The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1912-11-05
BALLOTINC FOR
NATIONS CHOICE
Voters Deciding Hottest Po-
litical Campaign in Years.
ALL EYES ON PRESIDENCY
Three Cornered Fight for Chief Ex-
ecutive Overshadows Interest in the
Congressional and State Elections.
BY ARTHUR w. DUNN.


Washington, Nov. Especial Isl.
iently the ballots are falling today In
every part of the Union save here in
Washington. the seat OF government
and for the next four years the home
of the man who will be chosen by
those ballots Us president of the Unit.
cd States.
In few hours we shall know the
result of one of the most interesting
campaigns in years and In which for
the first time forty-eight states com.
posing the contiguous territory of
the United States take part.
There are three contending candi-
dates in the field, any one of whom
might be chosen, making this the first
three cornered presidential contest
within the memory of present voters.
Each ticket is factor In the contest.
as the votes polled for the so called
third ticket may decide the election.
Also Electing a Congress.
Second only to the selection of the
president is the election of a congress.
especially as the result today may
change s.lo political complexion of the
senate, which has been for so many
years Republican. In thirty states leg
islatures will be elected which will
choose senators. In three-Illinois.
Idaho and Colorado-two senators are
to be elected. The Illinois vacancy
was caused by voting Lorimer out of
the senate and the Idaho vacancy by
the death OF Senator Hepburn. The
Colorado vacancy has existed for two
years because the last legislature did
not choose a successor to Senator
Hughes.
The states In which senators are to
be chosen are: Alabama, Arkansas,
Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho,
Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, LOU
isiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississip-
pi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New
Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carroll
ma, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina,
South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, West
Virginia and Wyoming. Maine has
held her election and will elect a Re-
publican In place of Gardner, Demo-
crat. In many OF the states the pri-
mary elections have already settled
the senatorship
The new house of representatives
to be elected will be composed of 435
members, the largest ever known. or
these two in Vermont and four in
Maine have already been elected.
Many Governors to Be Elected.
Were 1t not for the overshadowing
interest in the presidential contest
the country would be considering the
state elections where many governors
are being chosen. The states electing
governors today are Colorado, Con-
necticut, Delaware, Florida, Idaho, I!li-
nois, Indiana, Iowa. Kansas, Massachu-
setts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri,
Montana. Nebraska, New Hampshire,
New York, North Carolina, North Da-
kota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Wash
ington, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
In many Of these states the contests
have been spirited and interesting be-
cause of local conditions. This is es-
pecially true In New York, where
there are three tickets in the field and
each claiming success.
All Eyes on the Presidency.
But no matter what other contests
there may be it is the presidential
election which attracts attention and
brings out the largest vote. The peo-
pie may be apathetic In other years
even when they should be Interested,
but the choice of chief magistrate
never fails to arouse the voters. Near
" everybody is interested In the great
Quadrennial event.
Every presidential election has it's
particular feature of interest which
makes it different from all others that
have gone before, although we are
bound to acknowledge that for years
past there has been considerable repe.
tition so far as results are concerned
But this year we have something diff
ferent, something that has not oc-
Cured before, and consequently all
eyes will be turned on the returns
which relate to the presidency.
Taft-Roosevelt Tussie.
The fact that two men who have
been elected as Republicans to the
presidency are contending for the elec-
tion today, were contending for the
Republican nomination In June and
may defeat each other for the big
prize. is enough in itself to make the
day which ends the contest remark
able. Roosevelt was president He
chose Taft az his successor. nominate
ID and elected him, Taft was Rooee.