The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-09-04

H , IVY ciaL)-After a tour of the New England coast, touching at leac- ing Atlantic ports, Congressman John H. Bankhead of the Sixth Alabama dis trict, is highly pleased with the out lcok for democratic success next Mo- vember. Congressman Bankhead is the ranking democrat of the house Rivers anu Harbors committee of congress, and was with the committee on Its recent inspec- tion of ports indicated above.
 In the opinion of the genial congress- man from the Sixth. three clements of voting strength are promised the Parker and Davis ticket which have gone with the republicans either positively or neg atively in recent years. These are, first, the gold and anti-Bryan democrats, who are in line to man; second, the busi- ness men who fear the warlixe dispo- sition of the President will involve the country in war. and third. men of means who have money invested in Southern se- curities now earning good dividends, and who fear the negro policy of the white house will cause so marked revival of the social tension, that the south will, as a consequence, be set back for many years Added to these, too, are the peace loving Quakers, who are largely against Roosevelt because of his evident desire to get up a fight.
 In the classic and aesthetic city of Bos- ton, the metropolis of the great republi- can stronghold of Massachusetts, Colonel Bankhead found evidences of every part of the above statement and while there Is no hope at all of carrying Massachu- setts, the prospects are that more peo- pie in the state will cast the democratic ticket this year than for a couple of decades.
 Colonel Bankhead Is sanguine about a number of states now regarded as doubt ful. He believes the democrats are prac- tically assured of New York, Maryland, West Virginia, New Jersey and Connecti- cut with a fighting chance for Indiana and Illinois and bright outlook for Wis consin, which MT. Cleveland carried in 1892. He also believes the party will capture several electoral votes in the western states and hopes that work to this end will be done with earnestness. Illi- nois is not, as the matter now stands, very promising ground. thinks Colonel Bankhead. but it Is not yet possible to es- timate what effet the strikes are going to have on the situation. These labor troubles are expected to have their ef- rect In other states along with the ne- gro question which is always productive of changes and possibilities
 Though he has been asked to do so Colonel Bankhead will not make speeches In the north because he is not certain that southern speakers will not do mere harm than good in such efforts The voters of the south would resent men of the north coming down here and under taking to instruct them, and 1t is safe to presume that human nature Is pretty much the same the country over.
 
 From the outlook at the state capitol the Financial condition of Alabama is going to be very gratifying at the end of the present fiscal year. It is estimated that while the tax rate has been reduced the income of the state will not fall mere than S20OOO below what is was in 1903 This is accounted for in the increased property valuations, returns of about s60 poo on the new tax on mortgages and heavy net earnings of the convict de- partment, which are expected to exceed for the twelve months ending September s0 next s275.000.
 Reports of the assessors already in in- dicate that the property valuations of the year are going to exceed those If 1ao2 by at least s20.000. while some believe the figures will be five millions above this. The states financial balance at this time Is much more than a mil Hon dollars with considerable money vet to come in The only big expense to be met with just now is the s15OO0o for re- modelling the capitol. with interest on the state bonds way off to next January. Discussions of state finances naturally turns to property valuations. a subject that is absorbing public attention at this time in a very large measure. Colonel Harvey Jones. state tax commissioner, said last week that if the property of Alabama was assessed at fifty ger cent of it's actual value money enough would he received in ten years to meet all ex- nAnses and pay off the entire state debt.