Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1912-05-02
Anew York Papers HisM.
DEMOCRATIC SUICIDE

III 1LI1 M DA LII Ivy NJ 10y "a
they may have not but this much 4
certain: Champ Clark Il not one d
those who could detsat any RepubI Mean
vet the Champ Clark candidacy Is ths
Beneficiary Of Mr.. Bryan Il ehthusisstit
support.
| II the Democrats expect TO elect 9
President next ian they must 10 into
the campaign with stronger candi-
date than the Speaker Of the House d
Representatives. For Mr. Clark per-
soDally The World has only the friend.
lest feelinga but his nomination fo1
President would be eqdiynieut 10 Z Ger
tiicate Of election for his Rspublicnu
opponent.
Mr.. Clark ! friends proudly declare
that he could poll the full Democratic
lvote. Perhapshe could; but much more
than that Is required of q Democratic
candidate for President this year. He
must not only poll the full Democratic
EvOte but he must poll hundreds of thou.
sands of independent votes.
Mr.. Bryan polled the full Democratic
vote in 1908. but Mr.. Bryan was over
whelmingly BEATEN. Mr.. Taft's popu-
lar plurality was 1,269. so4 and Mr..
Taft's majority in the Electoral College
was 1850.
There will be Sal votes Ia the next
Electoral College, with 1895 necessary
to choice. Mr.. Rryanhad l62 electCr
al votes in 1908. Maryland, 8 vote was
divided. Assuming that Maryland viii
60 Democratic next fall. the States
that gave 1872 electoral votes to Mr.,
Bryan in 1908 will have I74 electoral
votes ii 1912 under the new apportion-
ment. The successful Democratic can
didate for President next fall must OBJ
tain 81 votes from States which Mr.,
Bryan failed to carry. Giving Arr
zona g s votes to the Democrats and
conceding that Missouri's Is votes will
swing back to the Democrats column,
there is az adverse majority Of a
electoral votes TO overcome. Where
are they to be obtained for Champ
Clark
New York, with its AZ electoral votes,
must be considered first. Mi. Taft's
vote in this State was $40, 07O and Mr..
Bryan's was 667. 1853, the Taft plurality
being 202.602 What chance would
champ Clark have to oyerturn such q
Itnajority7 What appeal couldhe make
to the great body of independent Vpt-
era Whosdecide the elections IN New
York q
New Jersey, with IA electoral votes.
is almost certain to 60 with New York.
In 1908 Mr.. Taft had 265, 826 in New
Jersey to Mr.. Bryan's 182, 567. Re
publican plurality Of s2,759. Champ
Clark would make as sorry an appeal
to the independent vote Of New Jersey
as to that of New York.
| Like New York and N ew Jersey, Con-
necticut has elected q Democratic Cow
ernor since 1908-and by the grace of
the independent vote. Mr.. Taft's
plurality over Mr.. Bryanin Connecticut
was A. $50, and Champ Clark 8 nomina-
ton would give that State the Repub-
licans too.
New York, New Jersey and Connec-
tieut have 66 Of the II electoral votes
that must estionably be gained il
order to elect Democratic President.
Champ Clark can never get them. To
nominate him is to give these votes to
the Republican candidate, whoever he
may be.
Where, then, are the Democratic
votes coming from? Ohio? Indianal
They haye only go electoral votes be-
tween them. and Champ Clark has no
special strength in either Of these
States He has NO special strength
anywhere, and it would be difficult fol
the Democratic party to name more
vulnerable candidate. 81.
| Mr.. Clark is a fine type of the old
fashioned slang.whanging politician,
hut the country has outgrown that type,
No personal charm. no personal merit
can overbalance the partisan defects Of
such acandidate.
Would the country intrust the leader
| ship ia the complex work of tariff re
vision to q man who once proposed t,
4 hurn down all the custom houses