The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-07-31
SUNDAY, JULY 81. 1904.
INTELLIGENT COMMENT

We publish on another part of this
page this morning three comments
upon the political situation which will
well repay reading. This is because
they combine the two qualities of hon.
esty and intelligence, which SO rarely
hunt in couples during political
campaign. We do not see why the
average newspaper or the average po-
litical speaker should play the average,
voter for a sucker. OF course there is
an element not entirely to be ignored,
whose highest desire it is to ''get onto
the band wagon" There are some
voters whose indecision as between
parties will be determined by their
belief as to who is going to win. Their
anxiety to be wise after the event, and
to be able to:tclass themselves among
supporters of the successful ones
overcomes every other motive.
These, however, are in the minority.
The vast mass of American voters
want to know just how a situation
stands. They desire facts. Whether
Republicans or Democrats, they do not
relish being fed with foolish partisan
inventions, and they detect very quick
ly the party lie. Although constituting
the great bulk of our people, they GER
tainly get very little satisfaction from
the platform or the press. The
Globe e. for its part, sympathizes with
these readers entirely; and, while
naturally desiring to give, it's own
party every advantage, will not mis-
represent for the sake of creating
foolish confidence leading up to disap-
pointment.
T he Clio o e is happy to say that
Its position, taken some weeks ago In
view of the facts as they appeared, is
exactly that which is reproduced by
the editorial utterances of three pub
locations as different in character and
sympathy and patronage as Harpers
Weekly, Puck and the New York Sun.
All these agree with us that this CAM
paign is not to be a walkover: that
1t is simply beating the air for either
side to pretend that it has any assur-
ance of victory; that, unlike previous
campaigns, a multitude of voters have
not yet determined what they will do;
that very large percentage. will be
turned in one direction or the other
by events yet to mature and by prin-
ciples to be announced and methods
to be followed, during the campaign;
and that, as far as human intelligence
can pierce, the result of the election In
November is as entirely in doubt as
was that of any presidential campaign
ever conducted in this country.
We call particular attention to the
: estimated vote as set forth in the arti-
Gle from Harpers Weekly This re-
views a table published by the Even
Ing Sun, with corrections which seem
to us entirely, valid. Harpers reduces
the table Of safe Republican electoral
votes to 169. 1t classes Maryland West
Virginia and Nevada, as The Globe
has done, among sure Democrati,
states. 1t - does not consider even
Montana as doubtful. Adding the
votes of Maryland, West Virginia and
Nevada to- the certain Democratic
states of the South, we have again a
total of 1se, showing an absolute
equality of the two parties as to the
states that campaign managers can
count upon confidently in advance
The rest are all doubtful, and in them
the battle iseto be lost or won.
Our readers viii. we think, study
with special interest and care these
three utterances from publications
every one ofswhich is independent in