The Washington times., 1908-10-11
Frost Has Blighted Demo-
cratic Hopes, Is RooSe-
velt'S Opinion.
LOOKS DIFFERENT
TO THE OUTSIDERS
Many Believe That There Are
Breakers Ahead for Repub-
lican Leaders.

According to the White House hOrO-
scope not only will Taft be the next
President Of the United States. but
he is already as good as elected.
With the coming OF frost. in the opin-
ion OF Theodore Roosevelt and his Of
fetal family, the Democratic hopes,
which were so buoyant a month ago,
have been chilled.
They say that Fryan shot his bolt.
but failed to hit the mark. His chances
looked bright then. simply because
nothing was being done-On the surface.
at Ieast-by the Republicans.
His spectacular tour, his warm vel
come in the East, and the undoubted
scare that it threw into Republican
ranks, were welcomed by the Republi-
can managers then as being less peril
Gus to Tafts success than IL they had
come later in the campaign.
Bryan is coming again into the enc
my's country during the last stages
OF the fight. but the Republicans be-
lieve that he will find the conditions
changed. Not that they expect his
meetings to be any the less enthusios-
tic, for the Democrats may be relied
upon TO turn out IN force and to cheer
the peerless leader But they be-
lieve that the hard work that has been
done in the past two weeks for the
Republican cause has had its effect.
and that the people will have made up
their minds bv then how they are &C
ing to vote, so that no mere eloquencL
will turn them.
That they propose TO take no chances.
however. Is shown by the fact that
TAFT and Hughes and a number OF
other crack speakers of the party are
scheduled 70 spellbind the Eastern
States during the closing days of the
campaign.
Taft Helps Himself.
Taft's appearance on the stump has
undoubtedly helped him greatly in the
Middle West, where he was compare
lively little known to the people. He
has developed into a fine campaigner.
and his geniaIity has won him hosts OF
friends. As one enthusiastic admirer
put It: eff Taft could meet personally
every voter in the country the election
would be unanimously in his favor"
While that is probably putting it too
strongly, there is no doubt that Taft's
managers made a shrewd political move
in putting him on wheels.
Then. too, the Presidents contribu-
lions to the campaign have helped
nightly IN giving a national aspect to
a fight which. until then, had looked
much like a series OF local scraps. The
Hearst disclosures and the Haskell af-
fair have also had their influence in
arousing interest In the fight; but the
main thing, IN Republican estimation,
which has worked for their good IS the
sober second thought OF the people.
bordering over the question whether
they could make bad times any better,
by electing 70 the Presidency a man
who does not possess the confidence Of
the business people, and who for that
very reason has twice been repudiated
at the polls.
Although the Administrations view is
that it is practically all over but the
shouting, careful observers Of the Sit
uation profess to see breakers ahead
for the G. o. P. One point that is free
" commented upon BY men who have
talked 10 manufacturers. railroad Of
ficials, and large employers of labor
generally. is that no effort is being made
to dictate how that labor should vote.
In past campaigns it has been the Gus
tom for the heads OF large concerns to
drop hint 10 their employees as TO which
political party they would prefer TO
have succeed. There appears to be no
and, as a rule. the men wage-earners
are expected to vote according TO their
own convictions Many large employ
ers are seemingly entirely Indifferent
as TO whether Taft or Bryan Is elected.
Many Of them who say they will vote
for Taft then selves will not lift their
finger TO induce their men TO do like
wise Reports Of such conditions came
from as widely separated points as New
Hampshire and Kansas, which would
seem to indicate that this indifference
Is general.
Worried by Apathy.
A special effort will be made during
the few remaining weeks of the cam
paign by the Republican managers to
overcome this apathy among the en-
ployers and induce them to take a more
active interest in Taft's success. Some
work along this line has already been
done The Taft folks assert that there
has been no attempt TO cOerce labor,
but they are pointing out that the in
terests Of the manufacturing establish
ments and railroads especially would be
best served by Republican success
The latest predictions here are that
Bryan will lose his home State OF Ne
braska by anywhere from 5000 to 1000,
and that Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa,
Kansas. the Dakotas. Illinois, and Ohio.
in all Of which States the Democrats
are claiming to have made such large
gains as TO put them in the doubtful
class. Will surely cast their electoral
votes for the Republican candidate.
Missouri Is Just as surely going to Mr..
Bryan.
Indiana is the most doubtful state
In the Union. Some weeks ago It looked
almost certain 70 90 Democratic, but
the Republicans acted with energy, and
through the action of a special session
of the Legislature. took the liquor ques-
ton out Of the list Of national issues