The Washington herald., 1912-10-28
TAFT's STRENGTH
N MIDDLE WEST
erosressives and Dsmocrah say He
Il Eliminated In Ohio, Indiana,
and Illinois.
AL ARE WORRYING
OVER SILENT VOTE
Beveridge 4 Q Factor in the Fight
Being Waged in Hoosier
State.
By JOSEPH r. AMIN.

b JOSEPH r. ANNIN.
President Taft eliminated. except q,
Q contrfbutory factor in the three BIZ
Middle Western battlehelds. Ohio, In
diana, and Illinois, 10 the prediction nov
made with such confidence by Progrss
sives and Democrats alike. It 10 gener
ally thought that Roosevelt has Q fight
ing chance In both Ohio and Illinois and
that An all three Of the States named
he will make . good fsht.
The cruz Of the situation. in the mindi
Of those who have spent the last few
weeks In these States. rests in the silent
vote. Never before. say those who have
been making inquiries through straw
votes ana personal talks with voters.
has the unwillingnSBs Of voters to state
their preferences Been % marked. In
Ohio and Indiana this has been par
ticulariy 90, and to this fact u at
tributed the unwillingness Of political
prophets to 60 on record. Who will get
the silent vote? Answer that question.
they say, and you will name the next
President Third party leaders say a
large silent vote indicates Roosevelt
strength, not only in the old Republi-
can ranks but. which Ii infinitely more
significant at this stage, In the Demo-
cratic ranks.
Here is the argument and basis for
the confidence they feel in Col. Roose-
velt's cause:
The Republican party, under normal
conditions. commands 6 per cent Of the
national vote. Roosevelt. from present
assurances, may expect a majority Of
the Republican vote in Ohio, Indiana,
Michigan, Illinois, Minnesota, and Wis
cons!n- Now. Is 1t not uncomfortable
that any movement could command so
large percentage Of the vote Of one
OF the old parties and not have a very
material effect upon the independent
vote OF the other party. no matter how
harmonious the organization elements of
the second old party are? In other
words. knowing that this big, silent
vote is composed OF Democrats and Re-
publicans alike, may We not expect a
very material DETECTION from the Demo-
cratic vote to our causer'
Democratic leaders meet these arxu-
ments somewhat as follows:
Granted. for the sake of argument,
that Col Roosevelt will command 60 per
cent OF the Republican vote in Ohio,
Indiana, and Illinois, and We do not
grant this by any manner Of means.
what reason would any material part of
the Democratic vote have to bolt a tick.
ct against which it can find no impor-
tant or fundamental objections. Does
outward visible evidences of a move
ment toward the third party in the
Democratic :-anks indicate clearly that
such q movement does not exist? For.
II threatoaed to attain any conside
cradle proportions, why would We not
nave heard something Of it,"
Trend Toward Taft.
Latest reports through surveys by Do
htlcal forecasters and from straw votes
taken in different parts Of the country
indicate slight trend. even in the Mid
die West. to Taft. a material gain for
Roosevelt. and a slight repression in the
Wilson strength.
Two reasons are assigned for the slight
trend toward the President and an al
most directly corresponding trend away
from Gov. Wilson. and perhaps these two
reasons are not widely isassociated
Business interests Of the country are
rallying to the Taft standard with this
eleventh-hour support. and are even pre-
pared to go the limit in inducing their
employees to stick to the Republican
ticket. But still another reason is ad-
vanced. an alleged tendency on the part |
Of Republicans who early in the cam
paign declared for Gov. Wilson. and who |
have been wavering between Taft and |
Wilson during the last two months. to |
return to the Republican ranks
justification for this theory is offered |
In the widespread criticism to which |
Gov. Wilson has been subjected because /
Of his unwillingness to discuss remedies
for the undesirable conditions he points
out. The New Jersey executive has
taken the stand, warned, no doubt, by
expressed and implied advice from Con-
gressional leaders. that it is not his duty
to devise remedies-that this 10 the func-
tion of the legislative rather than the
executive branch Of the government and
that his work now. as the candidate Of
his party. is to inform the voters what
conditions his party will recognize
through its legislative programme II
placed in power.
However this may be. political survey
ors do not find as large a contingent Of
Wilson Republicans as formerly, and the
supposition Is that the largest part Of
these have decided to stick by the Grand
Old Party at the elections next week.
Situation in Ohio.
The normal Presidential vote in Ohio
ls in round numbers, 100000 This Is
split 10000 to 10000 in favor of the Re-
publican ticket-State issues not consid-
cred. Progressive leaders there, an in /,
other Middle Western States, claim 6 i,
per cent OF the Republican vote for
Roosevelt Democratic leaders are in
clined to accept these figures. or at least
10 grant Roosevelt 90 per cent Of the
Republican vote. Obviously, unless the
Bull Moose ticket can draw q material
Democratic vote, Wilson win ret {
he State. But, though Democratic lead
m. State and county, after going over
the situation with . magnifyinx glasa
an ind no break in their lines. thew
admit their uneasiness as to the situa-
ion: They do not know what the inde- {
'endent Democrat who refuses to ex- Z
press q preference now will do Q week /
rom tomorrow. Ohio has twenty-four !
'otes In the electoral college. a.
In Illinois Roosevelt's strength is con- =
Iidered decidedly dangerous by the
Democrats. The Republicans concede I
,ook County. which embraces ali OF q
chicaso. to Roosevelt, AZ do the Demo- I
rats Wilson'S natural strength is said d
o be seriously hampered by the local {
ituation in the Democratic ranks I
through the fight between the Hearst 8
arter-Harrison machine and the Roger 9
ullfvan organization, and Roosevelt
eaders claim that this tight win result
4 Q big Democratic vote for the Third
,arty. Democratic leaders are making
eroic efforts to subordinate the faction
fight In their ranks. to disassociate II
rom the national issues: but Roosevelt.
trough his fight on Lorimsr, has made
II "bossism'' issue Of decidedly direct
ppeal. and II 10 conceded everywhere.
Of only that the fight there II between
I'm and Wilson. but that whichever
,oe1 Wfn be an extremely close second