The Paducah sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1898-1906, 1904-10-24
CAMPAIGN OYER
FOR DEMOCRATS
The Bottom Has Fallen Out of
1t.
The Collapse Of the Democratic
Claims Came Earlier Than
Expected.
WAS A RIDICULOUS END

breakdown OF the democratic national
campaign almost three weeks in advance
Of the election has caused much surprise
among practical politicians. There is
no attempt TO conceal the fact that the
campaign has gone to pieces, and that
overwhelming defeat of Parker is CON
ceded by many. of his friends. The dem
oeratic national headquarters is grot-
10 OF gloom. The hired men there are
packing their personal belongings and
going home, angry and Disguised. They
expected to draw salaries until election
day, and they can not understand why
the bluff is not kept up to the end.
No man at what remains of the Par
ker national headquarters will give out
any estimates whatever Of the electoral
vote. Every man there who talks at all
admits frankly that Parker has no
chance of election. Most of the demo
cratic congressman who have been max
ing speeches for the national committee
have thrown up their jobs and hurried
home TO try and save their own districts.
The men who were employed in the va
rious bureaus are going home. BY the
end of the week, at the present rate of
exodus, the headquarters will be- prac-
tieally deserted and the campaign come
TO ridiculous end.
The Sun. in summarizing the reports
of its correspondents on the political
conditions in Pennsylvania, New Jersey,
West Virginia and Wisconsin. which at
the opening of the presidential campaign
were regarded by both parties as doubt
full, says.
Twenty days before election these
states can be placed in the republican
column for Roosevelt and Fairbanks
without hesitation. or the slightest APP
prehension that the statement may have
to be revised. In Connecticut and West
Virginia the democrats may pull their
state ticket through; in Wisconsin and
West Virginia they may gain a con
gresham OF two. The republican plu.
ralities on the electoral ticket are rea-
sonably sure to be substantial in all the
four states, probably as large as those
received by Mckinley and Roosevelt in
1900, The democratic presidential ticket
has steadily lost ground since Judge
Parker read his Disappointing speech
from the Esopus veranda. All the hopes
raised by his sensational gold Telegram
were then dashed, and CONSERVATION
seized his party when it was seen that
his chosen associates in the conduct OF
the campaign We're August Belmont,
whose name is red rag to the Bryan
element Of the party; David b. Hill, to
whom the candidate owed all his judi
cial honors and emoluments, and whose
very name is a rank ofTense TO Cleve-
land democrats; and p. H. McCanen, a
machine politician OF race track reputa-
ton. The choice of Thomas Taggart
for national chairman, whose only claim
10 consideration was his skill in manip-
ulating the floating vote of Indiana, had
already filled observant democrats with
dismay. Taggart showed such incompe-
tence for the undertaking that at first
August Belmont, and then Senator Cor.
man Of Maryland, were drafted to hold
up his hands and keep him in eounte-
nance.
The nomination of the octogenarian,
Henry G. Davis. who had been politically
dead for twenty years, was regarded
even by partisans. and particularly by
friends of the leading candidate, as an
inexcusabe and grievous blunder. To
cap the climax of untoward conditions,
Judge Parker refused 10 take the stump
and wage the aggressive canvass which.
in the judgment of democratic leaders in
all parts of the country, the emergency
demanded. Thus there was nothing for
the national committee TO do but enter
a still-hmt campaign, the effect of which
may be seen in the betting odds of 4 to
that Roosevelt and Fairbanks viii be
elected Ne people are marking time
until they can march to the polling
places and duly record their faith in the
policies OF the republican party, which
assures them abiding prosperity.
NAM, n c,rno,at;o,, hoe hoa,, sunL Inv