The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1911-01-20
PROBABILITIES IN THE
SENATORIAL CONTEST

Tampa Tribune.

The result Of the first special sena-
torial primary is the elimination of
John n. g. Stockton as a candidate for
the seat Of Senator Taliaferro and the
selection Of ". a. BIount and Nathan
Bryan to make the race in a second
| primary.
MI Blounts splendid race is a mat
ter Of qualification to his numerous
friends and supporters. The final count
viii show that he lacked but compare
| lively few votes Of enough to nonli-
nate him in the first primary. He
could not have asked for more LOYAL
or solid support from his home county
Escanbia gave him over 1000 more
votes than his opponents combined.
His home precinct voted for him unan-
irously. Such a tribute ought to be
very satisfact to Mr.. Blount. It
shows how he stands among his own
people, who have known him for many
years. On the other hand, the two
Jacksonville candidates failed Of such
IN endorsement at the hands Of their
nome people. Mr.. Blount received
considerably more votes than did Mr..
Stockton in Duval county and within
200 Of as many votes as Mr.. Bryan,
also resident Of that county. The
solid vote given Mr.. Blount in Escam-
bia constituted more than one-half OF
his total plurality in the state. Il
Pays to stand in with the home
folks"
In the second race, the question will
be. OF course. how the Stockton vote
will be divided. Approximately 5000
Of these will be divided between Blount
and Bryan. In addition to the Stock
ton vote, there will probably be an a.
iHllional vote, composed of those wio
| did not vote at all in the first pri
mary. The second campaign will
create new interest and the. vote
throughout the state will be heavier
than was the cast last Tuesday. Which
Of the two candidates will receive the
hor's share Of this vote? Is it true, AZ
Mr.. Bryan's friends claim, that the
great bulk of the Stockton vote will
go to him. by reason of the fact thai
Mr.. Bryan and Mr. "tockton stani
closer together in their politics and
the" sentiments than do Stockton and
Blount? It is claimed by the Bryan
men that the story Of the Brownrd-
Taliaferro second primary wifi be re-
p"aIed-that the state will be again
divided as 1t was then between the
voters favorable to the Broward
policies and those who adhered to the
ideas represented by Mr.. Taliaferro-
and that, consequently, Mr.. Bryan will
win out, as did Mr.. Broward.
This is not to be accepted as a mat
ter Of course. Browsrd dead and Brow
ard living are two different PROPOSE
lions. The Broward vote did not de-
scend to Mr.. Bryan, despite all the talk
that Mr.. Bryan is his political heir ana
the beneficiary Of the great poIitic.,l
following the dead man built up. A
la1 ge number of Broward supporters
went to Mr.. Blount in the first pri-
r,ary and will doubtless adhere to him
in the second. There is no rule by
which the inheritance of political
strength can he computed. In fac
there is no such thing in primary poll
tics. Mr.. Blount, as 1t looks at pres
err will maintain his first primary
strength and he stands a good chance
OF obtaining sufficient Of the Stockton
vote and sufficient Of the additional
vote that will be brought out by the
second Campaign, to defeat Mr. Bryan
On the other hand, Mr.. Bryan may
come to the front with such a success
fsl capture OF the Stockton strengts as
to leave Mr. Blount behind
The Tribune hopes that the second
campaign will be fought with the dig
nifty, fairness and openness that char
acterized the first one But it will
doubtless be much lvelier. We may
expect a real exciting time of it. Tho
candidates will have time to get out
a deal more literature and to MAKE
many more speeches. The money they
spent in the first race will not be cir
curnstance to what will be required OF
them in the ensuing two weeks. They
must have more workers, more takers
more literature. More people Will be
reached with their appeals and the
election day will see much more gen
eral interest in the fight than was
manifested last Tuesday.
The Jacksonville and anti-Jackson-
vile question will figure considerably
Mr. Bryan will doubtless exert every
effort to receive a similar endorsement
in Duval to that received by his op-
ponent in Escambia. In other portions
OF the state. Mr.. Blount and his
friends will urge the geographical fea-
ture Of the case more strongly than
ever. But, after all it will be a Ques-
ton OF personal ability and fitness and