The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-10-25

York state bysomething more than 1000
 plurality andthe country by less than
 26, 900 plurality
 "In 1888, wen Cleveland was again the
 democratic cndidate, there was not much
 betting unti month before the end of
 the campatn. Then 1t was evident that
 his stand h the tariff had brought to-
 gether thehanagers of the infant indus
 tries" depcratie as well as republican,
 and that enormous campaign fund had
 been raid to elect General Harrison.
 The boobakers made Harrison their fav-
 orite. bu they did not offer heavy odds
 at any age of the campaign. In 1892,
 when Gveland made a pretty clean
 sweep ! the country, the odds were in
 his faw nearly all the time in the last
 three feks of the contest
 "Theprofessionals professed difficulty
 in sizag up the situation in the Roose- 1 welt -Frker fight in 1904. Roosevelts S | manaers, and even the President him.
 self. lppeared worried by the outlook at
 one he. At critical stage of the cam
 paig Edward H. Hartman was called
 to te White House. according to his ac- | couE, was asked to raise $260, 900 to save l Nej York state. After the election all thi worry and hesitation of the betting mS seemed ridiculous, in view of Roose-
 ve's tremendous plurality of both the pdular and the electoral vote. The curb
 nrket betting, however, had been with ot hesitation, odds on Roosevelt rising
 pm to as high as to 1.
 In connection with the position of gam Hers, 1t may be said that they are betting pome money that Chanler will defeat Hughes for governor. It is possible, of eourse. that they are doing this purely for effect as the so-called sporting ele- ment Is against Hughes on account of the killing of betting at race tracks But the belief is widespread that Hughes chances are close, and that Tammany is prepared to swap Bryan for Chanler at the polls in the effort to defeat the republican can didate for governor
 The total of contributions to the na- tional democratic campaign fund as given out by Treasurer Herman Ridder, is like ly to be misleading. The list made pub lie by MT. Ridder does not mean that only $245,000 had been contributed up to Octo- Der to aid in the election of MT. Bryan Contributions to a campaign are made in various ways and by various people.
 The national committees of both par ties seek to do certain work in the cam paign. There are fees to be paid to speak CTS and their expenses in travelling about the country. There are the rent of head quarters and the cost of furnishing; the very large item of postage, and the cost of preparing Autographs and literature for mailing. All these legitimate expenses run up to a big total in a campaign, and the only way the money can be obtained is by contributions. This does not take into consideration the cost of printing campaign buttons, or of banners.
 While the national committee is sup posed to attend to all the various matters that affect the nation generally in a cam paign, the fact of the matter Is that the campaign Is managed jointly by the na- tionai committee, the state committee, the county committed the congressional com- mittee and the assembly district commit tee. Every one of these, even though their ostensible purpose Is to further the election of some minor candidate or can didates actually aids, directly or indirect ly, in the election of the successful na- tional candidates
 Contributions to the fund of the dem ocratic state committee in this state will approximate at least s150,000, which is large fund compared with that collected by the national committee up to October g. It was observed that William J. Con- ners, chairman of the democratic state committee, was down on MT. Riders list for s100. It Is a safe assumption that MT. Conners who is millionaire, has given at least ten times that sum, and proba- bly, much more, to the general cause. Of course MT. Corners is not talking about it. But if he gave $100 to aid the national committee he probably gave $500 to the county committee of Erie county, where he lives, and probably as much to Charles F. Murphy of Tammany Hall. This money, while unquestionably 1t will be spent with the chief idea of electing the state ticket and the county tickets in Erie and New York will surely have its effect on the national situation.
 There are thousands of people in New York state, as in every state in the union. who have not contributed to the expenses of the national committee, but have con- tributed, either sparingly or lavishly, to the expenses of their state or local com mittees.
 What makes people get np and yell when a band or an orchestra plays Dixie" The Evening Post says 1t is a fad that is hardening into tradition.
 ''It is now the custom, in every large New York restaurant when the band strikes up "Dixie'' for the diners to rise and sound the rebel yell" says the Post. People have tried to explain the popular 1ty or 'D1xle, III the nOrtn, Dy cdlilIlS It the most spirited of our patriotic songs. But 1t is not the dash and lit of the Dixie music that brings Manhattan crowds to their feet and 1t cannot pos- sibly be the contagious presence of real southerners with whom the song would naturally carry best. In the first place there are not enough southerners in New York to dominate every public dining room, and If there were, we are inclined to believe they would be found among the few who remain in their seats and listen to Dixie silently. No, 1t cannot be nero local patriotism that impels an audience made up of westerners. visitors from New England, Canadians, Germans, Italians and Jews to break, at the first strains of Dixie into the yell that Quantrell's and Mosbys men gave meaning to some 45 years ago. Look closer, and you will dis cover the real cause This public ebulli-