The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1912-05-16
WHO WILL CAPTURE
THE CONVENTION
POLITICIANS ARE CAREFULLY
WEIGHING CHANCES OF THE
DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATES.


time for holding the democratic con
vention draws nearer and the cam.
/ paign to capture delegates grows hot.
ter and hotter. politicians here are
weighing carefully the chances OF the
candidates. Will the nominee be
Clark. Wilson. Harmon, Underwood
! or some dark horse" yet to be I'M
| covered they ask, as they chalk NJ
the delegates pledged to each OF the
candidates
Figures are said not to lie, but 1t
this stage of the game one may .
far astray by sticking to figures
alone. Other conditions must be con
sidered, if one is to make an accurate
guess as to the identity of the demo-
! cratic nominee At first sight. est-
mated by the delegates pledged to
him, Champ Clark would seem to
be first choice. He has to date 275
pledged delegates and his managers
say they are sure of capturing 1872
more. Governor Wilson, in the popu-
lar mind, now comes second. He has
62 instructed DELEGATES and has \
fair chance of increasing this mum.
Der to liS by CONVENTION time. Under
wood has 81 pledged, while Harmon,
provided he gets Ohio's As, will go to
the convention with close to 100
On the face of these figures it is
plain that none of the candidates has
chance of capturing the convention
on the first ballot. 1t will take a two
thirds vote. or 729 delegates, to win:
therefore the successful cand date
can hope to win only by increasing
his strength as the balloting pro-
crosses. In short, the candidate who
can poll the vote of the uninstructed
states, after the first ballot IS taken,
is most likely to win.
lnasmuch as the South will divide
its delegates among all four candi-
dates, for victory they must look to
New. York. Indiana and Ohio. With
out New York and Indiana neither
Clark nor Wilson can win. This is
conceded by the managers of both
Clark's chance of capturing the New
York delegation, it IS admitted. ie
slim Wilson, it is equally true, has
no chance at all. And because cf
the breaches between the Clark and
Wilson forces in Indiana, growing
out of the bitterness of their f.ehr
there, neither is sure of that states
delegation. 1t remains then to J.
seen what Harmon and Underwood
can do with the New York and In
diara delegations.
Appraised without bias, Harmon's
chances with the New York delega
ton seem brightest. although Tn
derwood lately has found consider
able favor with the political forces
of that state. New York, always
seeking to be with the winner. nm
doubtedlv will throw her strength to
the Ohio governor if it is shown
that neither Clark not Wilson cah
win. Assuming that r1e convention
deadlocks on Clark and Wilson, who
then can draw the votes OF these
men? This question answered and
the conventions ultimate choice is
not hard to pick. 1t is best answer
ed by saving that the democratic
party leaders, sensible to the fact
that the wide and irreconcilable
breach in the republican ranks has
given them an opportunity to land
a candidate in the white house. will
choose carefully and wisely. Their
choice, unless good judgment is lack
ing, will be the man most accepta.
BILE to all elements of the part;
and the one whose record, when he
stands before the people. is most
likely to withstand the batteries OF
the enemy. ~