The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1902-10-04
TERRITORIAL CAMPAIGN
AS VIEWED OUTSIDE
Democrats have the Maj
Ority with Every IBdicat-
ion Of Victory

Kansas City, Mo-, Oct. 6,-The Ok
iahoma correspondent of he sta
writes his paper as follows;
The campaign statistician in Okla
homa has his hands ruIl this year
He rattles his pencil between his
tesih, gaezs out of the window, runs
his fingers through his hair, yawns
and decides that II he were a betting
man ha would lay no wagers on the
congressional race. or, at least, offer
nothing better than even money. Re
publicans, more than Democ ats,
seem inclined to take this view Of the
situaiion.
Thers are sangiine Republicans
ever ready to declare that their party
is the strongest in Oklahoma, their
opinions being expressed with great
est assurance in the intervals between
campaigns. When a campaign be
gins, however it is a noticeable fact
that there is great fear among Re.
publicans Of brutal Democratic
majority" Careful observers scarce
iy can doubt that there are more
Democratic than Republican voters in
Oklahoma. aud that If they were as
well trained in voting as are the Re
pubhcans The latter would find little
pleasure in a congre ssional campaign.
How VIII Mcclure Run7
The question to which the Republi-
cam are most desirous of inding ans.
wers at this time are; VIII Mcclure.
as was always the good fortune of
Dennis Flynn. run ahead OF his party
strength? What has been the IN
crease in Republican votes over
Democratic votes IN old Oklahoma in
the last two yearsf What will be
The Democratic majority in the three
new counties of Kiowa. Caddo and
Commanche, which have been popu
lated since the last congressional
electiong Also. which party will gain
by the fact that this is an of year
politically. there being no presiden.
ria campaign?
The Republican position invites re.
sentiment from Indian territory, as
the people are striving day by day to
induce oklahoma to asset them in
escaping at he earliest possible
moment from the ills tha. beset them
They feel that the man who has swan
the river is never so interested in
rs companion left behind as he would
bo if the two were swimming side by
side IN the food,
Flynns Personal Strength.
Mcclure. however. viii never be
able TO get as many antiRepublican
votes az did Flynn. He has not the
extensive personal acquaintance Of
FLYNN, does not possess as much mag
netism, does not mix az well aud is
not so fortunate il having an Issue
that appeals so strongly to vo ers as
did free homes In 1898 Flynn re-
caved 2S.45G votes, while the aver
age vote Of his party for members Of
the council and the lower house was
20.O73 Flynn got $3.50. or Al per cent
more votes than his party cast Kea-
toms vote was 19.OsS, aud the aver
age Democratic legislative vote 49,,
218 Flmn's plurality was 9.36s. In
1900 a national campaign year. and
with the passage Of the free homes
bill and It's i5 million dollar gift still
fresh Ia the minds OF the people,
FLYNN got 3s t5S votes. against an
average Republican legisia' i've vote OF
3l,274. which put him e.979 votes. or
% per cent. ahead of his party, Neff's
vote was 3S.52s. and hi sparty's aver
age legislative vote 49, STA Fiynfn's
plurality was 4.724 F1ynns vote in
excess Of his party strength was re-
ducad 5S per cent from what st was
in 1888. This Is explained. in a de.
gree. by the fact that IN 1900 a ma
t1ond campaign was being fought,
and 10 TIE further fact that members
nf his own party worked against him,
Where tbs Votes Came From.
Possibly the question of where the
votes came from that put Flynn
ahead Of his party in 1900 has never
been considered by most persons II
is asserted that many Democrats and
Populisis voted for him, which was
true. But look at these figures; The
average Democratic legisla i've vote
was as.672. aud Nafrs vote 3s.529,
difference OF only 14s. II a Democrat
or Populist voted his legislative tick