Judith Gap journal. [volume] (Judith Gap, Mont.) 1908-19??, 1912-10-11

through which the Roosevelt train
has passed the New York Times cor.
respondent has questioned men of all
parties who were in u position to
know the conditions in their respect.
I've states, and the consensus of opin-
ion may be summed up AS follows:
/. In every one of these states ex-
cppt Utah Taft is out Of the race aud
will run an extremely bad third.
2. In most of them Wilson is we'll
in the lead.
5. In states where La Toilette 10
strong numbers Ut La Toilette men
will vote for Wilson.
4. In the other states many Taft
men will vote for Wilson, and in some
states, such rs Nebraska, virtually
the whole Taft vote is turning to-
ward the democratic candidate.
5. Nearly all these states are nor.
mally republican. AS things now are
the persons interviewed hold that
the only nearly certain state that
Taft has 10 Utah; the only nearly GER
tain state that Roosevelt has is Cali.
fornia. 1t is declared that in some
OF the states Roosevelt has a chance,
but that Taft has no chance in any f
them except Utah Of running even
second.
8. The proRressives are handicapped
in several states, notably Iowa, by
the running of y bull moose state
ticket. A large number of the bull
moosers want to vote for Roosevelt
and yet preserve their party regular
ly in state affairs. In Iowa this has
deprived the bull moose Of the SER
ices of the most influential man in
the state, Senator Cummins, who will
vote for Roosevelt, but can not come
out against the state republican
ticket.
Z. In some states, such rs Arizona,
where Roosevelt has personal claims
on the gratitude or affection Of the
voters-it was he who gave Arizona
the Roosevelt dam-he will get many
democratic votes. As a general rule,
however, he seems to draw most of
his support from the republican par
ty, and if this condition continues
this split among the republicans will
give Wilson most Of the states 80 far
traversed.
8. Generally speak ing, the rural dis
tricts are much more strongly for
Roosevelt than are the cities. The
country people seem to be wild about
him. and there is no division of senti-
ment, as there is in most Of the cities
which gave him good receptions.
Q. In all the states which Wilson
has yet visited his candidacy is ham
pered by the lack of knowledge Of the
people about him. They knew Taft
and Roosevelt. but they have no def
mite conception of Wilson the man,
and consequently there is little enthu-
siasm for him personally.
10. There is strong feeling in favor
Of Roosevelt personally and through
out the west. based on the fact that he
| is the man who understands the needs
| OF that section OF the country rs no
other eastern politician does. Yet
most of the democrats who entertain
that feeling will vote for Wilson sim
ply as party men. Roo: evelt has
made Il strong bid for that vote by re-
peating 1t over and over again. cts
time you had Il president who knows
an irrigation ditch from Il dry farm
and to whom alfalfa has more than a
merely mystical meaning" and the
response of the crowd invariably
sh )ws that the shot has gone home.
II. The bull moose movement has
been hndered III many states bv the
weakness of it's local tickets. The
colonel must be aware of this, for he
repeatedly points to the nomination
of Hiram Johnson and Oscar Straus
as an earnest of what the bull moose
means. Such nominations rs that of
Hodge in Washington or that OF Stew
ems in Iowa do nothing to strengthen
the ticket.
II. In many states, notably New
Mexico, it is observable that the
young men are for Roosevelt, while
the old-timers stick to the old parties.
There are traces Of this even in Utah.
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