The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-08-25
GOOD REPORTS FUR
 THE DEMOCRATS Leaders Gather At Chicago to
 Formulate Plans HOT FIGHT IN MINNESOTA From Maine Speaks Hopefully of Carrying That State. cuberson Is Pretty Sure of
 Maryland and w. Va.
HOT FIGHT IN MINNESOTA

cation celebration in honor of Vice Pres- idential Candidate Kern.
 Reports were received by Mir Bryan and Chairman Mack from all the states where the great political battle of this campaign is being fought More enoour' aging reports could hardly have been received had they been made to order
 It was the opinion of those who took part In the conference that the advan- tage at the present time is decidedly with the democracy. Especially was this true with reference to the debatable states of the west and middle west. The fight from now on will be to hold this ad- vantage, and no part of the enemy's ter ritory will be overlooked. The fact is recognized that the fight will be hard one, and 1t will be a case of work upon the part of the democrats at the helm from now until election day.
 MT Bryan is confident of the justness of his cause and firmly believes that this is going to be a democratic year.
 The unexpected arrival of Governor Johnson of Minnesota at headquarters was an agreeable surprise to Chairman Mack and those on duty there. The Min nesota executive talked freely to news paper men following his conference with Chairman Mack. He let the fact be known that he is not only going to ac- cept the nomination for governor which was rendered him in such an enthusias- | tic manner, but that he will make an aggressive campaign in his state, which t.-f- tho iApf nf f. ulations all around.
 Governor Johnson will not be able to give as much time to the national cam paign as he had hoped, but he will get out in the thick of the fight and make speeches for Bryan and Kern, not only in the middle west but promised C..air- | man Mack to go to New York and prob ably Connecticut and deliver several ! speeches there.
 | Governor Johnson said: "l am or on A Chautauqua lecture tour and stopped over here to pay my respects to Char man Mack and also to assure him of my hearty support of the national ticket. I want to say that l am very much encouraged with the result of the re- ports I have received from number of states.
 ..The democrats of Minnesota are in better shape this year than they have ever been within my knowledge. The party Is stronger and there is more com plete harmony inside the ranks than at any time since 1892, when we made really great fight against great odds | Six years of democratic administration in the executive office has done Smuch to wipe out the existing prejudice against our party. Prior to that time many re- publicans in the state looked upon a democrat as something akin to horse thief. The democratic administration has been honest, clean and dignihed, and a realization of that fact has wrought a political change among a large vot' ing element"
 E. L. Jones, national committeeman from Maine, talked with Chairman Mack about the assignment of speakers to the Maine campaign which is already on ir earnest The election in Maine takes place September IA and will be the first one to be held during this campaign
 Campaign In Maine.
 "The present campaign Is being waget largely on state issues," said MT. lone: yesterday, but do not mistake the fact that 1t Is a red-hot contest, and tha' we are making an aggressive fight. There is not dissenting democrat in the state of Maine, and everyone of them wil vote for Bryan and kern at the electior in November, just as they will for oul state ticket at the election next month.
 the demo- crats will carry the state, but we ar' making fight to win and will certainly cut down the republican majority of ZI, 300 and two years ago we reduced tnls majority to less. than 5000 At the same election in 1906 we increased our mem bershp in the legislature from 20 to GA
 "The democrats of Maine are no longer regarded lightly by the republicans a' they were years ago. We are an active fighting force This year we have nom mated a strong candidate for governor in the person of Obadiah Gardiner, who was master of the state grange for two years He is stumping the state and i' making a splendid canvas. One Of the pif issues this year Is that of graft. W' have caught four republican state ofti cers grating on the state treasury ano this is one of the most talked of features of the campaign. Our platform pledges
  who will elect the next attorney general to vote for a nominee who will force the grating republican state officials tt make restitution of the moneys they hav' unlawfully taken from the state treas ury for their personal use The people are aroused on this issue, and you may expect good reports from Maine demo crats."
 The motto of the republican cam paign managers this year seems to De "Well catch 'em a-gwine and a-comin' . Out in the middle west the Literature being handed out to the farmers speak of Taft's sympathy with the Roosevei policies and his determination, in tn event of election to carry them lnt' effect In so far as he Is able. That the western plan of campaign. In tn east the appeal for votes is pitched o' somewhat different grounds. Tart l represented as a conservative or con servatives, and as being entlrely iMnue M pendent of MT. Roosevelt. In othe words, MT Taft is being held up the voters of eastern states as sup U ! [ scriber to the Hanna doctrine or he |, well enough alone ~ ., The latest piece of literature the re ! publican campaign managers nave pu in circulation in eastern states IS an m teryIew with former United states sen ator George L. Wellington or Mary land who is quoted as saying: .s "It was impossible for Taft 10 se. '., nomination without the indorsemenr , tte Roosevelt administration, put {, ,.an of enough character to nhah