Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-08-25
THE EMPIRE STATE
Republicans Well Satisfied
With the Outlook.
CAN'T BEAT ROOSEVELT
WILL WIN By GREATER PLURAL
ITY THAN oDELL.
Views Of Newspaper Political Writer
Who Has Just Made Tour
Of New York. G
CAN'T BEAT ROOSEVELT

Mr.. L. w. strayer. chief political writer
and Washington correspondent Of the Plus
burg Gazette. a strong republican journal
and the Oldest newspaper in western Penn
| sylvania, was in the city today. returning
from a political trip through New York
state. Mr.. Strayer conversed with Star
reporter on the political situation as he
| found it, as follows:
Travelling through New York state from
one end to the other, and talking with
many people on present political condi-
TONS / found among the republicans an
abiding faith in the ability Of Roosevelt to
carry the state next year. Party leaders
and the privates in the ranks are unani-
nous in the belief that the democrats will
not be able to nominate candidate who
can beat him. They appreciate the strength
Of the effort that will be made in opposi-
ton to Roosevelt, but after carefully con-
| sidering the situation they are convinced
that this antagonism will not be successful
| Basis for Conclusion.
| "The basis for this conclusion is this
Last year Odell carried the state by q
| plurality Of $685. Coler, the democratic
| candidate for governor. carried Greater
New York by the unprecedented plurality
of 122, 633. His vote in New York city was
| the greatest that was ever polled for a
democratic candidate. but Odell had SUI
| fcient votes up through the state to offset
| this tremendous city plurality and give him
| the state by over 5000. Now 1t is argued
| that Roosevelt will easily get a larger vote
| in the country districts than Odell did, for
| the reason that in the national election next
year policies will be involved that were not
! considered in the gubernatoral election.
Last year, Also Odell was obliged to
bear the burden of enmities aroused by the
change in the administration of the public
/ institutions of the state. and such other
| changes as naturally come with the advent
OF new governor. All Of these help to
| cause local feeling that Is manifested in the
aggregate on election day. But with the
lines drawn between the policies of the re-
publican and democratic parties, as they
will be in 1904. it is believed that a much
larger total vote will be polled and that
Roosevelts plurality in the state will great
ly exceed that of Odell.
"On the other hand II IS known that
the vote polled by Coler in New York city
was not democratic vote. 1t was not in
any sense party vote nor was 1t per-
the democrats, the disgruntled republicans
and all who were dissatisfied with the
fusion city administration. Everybody
who had a grievance against the Low
regime took 1t out on the republican ticket
last year For this reason republicans who
are thoroughly posted on the politics Of
New York believe that the democrats can
not expect to roll up for the democratic
presidential candidate anything like the
plurality in the city that was given to
Coler.
"Coler. himself as a candidate for Presl-
dent, could not begin to get the vote that
he did last year. Republicans who were
not pleased with the administration Of
Mayor Low and who had objections to file
against his appointments, voted against
reasons. but when 1t comes to a presi-
Dental election, IN which great policies are
involved, they will not let their prejudces
sway them, but will vote for the Iepubli-
can candidate.
Count on a Greater Upstate Plurality.
"Thus the republican leaders count upon
an increased plurality for the ticket up
the state. compared with Odells vote, and
a very material decrease in the democratic
plurality in New York city. which will
give the state to Roosevelt by a hand
some majority. But for the sake of be-
ing conservative, suppose that they are
wrong in one of their calculations, even
then the state will be safely republican 10y
a plurality greater than Odells.
Senator Plat says there is not the
slightest reason for uneasiness upon the
part of President Roosevelt's friends, and
he brands the reports of Roosevelt's dan
ger of losing his own state as absurd and
unworthy of consideration William
Barnes, jr., of Albany, chairman of the
republican state executive committee, Says
he hasn't any fear of the democrats carry
ing the state, no matter who they may
nominate. Titus Sheard of Little Falls,
who served in the general assembly with
President Roosevelt years ago and who
was recently invited to Oyster Bay to con-
fer with the President upon political mat
ters In New York state, is confident of
republican victory, and he bases his pre-
diction upon the argument stated above.
In Utica, Rochester, Oswego, Buffalo aud
other towns of the state, the same feeling
prevalent among the republicans.
None of them was alarmed at the situa-
tion and all believed that the state would
go for Roosevelt by good margin.
Cleveland Boom Not Serious.
II found nobody who took a serious view
of the Cleveland BOOM Even in Buffalo,
the scene of Clevelands first political
triumphs, and where he is kindly remem-
bered by his friends and admirers, / could
find nobody who believed him available as
a candidate. The impression seems to be
everywhere that the thrd-term prejudice
would be too great a burden for any candi-
date to bear no matter what were his
qualifications for the Office. If 1t were not
Cleveland would be the candidate of the
eastern wing of the democratic party.
THE man whom New York republicans
would least like to see nominated by the
democrats is Judge Parker. Not that they
are afraid that he could carry the state
against Roosevelt. but they believe he
would make good rum for the reason that
his strongest qualification seems to be a
rather doubtful one of negative kind. He
Is practically unknown and therefore moth
ing can be said against him. OF course he
Is well known In his own state for his rec
ord on the bench. where his standing is
the highest, but his attitude toward the
great questions of the day is not generally
known. and for that reason he Is likely to
escape great deal of prejudice.
The Democrats and Parker
'The democrats are apparently hanging
their hopes on the fact that Parker in 1897
was elected chief justice by a plurality OF
over 10000. 1t Is admitted by all who are
familiar with the politics Of New York that
1t is not safe to draw deductions from the
result of judicial election, for the reason
that party lines are not tightly drawn. This
was shown last year when the entire repub-
lican ticket was elected in New York state,
with the exception Of the candidates for at
torney general and judge of the court OF