Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1908-01-16
LOOK TO THE WEST
THERE LIE HOPES OF DEMOCRAT
&c LEADERS.
With Bryan as the Nominee There Does
Not Seem Any Good Reason Why
His Probability of Election
Seems Good.

1t is announced from Chicago that
certain potential influences connected
with the national committee of the
Democratic party will make strenuous
effort to have the western metropolis
selected as the base from which the
campaign in the interests of the DEM
ocratic presidential candidate will be
directed 1t is taken for granted
this western element that Bryan is
again to be the Democratic nominee,
and the scheme as reported is to con-
centrate effort upon the contests for
the electoral votes of Indiana, Hi
nois, Michigan, Iowa, Wisconsin and
Minnesota. Missouri, it is taken for
granted, will swing back easily to the
Democratic column with Bryan as a
candidate, and the new state of Okla
homa is counted in with the solid
south as sure Democratic quantity
if the Nebraskan is named. New York,
in the plans of this western scheme,
is to be given over, 1t seems, without
any waste of oratory or the spending
of a kopek from the Democratic cam
paign fund. 1t is to be noted, how
ever, that the states which are con
sidered debatable represent a very
large aggregate voting strength III the
presidential electoral college.
There would have to be an immense
change in sentiment in such states as
Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa and Michigan
If they can by any process of persua-
sion or augmentation be shunted to
the Bryan column next year. In 1900,
when Bryan was the Democratic can
didate against Mckinley, Illinois
gave a plurality for the Republican
electors of 94,S74. Iowa the same
year elected the Republican electors
by a plurality of 9S,606; Wisconsin
gave verdict for Mckinley indicated
| by plurality of 10G.5S1, and Michi-
| gan went Republican by a plurality of
| 104,5S4. Though each of these states
went Republican in the presidential
election of 1904 by considerably larger
| pluralities than in the election of
1900 there is certainly nothing in the
| returns from the middle west in 1900
| to indicate that Bryan would have the
! ghost of a chance in 1908. The plu.
ralities against Bryan in 1900 were
large enough to depress the eXuber-
ance of any candidate with only ordi
nary staying qualities. 1t must be
conceded, however, that the Peerless
One as a slayer is not to be clasSed
among the ordinary.
The outlook is really no more invit
| ing in the west for the Democracy
with Bryan as the candidate than il
would be in the east with the Ne
braskan a third time in the running
He did not carry any large state in
the west in 1900, unless Missouri is
to be classed as a western state, and
It is generally accredited as southern
Even California went against Bryan
in 1900 by 10000 plurality. Whether
the Democratic campaign be diercteG
from Chicago or New York, whether
the concentration of effort be directed
to the winning of the middle west OF
to the capture Of the northeast. the
outlook in either case can scarcely
be regarded as roseate one by who
ever shoulders the responsibility OF
steering the presidential campaign o
the Democracy next year.