The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-10-30
Virginia is Sure for Par.
kcr and Nine Demo
cratic congressman,
STUBBORN STRUGGLE
IN THE SOUTHWEST
Democrats and Republicans Both
Claim the Ninth District and
Are Working Hard to De
feat Each Othcr-Strcn-
uous Struggle to
Elect Wysor.

Ono week from Tuesday the great
quadriennial battle Cor the presidency
+ VIII be fought out with tho ballots. While
there Is great doubt of the result. great
changes may be wrought In week, and
even now experience demonstrates that
1t Is Impossible to forecast with any Ger.
tainty3g the result OF u general election
y In this country.
Up to 1896 the two great parties practi-
Z cally altcrnatcd In electing a President,
Z save that Tilden. elected In 1876, was de-
prlved OF the office by the Electoral Com,
misslon. In 1872 Grant won. In 1876
Z Hayes was seated, though Tildcn vas
entitled to the Victory. In 1880 Garfield
won over Hancock, In 1884 the pendulum
swung again, and Cleveland defeated
Blaine, receiving eighteen more than the
requisite number OF electoral votes. In
1858 Benjamin Harrison defeated Cleve-
\ land. but In 1892 Cleveland came up.
strong and smiling, and defeated Harri-
son by Democratic landslide. In 1896
the Democrats lost their former strength
s In the North and East and history re-
peated Itself In 1900, With practically the
same Issues and the identical candidates
for the presidency as In 1896. This year
Democratic hopes are based chiefly on
the prospect ot another landslide.
Virginia Is All Right.
SO far as the State OF Virginia Is
concerned. there Is no doubt that Its
sewelve electors Will cast their votes for
Parker, whether he receives any more or
not. 1t is only question of the major
q lity, and that, In turn depends upon the
\ vote cast. With a full poll of the party
strength The majority wtll be far up IN
The thousands. The chief contest In this
State Is over the election OF It's ten rep-
reFent1tiyes In Congress. But one Of
= <H.ss., I'm 'rna ~
and that one is Hon. Joseph c. Wysora
who Is running against the Republican
incumbent in the Ninth District, Colonel
Campbell s!emp. Colonel Slemp was
elected by Il very narrow plurality s. over
Hon. William F. Rhea two years ago.
This year both Republicans and Demo
Gratis have wagcd IL strenuous campaign
for tho lone Virginia congressional seat
now held by a Republican,. Both parties
have made the mountain reyerberate with;
oratory and have fairly flooded 1t with
campaign literature The Republicans
have the Federal patronage OF the dis
3trict and this alone gives them INC
nucleus OF an organization which Is said
to have been perfected to a greater ex-
tent than four years ago. Colonel Slemp
lis man OF largo means. and 1t is said
that the Republicans have no lack OF
campaign funds. TIE National Republi-
can Congressional Committee, Of which
Mr. Babcock Is chairman. is looking az
ter all tho close districts with q view
Of carrying sufficient to save control OF
the National House, II Is true also that
the Republicans have a large number
OF apablc campaign orators on the
stump, and that they are resortng 10
every appeal TO prejudice. They are
making the suffrage clause OF the new
Constitution IN issue, and are charging
the disfranchisement of thousands OF
white men in the district to the Demo-
Gratis.
The Other Districts.
The only district In which the Demo-
Gratis have any serious opposition outside
the Ninth, IS the Tenth where State Sen
ator Rercrcomb Is the Republican cam
didnte against Congressman II. D. Flood
Mr.. Floods election Is confidently ex-
.pected. and, indeed, assured. The inde-
pendent candidacy of Captain John n.
'Opie. a Democratic member of the State
Senate, Is not seriously regarded by the
Democrats. Information from all over
the district Is that h!s candidacy Is at
tracing little or no attention. and that.
his vote will be surprisingly small.
q Congressman Swanson. In the Fifth
District. Is opposed by j. =. Stovnll,
deputy collector of internal revenue but
MIR, Stovall's candidacy is not seriously
regarded The same is true to an even
greater extent III all the other districts of
the State, the Republicans having made
a nominal fight In all this year. 1t Is i
generally conceded that the Republicans
have no hope outside the Ninth District.
There they have an even chance of vic
tory, possibly trifle better than even.
/. u 4