Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-11-01
TOS-UP IN KENTUCKY
With Taft Seemingly the Best
Guess.
NIGHT RIDERS A FACTOR
How the Tobacco District Will Vote
Pulling Both Parties.
BASE HOPE ON LOUISVILLE
Republicans Expect to Win State
by About the Majority Claimed
in City.

! Special Dispafh I" The star.
LOUISVILLE. Ky. October 31-With q
rousins rally in Louisville tonight a,
which Senat6-elect Bradley. Gov Will
son. Mayor Grnstead and Robert c. Kin
kead, the republican nominee for Congress
in this distria spoke. the campaign In
Kentucky is practically closed.
But for the Uncertainty as to what eff
feet the Tobacco war i'm southwestern
Kentucky will tave on the election in the
state II woudEhe comparatively easy
matter to forecast with some certainty
what the state will do on Tuesday. The
politicians on bth sides are afraid I'll
the night ridef business. and neither
party has figuret out to its own satisfac-
tion which is ID be the loser from this
strange conditionof affairs.
/ Gov. Wilson has Just completed a
stumping tour of he black belt. as the
tobacco PRODUCING section is known, and
In the presence hostile audiences de-
i clared that he puld grant pardonS tc
any one who shogd kill night rider il
the defense of hisperson or his property
4 Should the republicans hold their own
in the western setion of the state. in
which the tobacco trouble has been most
acute. embracing tie first. second third
and a part of the seventh district, there
is but little doubt remaining that Judge
Taft will secure he thirteen electoral
votes of the Blue Gnss state.
Louisville Registration Heavy.
| the most cheerful situation for the re-
puhlicans. and one On which they base
their hope of carrying the state, is the
size and favorable complexion of the reg
istration here in Louisville. The regis
tration is not only lrger than ever be-
fore, but is more fayfrable to the repub-
licans than any previous registration in
the history of Louisville.
The supplemental registration days
| which have just closet brings the Louis
vile registration upIto the surprising
total of 52.1 as compared to 1887 last
year. the largest numhr up to that time
| A comparison of the ngistration of last
year with the registration of this year
and the result in Louisville Of last year $
voting easily disclose The cause for the
hope that the repubIlcats have.
The registration this lear is divided as
follows: Democrats. 2t143: republicans
1s.76s: independents. R11. Last year
the registration was ditded as follows
Democrats. 22.931; republicans. 1858
| independents. 9.1S3.
This year the republicans gained 2.1s5;
the democrats 1872, AMI the independ-
cans and independents Aer the demo
Gratis of 1901.
Last year Gov. Wilson sarried the city
and county by 500. ant Mayor Grin
the independent vote. as is the rule in
Louisville. going almost Entirely to the
| republicans.
Basis of Republican Claims.
Based on previous performances under
similar conditions the republicans seem
to be justified in their claims that Ia =
will carry Louisville and the district b.
not less than 5000 majority Should he
do this and hold his own in the re-
mainder of the state. as the republican
leaders are confidently expecting. he will
have thirteen additional electoral vote:
! on his side of the ledger after Noyem
Der 3.
/ There is a peculiar condition in Louis
vile that is a much larger force in the
equation than either party thought {
week ago The business men of the city
as a rule. will vote for Taft and thu
democratic nominee for Congress, Swage
Sherley. who is candidate TO succeed
himself.
The republicans had hoped that the
seemingly assured large majority in tn,
district would pull their candidate. Kin
kead. through and it may do SO, bu
there is somewhat depressed feeling OF
this point among the republicans a
present
The business men of the city. however
who are largely Independent voters, Will
| retaining the same hostility to Bryan
and his policies that has carried Louis
Vile against him in all his races. are sat
isfied with the work of Representative
Sheriey and will split their tickets to &C
commodate this viewpoint.
Supported by Liquor Interests.
The republicans have also been alice
with the temperance movement in TIL
state, and the saloonkeepers and whisk.
dealers in Louisville and elsewhere Il
the state are lining up for the democrati
nominees for Congress as rebuke to thl
program on the part of the republican
and the temperance people. OF course
the republicans will gain some voter
from the white ribbon class on this ac
count, but it is problematical if the part
| gains as many votes as it will lose b.
| the movement.
| Secretary Avis s. Bennett of the repub
lican state organization. Senator Bradle
and other party leaders who have bee
campaigning in the state are agreed o.
the prediction that Kentucky will go re
publican by about 10000.
The democrats are not making any Spe
cific or detailed claims but content them
selves with the observation that groun
swell is imminent, and that an old-tim
democratic majority in Kentucky will b
the result Tuesday.
From an impartial standpoint and bar
ring unforeseen contingencies, such as re
ferred to in the tobacco situation. tn
state appears to be about toss-up a
the present time, with the chances favor
ing the republicans by reason of the ia
vorable condition in Louisville, as ha
already been explained.
In the congressional districts the chance
are that the present political division o
seven democrats and four republican
will be maintained, unless Swager Sher
ley should lose in Louisville. which is no
improbable when the large Taft sentl
ment here is considered.
The Vote by Districts.
An estimate made today by one of tn
best election prognosticators in the stat
is given here as the best guess at the re
suit that The Star correspondent feel
able to make at the present writing. TIL
majorities by congressional district
would appear to be about as follows:
Republican Democrat
| majorities. majoritie.
First dis, rict ............ ...... 5000
. second district ........... ...... 1000
Third district. ooo 49,.
Fourth district. ......... 100
/ Fifth district. ............ o,po 49,.
Sixth district. ........... 2.0OO
Seventh district. ......... 4.Om
Eighth district ....... -: LOU