The Savannah morning news., 1902-10-23
TIE ELECTIONS.


It Is now less than two weeks to the
| time of the elections. Forty-two states
| viii so TO the polls on Nov. to elect
| congressman, and a number of them
will at the same time elect governors
and legislatures. The only states in
which there will be no elections on that
/ date are Maine and Vermont, where
! the elections were held last month, and
/ Oregon, where elections were held in
/ June.
/ In most of the states the campaign
has proceeded quietly. without the
awakening Of any great amount of in
terest. Politics has possibly been live
/ lier in Ohio, where Tom L. Johnson
has stirred up matters with his social
| ed Circus" than in any other state;
/ and yet nothing sensational has occur
red in Ohio. A candid consideration
of affairs. as they appear at this dis
! lance does not hold out much hope for
a change in the political complexion of
the state. There are, as a matter of
fact. better grounds for the hope Of
Democratic gains in Pennsylvania than
in Ohio. In Pennsylvania the Demo-
Gratis have nominated a strong ticket,
headed by ex-Gov. Pattison, and have
waged a consistent warfare against
the Quay machine. They are likely to
have the assistance of a considerable
number of anti-Quay Republicans when
the time for voting comes. Many of the
Republican leaders and newspapers in
Pennsylvania have become tired of
Quay's bossism and disguised with the
corruption of his machine, and it would
not be greatly surprising to see Patti
son the next Governor of the state.
Still it is to be borne in mind that the
Republicans have control of the cleo
ton machinery, and being unscrupu-
lous. they may succeed in carrying by
fraud what they could not do with
honest ballots.
That there will be Democratic gains
in the Northwest seems to be the well
settled conviction among those who
have followed the situation. Speaker
Henderson's declination to stand for
reelection was an indication of the
drift of public opinion away from the
Republican tariff doctrine. That drift
was rather strengthened than checked
by the Speakers action, hence in all
probability Mr.. Boise will represent in
the next Congress the district formerly
and for so many years represented by
Gen. Henderson.
Notwithstanding the nearness of the
election, it may be said that the Dem
ocratic campaign in New York is only
now fairly open. Senator Hills speech
before the Manhattan Club last night
was really the first big gun of the fight
The nominee for Governor, Mr.. Coler,
has not made a speech and there is
some doubt that he will take the stump
Senator Hill, however, is booked for a
speech almost every day from now I'M
til the close of the campaign. New
York is VIGOROUSLY a doubtful state,
and in all probability il will be the piv-
otal state in the next national election
What occurs in New York politics,
therefore, is of interest to the country
at large. For the past several years
it has been rolling up Republican ma
jorities; still the Democrats have an
excellent chance for winning this year,
and they are going to make the most
of their opportunities.
There have been many prophecies of
safe majorities in the next House by
managers of both parties. All of these
were based upon wishes rather than
reliable indications, no doubt, and We're
circulated for political effect. A rea-
sonable expectation seems to be that
the party divisions in the next House
win be much nearer equal than they
are at present. Forecasts beyond that
are all guess work.