Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1912-04-24
JUDSON HARMON
AS VOTE GETTER
Ohio Executive Can Carry the
Pivotal States.


teal when 1t selects its next presiden- /
tial candidate. The availability of the |
different candidates must be taken
into consideration. and element OF
which is their strength In several
doubtful states, such as Ohio, New
York and Indiana, the cleo Ioral votes
OF which are sufficient. in addition to
the ballots OF states safely Demo
cratic. to place a Democrat in the
White House.
There will be 531 votes in the cleo
toral college, which will select the
president in 1912. The majority re-
quired to elect the nations executive
is 266 Students Of national politics
estimate the Democratic candidate
can reasonably be depended on hav-
ing 1877 votes in the electoral college,
and in the figures are included the
southern states. Missouri and Mary.
land, both carried by President Taft
in 1905, Arizona and New Mexico.
and Colorado. carried by Bryan in
1908.
so the Democratic presidential can
didate must obtain 70 additional
electoral votes to win. New York.
Ohio and indiana, with total of 81
votes, would bring the Democratic
strength in the electoral college W
to 271 votes. or five more than the
majority required 20 elect These
states all have Democratic admins
trations-
Suppose, on the other hand, the
Democratic party should decide to
make its fight for the west 1t would
be necessary to carry Wisconsin.
Iowa, Kansas. Nebraska, California.
Montanan, North Dakota, South Dako-
ia. Oregon and Wyoming. with total
of 70 votes, which would bring the
Democratic strength in the electoral
college up to 266 votes-just a bare
majority.
All OF these states, with one excep-
ton, have Republican administrations.
and 1t would be folly for the party to
ATTEMPT to carry all OF them.
So that when one analyses the stu
alton. the question as to what the
Democracy should do to win resolves
itself into two propositions:
Shall the party make fight for the
three eastern states needed TO win
all Of which have Democratic state
administrations, or, shall the party
battle for the ten western states need
cd TO record Democratic victory, all
Of which have Republican admins
tratlons7
All OF the leading candidates for
the Democratic premier honor should
carry the southern states, but should
the party decide to center its efforts
toward securing New York, Ohio anc
Indiana, then the question Of the
availability of the candidates in those
three states becomes a question OF ut
most importance. Ohio, in this event
becomes one of the pivotal states, anC
Judson Harmons vote getting abilit.
! there has been demonstrated.
In 1908 Governor Harmon carried
, Ohio by $4,000. while President Tai
was given a plurality of $4,000.
, In 1910 Governor Harmon obtained
a plurality Of 1O1 900 votes. But tn
8 greatest OF all OF Mr.. Harmons az
r compliments as governor of Ohio i
\ his program of tax reforms the benef
: cent results OF which are now bein
! driven hime in the minds of the pee
/. pie in the form of big reductions 1
d taxes-farmers and home owners wi
d in 1911 pay s7.000.000 less taxes tina
they did In 1910. Since the governC
, won that magnificent victory in n
/. 1910 election, developments in Obi
II such as in taxation affairs, hay
"a strengthened him; and the result
n the 1911 municipal elections in II
A. state-the majority going Democrat
G. together with the fact that II
Democratic strength In the 1912 co
n stitutional convention is greater thu
ar 1t was in the 1911 Ohio general a
T. sembly demonstrates the Harmt
r strength is increasing
g. The Democrats never elected
ss president without the electoral Vo
Of New York since the Republic;
party was founded.
A poll recently taken of the Den
9. cratic members of the New 70
legislature gave Harmon SO votes a
the Democratic field of candidates
votes. The poll shows:
on Hormon, senators 25, assemblym
"A. total SO: Champ Clark. senate
3; Woodrow Wilson, senators !,
IN semblymen 2, total 3; Representa-
re Underwood. senators 2; w. ]. G.
nor, assemblymen 1; Jno. A Dix,
semblymen !; Clark, Dix or wills
a. assemblymen /; any progress
Democrat, assemblymen 2. One
tat semblyman voted either Harmon
Gaynor The Ohio executives streni
'ui in Indiana is second only to that
his native state.