The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-11-06
A DAY OF uxcrrrArrry.


 To foretell the verdict of a petit jury or the outcome of hard fought po- litical campaign is among the things not yet given to man to do with any certainty. The result of today's vot- ing in a number of States is likely to appointments. All over the North and the West there has been much politi- cal unrest this year and it Is not con- fined to one party. There have been many signs of discontent among both Republicans and Democrats, and that result A discontented electorate Is apt to be an uncertain one for it makes voters unruly.
 The main points of interest today will be in New York and Pennsylvania. In the former State there has been such changing, swapping, lodging and firing as has rarely been wit messed in any political campaign. Who can even guess at the result? We know that there are many Democrats in the State who have always stood by their party, but who will not vote for Hearst, but will either remain aloof or will vote for Hughes. Then we know that there are many voters who have heretofore voted the Re- publican ticket but will vote for Hearst or some third man and knife Hughes. And this is not reckoning the 70 always vote as they please.
 Under such conditions how can any outsider find anything upon which to base prediction? If We read the loyal Republican papers we learn that Hughes is safe. and that he will carry the State by a large plurality. Then we take the newspapers supporting Hearst and find that he has everything his own way and that the only ques- tion is the extent of his plurality. Each side is equally positive and each has an equal chance to judge correct ly. Plainly somebody's going to be badly jolted when the returns come in.
 Then there's Pennsylvania to add to the uncertainty. It has been such consistent and persistent Republican State, and the pluralities of late years have been so large that it appears absurd to even think of such thing as Republican defeat, but everything lacks much of being lovely in that camp. The exposures of late have been such as to make the Penrose- Pennypacker aggregation a stench in the nostrils of honest men, but we have had repeated evidence that little things like graft, stealing and the like do not affect Pennsylvania Re- publicans, and enough of them may hold their nostrils and take their dose to elect the ticket. Still. there is more or less uncertainty about it till the votes are counted-and there is no cer- tainty that they will be counted hon. estly.
 And in several other States there are conditions which make the result un- certain, to say the least of it. It may be that the State tickets in the Republican States are not in serious danger, but in several Northern States, from New England to the Pacific, there are indications of Congressional changes which will come as a surprise to the dominant party. There are Democrats so enthusiastic as to pre- dict that the Republicans will lose control of the next House as. the re- suit of this days voting. They may be overly hopeful, but certainly there are grounds for their hopefulness.
 And so it is that the political proph ct has his work cut out for him, and the man who has money to bet on cleo tions will probably be wise if he keeps it in his pocket at least one day long