Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1903-02-05
SEES DEMOCRATIC VICTORY.
Champ Clark Shows How a Change of
Only 25,142 in the Popular
Vote From Last Year
Will Give Success
to the Party.


Champ Clark, OF Missouri, has de-
clared himself a candidate for the
leadership OF the minority in the
next House Of Representatives. Other
prospective candidates are John
Sharp Williams, Of Mississippi; George
B. McClelland and William Sulzer,
both Of New York.
All OF these candidates, when an
nounced, will be based on the theory
that Represt ntatiye James d. Rich
ardson will retire at the end OF this
Congress and devote himself to Ma
sonic work, he being one of the high
est Masons in the world. Mr.. Clark 's
friends say the entire Missouri dele
CATION Will support him.
Mr.. Clark attracted much atten-
tion last week by delivering speech
in the House of Representatives, show
ing how Democracy can win the next
Presidential election. Mr.. Clark has
made a careful study Of the situation,
and when he arose to speak rip-roar-
ing debate followed. Mr.. Clark
fioored the Republican leaders one by
one with his trenchant retorts.
Democrats generally are manifest
ing much interest in MIR. Clark's
reasons for declaring that the Demo
cratic party will win in the next na-
tional election. Here are his figures:
II no more states are admitted there
will be, in 1904, 476 votes in the
Electoral College. The candidates who
can obtain 239 votes will be elected.
In the last election the Democrats
carried states aggregating 1853 electoral
votes. They are Arkansas, Florida,
Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mis-
sissippi Missouri, Nevada, North
Carolina, Rhode Island, South Caro-
lima, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.
Eighty-one more votes we're necessary
to win the election in that year. Mr..
Clark believes these votes will be
forthcoming,
Mr.. Clark bases this belief on the
fact that there was shrinkage of Re-
publican strength in Wisconsin, New
York, New Jersey, California, Penn
sylvania, Michigan, New Hampshire,
Connecticut, Maryland, West Virgil
mia, Delaware, Montana, Nebraska,
Utah, Idaho, Colorado and Wyoming.
To sum up, Mr.. Clark figures that
the surely Republican states are
Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Mich
igan, Maine, North Dakota, Ohio,
Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota,
Vermont and Washington, with TIA
electoral votes.
The states reliably Democratic, in
his opinion, are Alabama, Arkansas,
Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisia-
ma, Mississippi, Missouri, North Car
olina, South Carolnina, Tennessee,
Texas and Virginia, with 154 electoral
votes.
He puts 14s electoral votes in the
doubtful column, viz: California,
Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware,
Idaho, Maryland, Massachusetts,
Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire,
New Jersey, Rhode Island, Utah,
West Virginia and Wisconsicn.
II the Democrats captured all of the
doubtful states the party would have
In the next Electoral College 302 votes
an extremely comfortable margin oi
safety. To win, Mr.. Clark declares
the Democrats must carry New York
New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Ne
braska, California and Utah.
His startling statement was that In
which he showed that change OF 4,
402 votes from the last election woult
carry New York; In New Jersey s, So
would bring the same result; in Della
ware, 2,077 would carry that state: Ii
Maryland, 4,254; in Nebraska, 2,27S
in California, 776, and in Utah, 2,59.
"In other words, said Mr.. Clark, e;
change of 25,142 in the popular vot'
gives us the President and Vice
President of the United States, will
two electoral votes to spare.
The Republicans are, of course
derisive, but Mr.. Clark's speech ha
made many Democrats think AM
filled them with enthusiasm.