The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1904-07-10
State VIII Be One Of Fiercest Bat
tlesrounds in Approaching
Presidential Election.
HAS ALWAYS BEEN DOUBTFUL
Chances Are Favorable, How
ever, TO Republicans = Root
Talked of for Governor of
New York.

4
Now that both OF the great parties
land, for that matter, the two smaller
ones--have named their presidential
candidates, the question OF vote-get-
ting win come up, and politicians are
already figuring on the possibility OF
the democrats gaining strength enough
| to elect their man. AS Indiana Is one
of the states where the battle viii be
furiously waged. Its past record win
prove of interest.
Indiana has not gone democratic
since 1892, and In that democratic
record year 1t gave but q
plurality Of T,125. However. in those
figures one must recognize the fact
that the populist vote was 22,20s. Four
years later. when both democrats and
populists voted for Bryan. the repub-
lican plurality was 1871. but about
10000 prohibition votes were cast that
year with one or the other OF the
great parties, the prohibltionists vote
for president in 1892 having been 1s,-
$50 and in 1896 only s,056. AS the
democratic vote In 1896 was about
40 900 larger than In 1892, and the
republican vote about $4,000 larger,
probably the bulk OF these 10000 pro-
hibition votes went to the republicans.
From these figures II win be seen that
a change OF 10000 or even more votes
in Indiana In the course Of four years
is not remarkable.
Indiana gave Mckinley plurality
of 26,47O In 1900. when both the re-
publicans and the democrats had the
the aggregate OF the democrats being
SOs,5s4, and OF the republicans $685.
Os3. That year the prohibition strength
returned to about what II had been
in 1892, the exact prohibition figures
for 1900 being 1878. Two years ago.
in the election for secretary of state
the republicans polled plurality of
1854, but that was due in part to the
larger stay-at-home vote among the
democrats, who polled over 10000 less
votes than in 1900, while the repub-
lIcians polled about $4,000 less votes.
Accordingly, the normal republican
majority which Indiana democrats
have to overcome this year is not 35,-
OOO as one hears frequently, but about
26,OOO. The enormous campaign funds
poured into that state In the last two
presidential years, as against DEM
ocratic exchequer almost empty, are
considered the reason for regarding
Indiana as fairly good fighting ground.
The vacillatIon Of Indiana between
the two parties back in the '7Os and
the sos, before the intense modern
methods In politics prevailed and when
the voting population was about a
third less than now, showed change
of approximately 10000 votes guam !
Tilden carried the state by
a plurality of 5,515. the total demo-
cratic vote being 21s.52s, and the re-
publican vote 2OS,O11. Four years
later Garfield carried the state by 6,641,
and four years after that Cleveland
had 6,512, while In 1888 Harrison
pulled through by the narrow vote OF
2,s4S. No one can doubt that the ten
dency toward the republicans is
stronger in Hoosierism now than In
earlier days, but IL the democrats are
fortunate enough to be united this
year the margin promises to be close
enough to hold republican boasting In
abeyance till after the votes are
counted.
Root for Governor.
n. Hfal h.