The Savannah morning news., 1903-12-07
HOW POLITICIANS VIEW
THE APPROACHING CONTEST
AS the Time Until the Election ShortenS the
Chances of the Democrats Improve


as and Virginia, with 1872 electoral votes
in all, leaving a Republican majority
of 1872. More conservative Republicans
realize that Roosevelt will be a very
weak candidate in the East and adj
init that New York, New Jersey, Con-
necticut and Delaware, with their 81
electoral votes. are doubtful with the
chances favoring the Democrats, who,
with these states, would have 223 cleo
toral votes, or sixteen less than a ma
jority To secure these additional votes
they have the following states to draw
from: Indiana, with Is votes Colorado,
8; Idaho, 3; Utah 8; Montana, g.
Washington, 5; Wyoming, 8; West Vir-
ginia, :, and Nebraska, 8, making a to-
tai of 80 votes, all within the range of
Democratic possibilities at least.
In fact, as a Veteran politician re-
marked in discussing the outlook for
Democratic success the other day, it
may well be said: MANY stranger
things have happened often within my
time. 1t may not be a walk-over yet
for the Republicans in 1904"
SmoOt Keeps Cool.
One of the coolest and most I'M
concerned of men in the Senate is
Hon. Reed Smoot, the tall and slender
senator from Utah. He can't come in
to his seat, which is in the back row
on the east side of the chamber and
just in front of the screen that hides
the entrance, without hearing, during
the morning hour, the announcem
of numerous petitions asking for an
investigation into his right to be in the
Senate.
At first Mr.. Smoot seemed a little
annoyed by senators rising up all over
the chamber and presenting petitions
to have him ousted. He would lean
his head on his right hand and look
on sadly at the proceedings, but of
late he seems to have recovered a lit
tie after so many and continued ex-
periences. Senator Kearns of Utah sits
on one side of him and Senator Ankeny
sits on the other. Both assure Mr..
Smoot that he apparently has nothing
to fear from the Investigation AS
they talk he leans back in his chair,
throws one of his long legs over his
knee and listens attentively.
The Utah senator, whose name is so
widely advertised, wears his hair POM
! padour and dresses generally in bob
tail coat, which makes him look quite
as tall as he actually is. He is a pleas
ant gentleman to meet, talks genially,
and appears frank and honest Prob
ably he is not a man of great ability,
at least he has not created that i'm
preston around the Senate. But he
has some good, honest sense and is
pretty well liked. A few days ago
he went away to Utah and will not
be back for a little while.
Last week he was a guest at dinner
and was placed side by side with
Senator Burrows of Michigan plump,
grizzled and debonair, a veteran in
threading the Wiles and wickedness of
Washington. Mr.. Burrows is chair
man of the Senate Committee on Priv
ileges and Elections, which will give
a hearing to the Smoot case sometime
during the regular session of Congress.
The two chatted together during the
whole evening like two brothers and
! were really sorry that there wasn't
more time to talk
Senator Smoot never shows any hes
| itation or embarrassment in discuss
ing the hundreds of thousands of pc
titions that have been filed as a pro-
| test against him. He does this with
out much bitterness and frequently
asseverates that apparently he is not
to be on trial as much as the Nor
| mon church will be. Senator Smoot
also says that his life before marriage
was as pure as that of any man living.
and that he has never had but one
wife. The Senator is so little concerned
about the outcome of the hearings
about his eligibility that he has NOT
even engaged a lawyer
Cannon often Quoted,
There is no man around the Cant
tol whose words are so eagerly caught
up and reproduced in the public prints
as those of Speaker Cannon In that
particular he is very much like the
late Speaker Reed, whose witticisms
and quips were long current and are
occasionally heard even in the present
day. Speaker Cannon's wit is different
| from that of the late Speaker Reed, but
! 1t is almost as entertaining to those
at the Capitol. He is picturesque him
| self, and his words are likewise pic
| turesque. One of the anecdotes not
yet told about him concerns the re-
| ceipt of formal messages from the
| Senate. When the first message came
over from the Senate, Secretary Ben
nett stood at the head of the center
aisle, while he was announced by one
of the doorkeepers.
1T is customary for the Speaker to
bow as he receives a message from
the Senate" said Mr.. Asher Kinds, of
| Portland, the Speakers elbow man
and authority on parliamentary law
and tactics.
But Uncle joe remained as stiff
as a ramrod and still remains that
way whenever a messenger appears
| from the Senate.
Bow, HI" exclaimed, Uncle Joe
in an undertone. Il would not bow
to the d-n Senate, and I'm not going
to bow to its secretary