outside of San Francisco by T.
500, and will gain 5000 additional votes
in San Francisco
Another prominent Republican stat
ed that his party would elect six Con-
gTessmen, and that the State Legisa-
ture would be overwhelmingly Repub-
lican
At Democratic headquarters in the
California Hotel the same air Of conf
dence was observed on all sides, and
while the managers of the campaign
expect to carry the State, they do not
predict anything like the pluralities
claimed by the Republicans. Seth
Mann stated to an Associated Press
representative that Judge Maguire's
election was a certainty; that he would
enter San Francisco with a gain of at
least 2,500 and that his plurality in
this city would exceed 5000. The
Democrats expect to elect five Con-
gressmen, and to have majority in
the Legislature.
GAGE WILL GET A BIG VOTE IN
THE SOUTH.
LOS ANGELES, Nov. THE indi-
cations tonight are that election day
will see the first rain Of the season fall
ing throughout Southern Ca ifornia- The
Republican managers are claiming re-
cent large gains for Gage in the
southern counties. Many Catholics,
they say, who have been Democrats
heretofore will vote for him. The at
titude of Father Yorke, they claim, has
influenced them.
The Republican County Central Com
mittee of Los Angeles County claims
that the general ticket will average a
majority of $500 in the county, and
that Gage will lead with a thousand
more.
4'he Democratic County Central Com
mittee claims the county by small
majority, mostly from gains in Los
Angeles city.
The Republicans are confident of
electing Needham for Congress in the
Seventh District and Waters in the
Sixth, over Castle and Barlow, both in
cumbents. The claim is made that
Barlow will fall a thousand behind his
ticket. In the legislative districts it
is conceded there viii be the closest
contests, one especially close being the
Seventy-third Assembly District, COM
posed Of three wards in this city. where
William Mead, the incumbent, is run
ming on the fusion ticket against
James Meredith, a former Republican
county official and a party war horse.
The Republicans are to-day claiming
gains in all the legislative districts, and
assert that Southern California will
send a large majority of Republicans to
the Legislature.
There is such a wide difference of
opinion in the figures given by the
leaders in both parties as to the re-
suits in the State contest in Southern
California that 1t is useless to quote
them.
Gage has been receiving an ovation
to-day In this, his home city.