Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1903-01-22


York Democrat, Silas Wright.
While not enthusiastic as to the Dem
ocratic platforms of 1896 and 1900,
Judge Parker supported Bryan man.
fully and in good faith in both those
campaigns.
Those who are acquainted with him
declare him to be genial and lovable,
yet possessing the reserve and dignity
becoming in one holding high judicial
position
Perhaps Judge Parker is the Demo
cratic Moses, to borrow popular
phrase-the Democratic Joshua, more
properly speaking, for it was Joshua
and not Moses who took possession of
the promised land.
Declines.
King Solomon said, ''There is nothing
new under the sum- but this new thing
has happened nevertheless: A Republic
an statesman declines a good fat Office
Hon. William H. Taft, governor gener-
al of the Philippines, declines to sue
ceed Mr.. Justice Shiras on the supreme
bench because of a sense of duty to fin
ish his work in the orient. The place
has been rendered Hon. William R.
Day, now United States circuit Judge
in Ohio, who succeeded John Sherman
as secretary of state and who helped
negotiate the treaty of Paris, which has
given US lots of trouble and which is
perhaps destined to give us more than
any other document created since the
world began. Judge Day is a man of
fair capacity and high character. He
was special friend and pet of Presi-
dent Mckinley and will do as well for
supreme judge as most Republicans.
Democratic Chances.
If no more states are admitted, there
will in 1904 be 476 votes in the elect
oral college. Two hundred and thirty
nine will be required to elect presi-
dent and vice president.
In 1902 the Democrats carried Ala
bama with II electoral votes, Arkansas
with 8, Florida with 5, Georgia with
Is, Kentucky with Is, Louisiana with
8, Mississippi with 10, Missouri with
IS, Nevada with 8, North Carolina
with II, Rhode Island with 4, South
Carolina with 8, Tennessee with II,
Texas with IS and Virginia with IL,
aggregating 15S.
Therefore in order to elect a presi-
dent and vice president in 1904 the
Democrats must hold the states they
have and in addition thereto carry
enough states to give them 81 more
electoral votes.
Can they do it? The chances are
fairly good for them to do so. Most
assuredly we are not without hope in
the world
In what states have we the best
prospects of securing the 81 extra
electors?
From 1900 to 1902 the Republican
majorities shrank in the following
states by more than one-half (any-
thing approaching like shrinkage in
1904 will land every one of them in the
Democratic column: In Wisconsin from
106,591 to 1850 in New York from
| 143,606 to S,S03, in New Jersey from
$500 to 17133, in California from
39,770 to 1850, in Pennsylvania from
28S,433 to 156,410, in Michigan from
| 104,58 to 37,1S4, in Massachusetts
from 81, ,S69 to 37,120, in New Hamp-
shire from 1874 to 8,2T1.
Those states have 142 electoral votes,
| 81 more than we need.
No man in his senses expects Penn
| sylvania to go Democratic; hence the
"a votes of the keystone State ought
to be subtracted from the 81, which
leaves 27 more than we need.
But in discussing the possibilities
and the probabilities of 1904 the Z
votes of Connecticut and the votes
of Maryland ought to be added to the
| q, making AZ more than we need, for,
while their Republican majorities did
not fall off so per cent or more, Con-
necticut's fell from 28,570 to 16,107 and
Marylands from 1891 to S,508-the
latter figures being the net majority on
congressman in 1902, there being no
state ticket. In calculating the chances
| it must also be remembered that both
Connecticut and Maryland are normal
ly Democratic states and go Republic
| an only in moments of temporary aber-
ration.
Here Is Food For Thought.
There is another group of states
upon which the gentleman from Ohio
should fix his eagle eye when he next
essays the role of seer. The small Re-
publican majorities which they gave
last year will furnish him much food
for thought when he takes out his pen
| ell and his pad to record his pr0gnos-
tications for 1904 In 1902 the Repub-
licans carried Delaware by 4,153, Mon
tana by 10,4S6 Nebraska by 1856,
Utah by 4,7S1. West Virginia by 12,773,
Idaho by 1888. Colorado by 1926,
Wyoming by 1866.
Any or all of those states may go
Democratic. The chances are about even
that they will. Every intelligent man
can recall instances where even one
congressional district has changed its
vote more in two years than any of
the eight states last named would have
to do to swing into the Democratic col
umn next year. Those eight states
have 35 electoral votes, which, added
to the heretofore enumerated, make a
total of " more than we need.
If were disposed to be extravagant
in my remarks, might claim-and on
the surface the claim would not ap-
pear unreasonable-that Oregon, with
her electoral votes, is a doubtful
state by reason Of the facts that in
| 1900 Mckinley carried the state by
1914 and in 1902 Democratic gov
ernor was elected by 276, but do not
believe that Oregon is any more likely
to go Democratic than is Vermont.
The result in 1902 was determined by
local causes or the personality Of the
candidates.
If l were disposed to be unfair, /
might claim that we have prospects
worth considering in Minnesota be-
cause her Republican majority of IT,
$50 in 1900 was reduced to 56,4S6 in
1902, but regret to say that Minneso-
ia appears to be joined to her idols.
Factors to Consider.
In striving to forecast results sever
al factors must be considered, such as
the present trend of forces. the political
| JOHN J.