The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1909-11-03

New York, Oct. 30.--Never in the
history Of New York city elections has
it been so dlficult to get line on the
vote as In the present contest, which
will be settled Tuesday. Leaders of
the Democratic and Republican or
ganizations have sent their lieutenants
out three different times to make
house-to-house canvosses. and the hg-
ures brought back have been incom-
plete and unsatisfactory each Time.
No one can tell with any degree Of
accuracy what the count Tuesday win
show. There are political wise men
who say that Gaynor will be elected
by 10000 plurality, while others.
with all sincerity, declare that Ban
lard. the Republican nominee, will be
elected by polling his party vote In
addition to thousands Of Democratic
conservatives, who regard both Gay
nor and Hearst as radicals. There are
still others who assert that Barnard
will make a miserable showing, that
Gaynor will lose thousands Of votes,
and that Hearst will be swept into Of
fee.
Those who take the broadest view
Of the situation believe that Judge
Gaynor will be elected by something
like $4,000 and that 1t will be nip and
tuck for all the other places on the
ticket. with Tammny losing probably
half Of its county ticket.
There Is practically no beeting. Ten
thousand dollars was offered today at
evens that Hearst would run third. but
no takers appeared. Wagers placed
on the head of the ticket are two to
one. Gaynor against the field.
The present contest Is the more liz
teresting because It may mean the
downfall OF the Murphy regime in
Tammany or the elevation to high
leadership Of Congressman Herbert
Parsons who is the Republican leader
of New York county. t-7ss Fss'rs 20
Murphy is lighting desperately, real
izing that IL he loses, the rebellious
element of his organization will rise
and demand change OF leadership.
Ile has played a hard game four years
being at odds with the Mayor all
that time and kept on a stingy diet
Of patronage-and it is only by dis
playing flashes Of genius, such as
most persons do not know he possess
ses, that he has kept himself intrench-
ed in the chair long held by Dick"
Croker.
On the other hand, Herbert Parsons,
who is the new type Of leader, and
whose ambition is to land in the Uni
ted States senate, will find himself one
Of the big men in his party II he sue
ceeds at last In giving the Republicans
substantial foothold in New York
county, for a half century the fortress
of Tammany Hall. He has been work
ing for six years to prepare for this
very contest and it is generally beiiev-
ed that If he succeeds, his path to the
United States senate as the successor
Of Chauncey NJ Depew will be rose
strewn.
OF off nrts
put forth to make the white slave"
traffic the leading issue against Tam
many Reformers from various parts
of the country are sending on state
ments designed to show that the traf-
fic in human lives in the metropolis is
an actuality, and the statements are
eagerly accepted by the reform news
papers. Tammany declares that the
new issue is boomerang
Judge Gaynor is making nightly
campaign tours which are truthfuIly
described as "whirlwind." So marked
a contrast is his campaign to the tran
quill life he has always lived that he
has begun to show signs of wearines.
He also chafes under the repeated at
tacks made upon him. He is manag-
ing his own campaign and frequently
fails to appear at meetings which have
been arranged by the regular organi-
zation.
Mr.. Barnard, the Republican nomi-
nee, Is also showing evidence of fati-
que from his nightly romps through
the boroughs. He has done no mud
Singing, leaving that for the other
Republican campaigners, and has
given only plain talks promising a
business administration.