Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-11-05
OFFICIAL VOTE
Figures Not All Compiled Yet and sun Some Doubt About
 One or Two Sisles.
TAFT's VOTE GROWS.

New York, Nov 5.--Maryland and
 Missouri held the center of political
 attention when the republican and
 democratic politicians to say nothing
 of mere voters began early to-day to look over the net results of the cleo, tion. Leaders of both the parties found themselves facing what looked increasingly like the vinciation Of the prophecy of chairman Frank H. Hitchcock of the republican national committee that Taft would have at least 325 electoral votes when the final show down" was reached. At the opening of the days dispatches these things appeared to be fairly we'll settled:
 Leaving Maryland and Missouri out of the count Taft was assured of
 30l electoral votes, Bryan of 156.
 Missouri with her big block of IS votes was hanging in the balance the last dispatch early to-day showing
 upon incomplete returns that Bryan
 had lead of 67 votes. Complete returns might swing the result one
 way of the other at any moment. The general belief was that the off, cial canvass would have to be wait ed for to settle the question whether Missouri's IS would be for Taft or Bryan.
 Maryland with eight electoral votes was claimed for Taft with a margin of only 136 votes and few districts yet to be heard from. The democrats insisted that they would not yield their state to the repub- licans save upon the authority of the official count.
 While the tendency of dispatches was to throw the doubtful states to- ward the Taft column, the reports of the results within states was in the opposite direction, seemingly show- ing general disposition to vote for republican presidential electors, but for democratic state officers and leg islators. An exception to this was Missouri. where late tidings seemed to favor Bryan, but t0 make practi- cally certain the election of a repub- lican governor for the first time in thirty-five years. The plurality of Hadley. the republican candidate, ap- peared as 15,14S on the same table that gave Bryan lead of 67.
 Indiana apparently has given the democrats a majority Of eight on joint ballot in the legislature, which would assure the state democratic. United States senator in place of Hemenway There is an active rumor that John w. Kern, the defeated can didate for yice-president, will be the new senator from Indiana, The state has elected Marshall (dem) governor by plurality of about 15,- 900. while giving Taft margin of about 10000.
 Colorado has apparently settled the question definitely in favor of Bryan, but the latter's plurality in that state seems to be less than half of that of Shafroth, the democratic candidate for governor, and the state legislature will be safely democratic.
 West Virginia seems to be fairly secured to Taft. Last nights dis 1 patches indicated his plurality as nearly 10000.
 While the republican majority in the national house of representatives has been cut there seems no reason to doubt that Cannon will again be elected speaker and will have a re- publican majority more than suffi- cient to continue his substantial con trol fthe house. Taft's plurality in New York state has gone we'll over the 100000 mark, while Hughes for governor has shrunk from the 75,000 or better accredited to him yesterday to 10000 or somewhat less Atten- tion began to turn to-day to votes of the minor parties-socialist, prohibit tion and independence parties. It early to-day that the so- cialists had been disappointed in theii widely ayowed expectations of cast ing "a million for Debs" and in some | states had even fallen below their | vote of ofur years ago. In general, l however, their vote showed ma terial increase justifying the claim of the advocates and the fear of op- ! ponents of socialism that it has be- come serious factor in American | politics. As for the prohibition vote, | It's totals present great disappoint- | ment to those who expected that the 1 prohibition wave" which has swept | 3 number of states and hundreds of | localities into the ''dry" column dur l ing the past two years would show | increases in the vote of | the party which makes legal prohi- | bition of the liquor traffic it's chief | issue.