Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-07-27
But, Nevertheless, Some Remember
States Flop in 1892.
NEGRO VOTE PRETTY SOLID
Allied Liquor Interests Fighting
Tooth and Nail Against Re-
Election of Gov. Harris.

The county leaders of the party do not
conf1ne themselves to such formal Ian
suage when speaking Of Mr.. Bryan's pre-
tepsions as to Ohio Reference to the
matter Is sufficient to evoke a snort of
derision from the republican fuglemen
out In the districts. And yet there are
unquestionably number of unknown
quantities In the Ohio problem, and the
republican mathematicfans here have not
familiarized themselves with the solution
of equations containing more than one
unknown quantity. They have come to
feel that Ohio is pretty sure republican
ground.
1t does not take a very long memory
to recall a political somersault in this
state. Republicans are fond of saying
may prove tickle when only state and
local elections are on, in presidential
years they will pull true. but it was in
1892 that the somersault referred to was
the presidency, Mr.. Harrison. was the
cause Of it. S. M. Taylor, republican
secretary of state, had been elected to
that office two years before by majority
of 10000. He was able to pull through
with less than one thousand in that
presidential year, while. the democrats
elected one of their candidates for elector,
so that Mr. Cleveland, the second time he
ran, actually secured one electoral vote
from this state.
Ticket Must Appeal.
In order that a national election shall
prove brace to the party 1t 1s evident.
in the light of this result, that the ticket
must appeal to the party. Will Mr.. Taft
prove a popular candidate in his own
state? He has been before the people of
the state very little, in the sense that
Senator Foraker has been before it. 1t Is
probably true that Mr.. Taft is as we'll
known to the people of many other states
as he is to the people of this state. They
have known of him and read about him,
but they have seen him very rarely until
within the last year. President Roose
welt is still very popular here. and mas
much as Mr.. Taft stands for what Presi-
for share Of that popularity. There is
a popular notion that Mr.. Taft Is cool.
level-headed man, and that he would
make a fairly good President. On ordi-
nary occasions he ought to be able to
command the support Of the average Ohio
republican,
The negro vote here is of course practi-
cally solid republican. In 1900 the census
report gave the total colored population OF
Ohio as $4,000. 1t is true that colored peo-
pie from the south have been coming into
the state very rapidly since then, but 1t is
not likely that the total now exceeds 49,
600. That would mean a colored voting
population of about 2J,0O0. If these were
all normally republican and Mr.. Bryan
could get them all it would mean change
of only 50.OOO-not enough to throw the
electoral vote of the state But by no
means all of them will vote for Bryan.
Though there were many colored leaders
making threats before the nomination of
Mr. Taft, not much is heard from them
now. There may be considerable defec-
ton of colored republicans, but much
more than anything in that line that Is
likely to occur will be necessary to throw
the electoral vote of Ohio to the demo-
Gratis.
Sulkipg Will Not Help. i.
Where else in this state can Mr.. Bryan
look for support that is usually given to
the republican candidate? Senator For
aker's friends are said to have left the
reservation" because of the action of the
Taft management shutting him out from
all chance to get the support of the state
for the presidential nomina ton. There
was good deal to be heard from the sem
ator and his friends along this line before
the Chica go convention. but LITTLE app aars
John r. Malloy, like Senator Foraker
himself, have rendered Mr.. Taft their con-
CALCULATIONS and offered their services in
the campaign. 1t was a high-handed po-
state primaries last March in the interest
of Mr.. Taft. and Senator Foraker and his
friends have reason to remember it with
some feeling, but it is not apparent that
sulking or giving aid and comfort to the
other side would help them just now
The question Of succession to Mr.. For
aker in the Senate next March is likely to
cut something of figure in the cam
pa1gn If IT Is not carefully kept in the
background. 1t is evidently the plan Of
m 1-nn 10 t.,.A
Representative Burton awkwardly pulled
1t back into the open last week when. ON
the eve of his departure for Europe he
issued a card by which he intended to
state that ne was not candidate to sue
coed Mr.. Foraker. but in effect made IT
very clear that he would be-after the
election. If Senator Foraker is to be ex-
pected to help in the election of Mr.. Taft
an overt movement at this time to place
Mr.. Burton or any other republican in
Senator Foraker's seat must be prevented
1t must be remembered that there is an
entirely new deal on in the republican
organization in the state. After dozen
years of management of the organization
by senator Dick as state chairman and
John r. Malloy as secretary, they have
been ousted and new men called to the
management-Henry A. Williams as chair
man and William HI. Phipps as secretary
They must make new organizations in all
the counties, and this cannot be done
terfere with the smooth running of the
ma chine
A Temperance Complication.
The state campaign will be complicated
with temperance fight which will center
on the election OF governor and the MEM
bers of the legislature Gov Harris the
present governor and candidate for re-
election. is a pronounced advocate of tenn
perance legislation. In his last message
to the legislature he advised the enact.
ment Of a county option law, and when
the legislature passed such a bill signed
1t promptly. For this reason the distill-
ing and brewing interests Of the state and
all their allied interests are financing
movement looking to the defeat of the
governor. 1t is to be accomplished
through an organization known as the
Personal Liberty League. This organiza-
ito mis- strong In the large cities, and II
now looks as though every large CITY
would go against the governor AS the
FIVE large cities alone have furnished the
entire state republican plurality it looks
as though the governor might be defeated.
but strange to say, rural Ohio which is
largely democratic. is likely to come to
the governors aid and save him. Tenn
perance democrats are eXasperated by the
tactics of the liquor manufacturers and
dealers to control state politics and will
not hesitate to bolt their ticket In spite
of the republican detection as to the head
of the state ticket in all the principal
is admittedly very large-his
election is predicted very generally
But even where the republicans will on
pose the reelection of Gov. Harris they
will generally support the national ticket.
This will probably not be so generally
true in Cincinnati. however. where there