Gilpin observer., 1912-02-08
JUDsoN HARMON As
A VOTE oETTER
And Some Suggestions a. to What
the Democracy Should Do to Win
the Political Battle In 1912.

be practical when it selects its next
presidential candidate. The available
ity of the different candidates must
be taken into consideration, an ele-
ment of which is their strength in
several doubtful states, such as
Ohio, New York and Indiana. the ell
ectoral votes of which are suffic-
lent, in addition to the ballots of
states safely Democratic, to place a
Democrat in the White House.
There will be 531 votes In the ell
ectoral college. which will select the
president in 1912. The majority re-
Quired to elect the nations execu-
tive is 266. Students of national pol
itics estimate the Democratic candi-
date can reasonably depend on hav-
ing 1877 votes in the electoral college,
and in these figures are included the
southern states, Missouri and Mary
land, both carried by President Taft
in 1908, Arizona and New Mexico,
and Colorado, carried by Bryan in
1908.
So the Democratic presidential can
didate must obtain 79 additional ell
ectoral votes to win. New York, Ohio
and Indiana, with total of "a votes,
would bring the Democratic strength
in the electoral college up to 271
votes. or five more than the major
ity required to elect. These states all
have Democratic administrations.
| Suppose, on the other hand, the
Democratic party should decide to
make it's fight for the west. 1t would
be necessary to carry Wisconsin,
Iowa, Kansas. Nebraska, California,
Montana, North Dakota, South Oak
ota, Oregon and Wyoming, with
total of 79 votes, which would bring
the Democratic strength in the ell
ectoral college up to 266 votes =
just bare majority.
All of these states, with one ex-
cepuon, have Republican administra-
tiors and it would be folly for the
party to attempt to carry all of them.
So that when one analyses the sit
uation, 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 needed to record a Democratic
victory, all Of which have Republican
administrations?
All of the leading candidates for
the Democratic premier honor should
carry the southern states, but should
the party decide to center its ef-
forts toward securing New York,
Ohio and Indiana. then the question
OF the availability of the candidates
in those three states becomes a
question of utmost Importance. Ohio,
in this event, becomes one of the
pivitol states, and now let us see
what JudsOn Harmon has done in
IL.
In 1908 the election statistics of
Ohio showed that while President
Taft carried the state by plurality
OF $4,000. Judson Harmon, candidate
for governor Of the state, beat his
Republican opponent by 10000. In
that election the Democratic candi-
date for governor polled 552 $50 votes
while the general ticket polled only
5O2,721 votes-almost $4,000 less.
Governor Harmon gave greater
demonstration Of his vote-getting
quality in Ohio in the election of
November, 1910, when his vote ex-
ceeded that Of the combined Demo
cratic congressional vote by 22.S53;
while Governor Harmon's majority of
1OO,377 exceeded the combined Demo
cratic congressional majority by over
$4,000. Governor Harmons vote i'm
1910 exceeded that of the various
Democratic congressional candidates
in IA Of the 21 districts, and he car.
ried every congressional district in
the state, except one.
Mr.. Harmon's majority for COVER
nor in 1910 exceeded the average
ma1orities of his associates on the
state ticket by 1924 votes. His vote
the same year exceeded the COM
Dined vote of the several candidates
ior state senator by 1888. and his
vote also exceeded the combined
vote OF the several Democratic can
didates for members of the house
CT representatives by 53,517.
Governor Harmon's majority lacks
but 1000 votes Of equalling the CON-
bihed ma5orities of all Democratic
governors elected in Ohio since the