The Washington times., 1912-10-22

Two weeks from To-Day some lo,VV,WV
determined voters--they will be deter
mined. but Heaven knows which way
will descend upon the polling places
vote for President. members of Con-
gress, sundry governors, and lesser
office-seekers, and bring to an end a
hair-raising and unprecedented cam
paign.
It's going to be a stirring finish. de-
spite the wounding OF Colonel Roose-
welt and the consequent withdrawal Of
the big oratorical guns from the cam
paigm stump. With election day but two
weeks distant, the noise Of the second
ary artillery becomes more pronounced
Every campaign. orator of any standing
who Possesses aresenforced throat and
expanding pair OF lungs has been called
into the fray; the dulcet tones Of the
spellbinder and the thunderous clamor-
ings Of the rough h-and-tumble speaker
resound over the political battlefield: :
there are constant charges, retreats.
and counter charges; the campaign pills
OF former days are presented in newly
sugar-coated form, and the landscape
is dotted with aspiring young politicians
who would warn the voter of the NOS
trums" OF the other fellow.
dons lot Of the tsinkas 2,er ans ssem ,,s to 3s be
Ing; He's rather, silent cuss, this
ballot wielder of the year 1912. tThe no.
litical prophets are running around In
circles. and the man who predicts any
thing with certainty is self.pade
blunderer. The more astute write long
pieces concerning the secretiveness OF
the silent voter" and let It 70 at that.
Everybody Is entitled to a guess. and
that's all. -, ~. ~
What the Papers Say. - D..
The average man, anxious to learn
how 1t is destined to end. picks up his
favorite family paper or magazine and
reads something like this:
Your correspondent has spent the
past week reviewing the political situa-
tion in the State OF Coma. At this
writing, conditions are mixed, but the
indications are that Coma, perhaps,
WIN cast Its vote for Grump. However.
there are GS,0oo silent voters In this
state. and they have refused to confide
in the writer. II this unknown duan-
tity should vote for Crimp he will dis
tanoe- both Grump and Stump. Q.
"On the other hand, stump Is by no
means out Of the race here. senator.
PHI has Just flopped to stump, and the
influence Of the Senator in the State
of Coma is not to be scorned. II Sena-
tor, PHI holds fast hts following the
may be changed over night, and its
electoral vote may be cast for stump.
Nevertheless, the supporters Of
Crimp are Tightening their lines and
Ing the past week upon both the Grump
and stump camps. Increased activity
is noticed about the political headquar-
ters of all the candidates, and II Is evi-
dent that the stubborn fight will con-
tinue until the hour the polls open.
y = One or the, Other. : =
"Fhis much is certain: - II the State
is not carried by Grump. 1t will TN
doubtedly go either to Crimp or Stump:
The writer found these same conditions
in the States of Whatnot and Damfino.
which he visited last week"
It's as plain as a speck on the nose.
There is no reason why the average
reader should not grasp at once the
true situation, betaking himself imme-
diately to the corner saloon or the bar
ber shop. where he undoubtedly will
find some one who Is willing to bet three
to one that the expected will not hap
pen.
Webster, didn't claim to be a prophet,
but undoubtedly he must shave looked
ahead to the 1912 campaign when he
coined the word '.'if' and gave 1t a
conspicuous place in his leading work.
buTlHs tHt past lew Wtchs IL mas De-
come the steady companion of several
million Americans who insist on talk
ing politics and several thousand would
be prophets who persist In writing
about politics.
7 Getting From Under.
The three-cornered fight has also
dragged from the musty hiding places
other standbys Of the vacillating mind.
"On the other hand" however, COM
ma" assuming that" taking It for
granted" "bei that as 1t may" and
numerous other qualifying phra ses
which the ready copy writer's employ
while playing the role, at so much per,
OF the fortune teller.
Still, everybody will be half way sorry
when It is all over After fourteen more