Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1904-11-08
CLAIMS AND CLAIMS.
ABSURDITY OF REPUBLICAN BOASTS in
FACE OF UNITED DEMOCRACY.
At the Old Game Of Trying to Brighten
and Corrupt The People by
Flashing Money.

1t seems impossible that any In
telligent person should be deceived
by the statement issued by Senator
Scott, of the Republican National
Committee, purporting TO be con
sentative" estimate of the chances of
Roosevelt and Parker, respectively.
There are many persons, however,
who are not familiar with political
conditions or campaign methods, who
may be misled by the seemingly sin
cere and honest statement made by
Senator Scott, who is very smooth
politician and past master in the art
of political bluffing.
There are 476 electoral votes to be
divided between the candidates, and of
these Scott modestly claims $40. He a.
lows Parker only 166, which represent
the Solid South" not including West
Virginia or Maryland. He, with equai
modesty, appropriates every so-called
doubtful State of the East and West.
Judge Parker, he says, with that care
full conservatism which always char
acterizes his political utterances, will
be beaten as badly as Greeley was in
1872" New York he puts down for
from $4,000 to $4,000 plurality for
Roosevelt.
As an offset to this ridiculous state
ment, there is the latest estimate of
the Democratic managers. which
claims 256 electoral votes for Parker,
or seventeen more than sufficient to
elect him. New York is claimed for
Parker because the indications all
point to plurality for him of from
&c, 1000 to 10000, and a lead of at least
$4,000 for Herrick over Higgins. New
York has never given q Republican
plurality in a Presidential election If
the Democracy was united. 1t will
not belle its record fhis year. 1t is
Democratic to-day. andit will be Demo-
cratic on the morning after election.
New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware,
Maryland, West Virginia, Indiana,
Montana, Colorado, Idaho and Neva-
da are all claimed by the Democrats,
and In most cases with much better
reason than the Republicans can adj
vance. There is ground for hope that
Wisconsin and Idaho will give their
electoral votes to Parker, but these
two States are not counted on for him.
The Republican Committees claim
10 HI lnOlE tAtidfdSdHt iiOL WI NhlEsc
than the claim it put forth few days
prior to the election in 1892, the most
recent election with which it is rea-
sonable to make comparison now.
That committee was, or pretended to
be, just as certain of walkover for
Harrison as it now pretends to be Of
walkover for Roosevelt. 1t claimed
everything, specifically including New
York, New Jersey, Indiana and Con-
necticut, and on the night before the
election IT sent David Martin to the
Hoffman HOUSE with 100000 10 bet
on Harrison. The Republican manag.
ers always claim everything in sight.
It has never hesitated to deceive peo-
pie even to the extent of inducing
them to bet on Republican candidates,
when it knew that the Democrats
would win. 1t has done this in the
past. hoping to create general feel
ing that its own candidates would be
elected. This year it has wrung such
enormous sums of money from the
trusts and railroad systems that it is
evidently setting aside a much larger
amount than usual to influence bet
ting.
Against this sort of chicanery let
Democrats and independents be on
their guard. Let all such stand by
their guns and continue to work for
Parker and Davis. If this is done, 1t
will be very plain on the morning af-
ter election that not the Democratic,
but the Republican campaign, was
what Senator Scott cabs Joke"