The Ketchikan miner., 1908-10-10
The council then adjourned.


 George Goodrich 3.5C
 The council then adjourned.
 GUESSING AT THE RESULT.
 Partisan wiseacres at and near the rival political headquarters in Chica- go and New York are devoting much time and ingenuity just now in 6gur- ing out the combination of states necessary to party success in the elec- ton to be held less than month from now. Many of these suggested combinations are weird mpossibilities the mere visions of dreamers, with whom the wish is the parent of the thought They find more or less fla vor in the most advanced Bryan ano Taft partisans, as the case may b { but the old fashioned campaign theory thst New York and Indiana are apt to settle the presidency, will, most probably, retain its popularity unti the vote is actually cast and counted. According to these wiseacres, how ever, Taft might get along without New York and Indiana by carrying a
 lot of the border states: whereas, ac- ording to others, Bryan might wir without them if he made wide sweeI of the middle and far western states. Yes; so might one of Wright's aero planes carry twenty-story brick building from Chicago to New York, and so might California learn to love the Japanese, but those possibilities are not of the sort that men take seri- ously. The party that loses the thirty nine electoral votes of New York and the fifteen of Indiana, and yet win: the presidency is going to work 8 mi racle that will be a marvel in oui political history. In no contest since the civil war, except that of 1876, has a candidate lost both New York and Indi ana and won the presidency.
 At the Republican headquarter; they clam all the middle and western st ates for Taft: on the other hand the Democratic managers claim that q dozen of those states are doubtful, with good fighting chances in several others. Now, apparently, the four most doubtful states in that particular section are Indiana. Nebraska. Kansas and South Dakota. The Democrats profess to believe that they have h. diana as good as won, ard that there is little doubt at all of Nebraska Kansas and South Dakota: the Repub- licans. of course, claim all for Taft. The Democrats profess also to believe that they have the better chance to carry Ohio, illinois and Minnesota, and have strong hopes of success in Iowa and Wisconsin. The Republicans claim Kentucky, but the Democrats assert that that state is for Bryan be- yond all question, In evidence of which they cite the fact that Henry Watterson and Secretary Woodson of the national democratic committee have told Bryan that it is unnecessary for him to do any more in Kentucky than to make one or two speeches, as a ompliment to the state.
 :: Both sides claim West Virginia, and Maryland. The same is true of New Jersey, but in this last case the Democrats are not quite as loud and positive as the Republicans. Accord ing to who tells the story, New York is Democratic and Republican, beyond the shadow of doubt. Republicans profess certainty that the principles of the G. o. P. will prevail there, as they have since 1892. The Bryan men assert that New York is normally Democratic and that, with all the party leaders and factions united, Bryan will surely carry the state. The Democrats likewise profess to have strong hopes of winning the electoral votes of Idaho, Colorado, California and Oregon.
 The consensus of opinion to be gathered from these prognostications is to the effect that the states holding the balance of power are now in doubt, and that it will require later cam paign developments or the election it. self to make clear their choice for president. This appears to be the opinion of al the newspaper corres- pondents and unpreujdiced observers that have kept in touch with the two headquarters. The Democrats believe they see unmistakabe signs of a great popular upheavel that is going to