The Topeka state journal., 1908-10-28
POLITICAL GOSSIP
Chairman DOlley Adheres to His
Election Figures.
Taft and Stubs Will Garry
State by 10000.
MARTIN is ALSO FIRM
Insists That There Will Be a
Democratic Landslide.
Preparations Being Made to
Receive the Returns.
MARTIN is ALSO FIRM


publican state central committee will
not make any detailed forecasts on the
election. though there is a vast amount
of information on the subject at Re-
publican headquarters which would
read" mighty well.
Chairman Dolley has had four diff
ferent estimates made on the condi-
tions in each county. They were as
follows:
1. Detailed poll of each voter, made
by precinct committeeman.
2. Estimate of majorities on presi-
oent' governor, and members of legis-
lature, by present county officers.
3. Estimate of same majorities by
candidates for county offices.
4. Estimates on same majorities by
selected list of Republican leaders in
each county.
According to Chairman Dolley. the
minimum Republican majorities re-
ported from all of these sources has
been taken in estimating that the state
will go Republican by 10000, and that
there will be about the normal Repub-
lican majority in the legislature
Il am not going to give out the de-
talls OF this information" said Chair
man Dolley, because l do not care to
give the Democratic committee the
benefit of the information which we
have secured at great trouble and ex-
pense. The Democrats have not made
any poll, or any collection OF informa-
tion upon which they can base a re-
liable forecast of the result. They are
deceivtng themselves with false esti-
mates, and will find out their mistake
in about a week. 1 do not care to put
into their hands all the information
which L have, and show them the
counties where their mistaken esti-
mates have been made"
Chairman Henderson Martin has not
made any election forecasts, except to
claim in general way that there will
be Democratic landslide" That is :,
safe prediction, for any kind of a DEM
ocratic victory would mean a Demo-
cratic landslide
The Democrats have not made any
detailed poll of the state, but have re-
ceived estimates from the 2,200 precinct
committeeman. These estimates looked
SO good that Chairman Martin wouldn'+
believe they were true. He thought
that there must be a mistake, or that
the precinct committeeman were over
sanguine. So he called a meeting of
the state committee to see If he could
find out where the trouble was. The
state committeeman not only assured
him that the figures were correct, but
that they did not go far enough-that
they were to conservative. According
to this estimate the aggregate ma
jority of the Democratic party in Kan
sas will be about $4,000. 1t isn't much
wonder that Mr.. Martin could not be-
| Heve such figures were correct
The Democrats are also making un-
usual preparations this year to receive
returns from the election. They will
get wire and telephone reports from all
parts of the state as the count pro-
| crosses, and the reports will be made
| by precincts as far as possible
The Democrats have a big book ready
showing the vote by precincts on the
| 1896 and 1900 presidential elections, and
| the vote by precincts on the state
ticket in 1906 and 1904. BY comparing
| the precinct returns, as they are re
ceived, with the figures of two or four
years ago. they can tell whether the
| trend of the returns is in their favor or
otherwise.
When returns are in from thirty or
| forty average precincts, the wise ones
will begin to guess on the results OF
the election.
Two years ago. the Democrats didn't
get any returns to amount to anything.
| and had to find out how things were
going from the reports received at Re
publican state headquarters.
| The Republican state committee will
get returns over a special wire at head
quarters. Their instructions to county
chairmen is to send in report as soon
!
and to send in further returns on the
totals.
Robert Norris, secretary of the State
| Temperance union, gave out state
ment today concerning the attitude of
the union in the present fight between
J Stubbs and Botkin. 1t denies that the
union is a political organization, but
says that the "wet and lawless" ele-
ment has for some reason lined up
against Stubbs. The following is the
statement:
For the past three years, with the
exception of a few months, the State
Temperance union has been officered
! by men not affiliated with the Repub-
lican party-Mr. Cowgirl as president
| longing to that party. So kindly did
| the union feel toward Mr.. Botkin
that in the Kansas Issue just preced-
| ing the primaries, as editor of that
paper, 1 urged the Democrats to vote
for Mr. Botkin Several weeks prior
to the annual convention of the State
! Temperance union We. wrote to Mr.
Stubbs. asking that he occupy a halt
hour of our convention on the 14th
! and at the same time wrote to Mr.
Botkin, asking that he occupy halt
| hour on the 18th of October. indicat-
ing in our letters to each one of the
men that we desired them to talk on
some phase of law enforcement, bet
ter observance of law, etc. Mr.. Stubs
replied and accepted the invitation
Mr.. Botkin made no reply, but instead
the manager of his speaking bureau
Mr.. Lewis, wrote that Mr.. Botkir
could come, provided he be allowed tc
make a political speech such as he
was making over the state. We an
severed Mr.. Lewis saying that we
We're not political organization and
that we felt we ought to conf1ne oul
work to law enforcement and kindred
subjects, and that we much preferred
Mr.. Botkin not to make a political
speech at our convention. Still be-
lieving that Mr.. Botkin would appear
on our program, and very desirous
that he should do SO. 1 personally
called on Mr.. Lewis and told him
rather than not have Mr.. Botkin ad-
dress the convention he might make
"a political speech if he desired to dc