The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1908-10-21
Republican Candidate Will Go Up
Against a Hard Proposition
in Indiana Tomorrow.
Hearst News Service.

his campaign. Backed up by Senators
Beverdge and Vice-President Fair
banks. the Republican presidential
candidate will make last supreme eff
fort to turn in his favor the balance
of public opinion that now swings var
iably from one side to the other, now
apparently favoring the Republicans
and again presaging Democratic vic
tory. The breeze of Mr. Taft's oratory
may swing the balance in his favor,
and he and his political advisers will
spend busy three days in attempt
ing to achieve that result.
Beyond all doubt. Indiana is the
most hopeless state in the Union for
the political dopesters. The most as
tute politicians of both parties are
cup in the air" as to what November
3 may bring in the way of Hoosier
votes. The more optimistic ones of
both parties are talking of landslides
and wild. improbable maiorities for
either Bryan or Taft The conserva-
tive shakes his head. If he is a Dem
ocrat, he is certain that Bryan will
get Indiana's electoral vote. If Re-
publican he is equally sure of Taft's
victory. Asked for facts and figures
to suhstantiate the faith that is in
him. and he answers only in vaguely
president monysyllables.
Many Indiana Republicans still have
sore spots left from the rundown
they received at the Chicago conven-
ton. They are inclined to hold Taft
responsible. During the next three
days Mr.. Taft will endeavor to dis
abuse the minds of the disgruntled
ones and to prove to the satisfaction
Of the Independent voters and near-Re-
publicans that he is good fellow,
and that the interests of the country
and especially Indiana. will be safe
in his hands. If he succeeds, the pos
sibility of defeat may be turned into
victory.
In Indiana. as throughout the ma
ton generally. both parties are bid
ding heavily for the labor vote. The
advantage is slightly with the DEM
ocrats, who may therefore be expect
ed to poll a somewhat larger labor
vote than four years ago or eight
years ago. But there is absolutely no
reason for believing that the labor
issue alone can insure Democratic sue
cess
The Democrats put in their State
platform accommodation for a local
option law based on the ward and the
/ township as the units of election. The
brewers and distillers favor the Demo-
cratic recommendation as giving them
better opportunity to continue the
sale of liquor in Indiana than will be
afforded by the Republican plan of
county local option. The liquor people
figure that it will be more difficult for
the prohibitionists to carry ward or
township by election than under the
present plan of petition Wards and
townships easily can be colonized by
the liquor men. Under the present
plan of petition there is no opportun-
ity for thwarting the will of the ma
iority. Therefore in the State fight
the probabilities are that the temper
ance vote will be cast for Watson. and
the liberal and liquor vote for Mar
shall the Democratic candidate for
Governor. The Republicans are count
ing the defections from the labor
unions. the old soldiers. and possibly
many negro voters.
sibilities, six congressional districts
are most uncertain. and will be close
" contested. In the First District Rep.
resentative Foster has antagonized the
ProhiBitionists and it is known will
have a difficult job in securing re-
election. The Second District now
represented by Mr.. Cheney, is normal
ly close and, under the circumstances
particularly so this year James f
Watson's district the Sixth, it is fear
ed by Republicans here, will elect q
Democrat to Congress in November
The Republicans in the Eighth District
have been for a long time disorganiz
ed by factional quarrels. 1t was repre-
scented by a Republican in the Fifty
ninth Congress. but sent a Democrat
to the present Congress. 1t is the toss
of a coin whether a Democrat or a Re
publican will be elected in November
There is another fractional fight in
the Twelfth District where Frederick
Lands was defeated at the last Con
gressional election by a Democrat. II
is both possible and probable that this
district will send a Democrat to the
Sixty-fiTst Congress. Down in the
South Bend District, formerly repre-
sented by Abraham L. Brick. who died
last winter, con ditions are such as ia
make the Republican State leaders ap
prehensive. They concede that Dem
| ocrat may be elected. Charles Lands
in the Ninth District expects to have
stiff fight for reelection. He has
become involved in a factional row
over postoffice appointments, which
may result in keeping him at home.
This is but an outline of the situa.
ton in a State where politics is played
every day in the year, and where every
able--bodied citizen is a politician or
an author, or both.