Semi-weekly herald., 1912-11-04
REM ARK ABLE POLITICAL
CAMPAIGN AT AN EN-


REMARK ABLE POLITICAL
CAMPAIGN AT AN END
NEW YORK, Nov with the
close of the last week before cleo
ton, the last week of one of the most
remarkable political campaigns Jhe
country has ever known, little is left
to be done but to indulge in forecasts
and wait for the returns. AS the say
ing is, it's all over but the shouting.
Nobody knows as yet who will do the
shouting, but the minds of the people
are made up, the campaign is at an
end, and the election OF Tuesday will
only be to secure an official record of
decision already made.
Five national conventions have NOM
mated candidates for president and
vice president of the United States.
William Woward Taft of Ohio and the
late James S. Sherman of New York
were renominated for president and
vice president, respectively, by the Re-
publicans at Chicago. Woodrow Will
son of New Jersey and Thomas Il.
Marshall of Indiana were named by
the Democratic convention at Balti-
more. The new Progress sive party, i'll
convention at Chicago, nominated The
odore Roosevelt of New York for pres
ident and Hiram w. Johnson of Cali
fornia for vice president. The So
cialist party at indianapolis brought
out the names of Eugene " Debs of
Indiana for president and Emil Eel
del OF Wisconsin for vice president
This year of 1912 has seen sueh
asundering of political ties as does
not often occur in America, but it is
all referable to so-called progressive
ism," Just as slavery was RESPONSE
Bile for the diverse tickets in 1860 and
the monetary question for the split-up
of the Democratic party in 1906.
The Democrats this year present a
more united front than for many
years past. Though the campaign
that proceeded the Baltimore conven
tion was an exceedingly spirited one,
it apparently left no bitterness, for
the restoration of harmony was al
most instantaneous. Within week
after the delegates adjourned at Bal
timore the several factions had come
together with the single purpose of
electing the national ticket. The un-
successful opponents of Wilson at Bal
timore took up the stump in his behalf
and the Bryanites and anti-Bryanltes
of the olden days have repeatedly spo-
ken from the same platform during
The Republican party, on the other
hand. has found itself divided for the
first time since the civil war. The
insurgents" who bolted the Repub-
lican national convention at Chicago
after the denomination of President
Taft met in the same city few weeks
later and formed the Progressive par
ty. Colonel Theodore Roosevelt, who
had fought vainly to secure the reg
ular" Republican nomination, was
named for president and Governor
johnson of California was selected as
his running-mate.
The situation on the Republican side
then became complicated by the fact
that the political affiliations of the
electors in many of the states We're
in doubt, being claimed by both the
Taft and Roosevelt factions. The cleo
toral controversies were finally set
tied in a manner more or less salts
factory to both sides, though new and
more serious perpleXities may result
from the same source in case the
baloting is close next Tuesday.
A court decision has left Taft with
out representation on the electoral
ticket in California, where the Roose-
welt electors appear as Republicans.
IN lHt bNo iNooStNSie 49,
tors appearing on the Republican tiek-
ct have agreed to vote for Taft if ne
carries the state. A similar agree
ment has been reached in Oregon. In
South Dakota and Nebraska the Taft
electors appear on the ballot by petit
ton In the other states where con-
troversies existed the original Roose-
welt electors have been replaced on
the Republican ballot by Taft sup
porters,
The next electoral college will be
composed of 531 members, and the
successful candidates for president and
vice president must secure total of
mt least 265 to be elected. With three
leadin gtickets in the field, instead OF
two as in former presidential cam
paipns Of late years, it is easily within
the range of possibilities that none of
the three might secure a sufhcient
electoral vote and that the election of
the next president and vice president
would devolve upon the national house
of representatives.
Besides the presidential succession
there will also be decided on Tues
day the question of the control oil
the house Of representatives. Ther,
will be 435 representatives in the nex'
congress, all of whom will be electet
on Tuesday except the few in Name
. and Vermont, which states hold early
elections.
The terms of one third Of the mem
bers of the United States senate ex
pire next March. In few states theil
seats have already been filled, but il
many others the complexion of thu
legislatures elected on Tuesday vii
decida