The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1908-09-30

chicago Sept. 30.-For campaign
which promised only apathy and Elm
dinerence. the contest of 1908 bids
talr to be one of the most interesting
and sensational Of recent years. Two
weeks ago the men who are in charge
OF Mr.. Taft's campaign were genuine
~ alarmed. Nobody in the Republican
side was showing any concern. Bust
ness men who favored Taft took 1t
tor granted he would beat Bryan out
OF his boots, and the complacent far
mer looked at his fat belongings and
gave no indication OF concern.
Then came a scare. The Republican
leaders, with full knowledge of con-
dtttons, combined in the effort to con-
Vince the public that elections could
not be won either by complacent in
difference or confidence in the result.
Hearst has been worth twice all the
rest to the Republicans. Explosions
engineered by the New Yorker
brought the public up standing.
Roosevelt got into the game just to
put a little ginger into the cam
paign" as he observed. Taft followed
Bryan on the stump and apathy is no
more.
Certain Il is Real Fight.
There is not anybody anywhere who
does not know that political fight
Is on or who believes that it is an al
together one-sided contest. Perhaps
1t might have been better for Mr.. Taft
II his campaign managers had walked
up little bit sooner, and possibly it
Is better that q rousing finish was
Nv,Iy lN 80.
OF speculation.
1t Is the common belief OF the poll
ticians with whom l have talked at
both headquarters that Mr.. Bryan is
stronger now than he will be in No.
vember Republicans are inclined to
believe that II the election had occur
red last Tuesday Bryan would have
carried a number of states he will lose
November 8. They figure it that the
drift for the next five weeks will be
steadily towards Taft. and that cleo
ton day will find him a winner by e.
majority in the electoral column equal
to that Of Mckinley.
That Taft is> much stronger now
than he was one week ago is appar-
ent even to the most superficial OBJ
server. The Democrats cannot hope
to do more than hold the strength
they had developed for Bryan. To date
the Bryan enthusiasm has been con-
fined to the towns and cities. 1t has
been noisy, clamorous demonstration
but it has produced results. It arous-
ed the enthusiasm of Democrats and
1t also has brought the Republicans
to an appreciation of the fact that
they must organize and get to work.
In order that the result may be close
the Democrats must make all the
gains. That Bryan has made gains
as compared to the Roosevelt-Parker
campaign everybody knows. The only
possible basis for comparison is the
election of 1900... Whether Bryan has
gained over bs. vote Of that year IL
debatable.
More Doubtful States Than Before.
In some respects the campaign of
1908 differs materially from that of
any former year. Stretching from the
Atlantic clear across to the Pacific
is solid chain of states which both
parties will contest. In no former
presidential year were so many states
in doubt.
The consoling view to Republicans
is that without New York Bryan must
make practically clear sweep Of
these states in order to win. Mr..
Bryan must be able to hold all the
states he has carried in his former
campaigns and add to them many
more votes than he received outside
the solid south. In seventeen states
outside the solid south the Republic
can and Democratic national commit
tees are making an aggressive and
determined fight. To this list of states
must be added several others which
are uncertain as to the gubernatorial
candidates.
Some of these states no Republican
will admit are doubtful. But the Dem
ocrats are fighting desperately In all