Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-09-02
EVENING Chat

Study of the votes cast at the last
three gubernatorial elections affords
some interesting information for
people who find time between reading
war news to discuss politics In these
days of getting assessed and regis
tered for the coming struggle at the
polls. The average man does not
know that the total of the votes cast
at the gubernatorial elections has been
| declining and that the votes at tho
primary elections have been falling off
as more and more restrictions are
placed upon the right to vote. In fact,
| II figures are studied 1t will be found
| that the male population has been in
creasing, but that the vote has been
decreasing, and that, too, in the face
| of decline in the number of for
eigners imported into Pennsylvania.
Twelve years ago there were 1,094.771
votes cast in the election which placed
Samuel w. Pennypacker In the guber-
material chair. Four years later there
| were cast 1.006,577 and, too, in a
| Campaign in which Stuart and Emery
contested with the best organizations
known in years to get out the votes.
| Some of the rural counties where per-
sonal registration was not required
1910, when the greatest struggle in
many years occurred over the gov
/ ernorship, the total vote cast was
99S, ,44S. At the recent primary,
which was preceded by the longest
primary campaign known In gen.
| Grafton. the number of votes cast was
away below what everyone expected
| after all the strenuous efforts put forth
by the various parties combined with
| the general political excitement left
| over from 1912 and kept alive during
| last year by local contests and the
| ambitions of various men. The total
of the primary vote was 5S3,S06. OF
| this number the Republicans polled
S20,097 and the Democrats 200,S54
| the Washington party running a bad
third with but 4S.3S6. Other candi-
dates got 14,469. No party came near
getting anything like the vote it ex-
pected. The Republicans got over
10000 more than the Democrats and
Washingtonians combined and $4,000
more than all the other parties COM
bined. 1t will be interesting to see il
the vote in November goes over the
million mark.
In view of this decline in the vote
at the State elections it Is doubly in
teresting to note the way the vote al
presidential elections has f1uctuated
For instance, in 1895, memorable as
the first Bryan campaign, the total
vote cast was 1,194.355, Bryan get
ting $4,000 votes. In 1900 the total
of the vote was 1.173,210; in 1904 II
was 1,23S,7SS; in 1908, 1,267,450. and
in 1912. 1.217,736. Last time Bryan
ran he got 44S,7S2, while Wilson got
395.637 in 1912.
The vote on the proposed consti-
tutional amendments has never ranged
anything like the vote on the head OF
a ticket, the 1909 vote being marked
by big slump as compared with the
head of the ticket and by a pro-
nounced difference between the vote
on the first amendment and that on
the last.
w. C. Fownes. the Pittsburgh golfer
who has been winning championships
this week, is a nephew of w. c.
Fownes. of Pittsburgh. who is fire.
quent visitor to this city. Mr. Fownes
is a member of the Country Club of
Harrisburg and has played in many
matches here. His nephew has also
visited here.
THE national governments plan for
the protection of the wild ducks is in
teresting to many of us sportsmen,
said hunter yesterday. 1T shows
how scientists and not sportsmen can
work out things. The Pennsylvania
law for reedbirds, for instance, is a
good example We used to have three
weeks of hunting for reedies and
then they went South. The govern
ment has kindly allowed us eight
weeks, or five weeks more than the
season when birds are in the state. As
for ducks, they have extended the sea-
son until the middle of January, when
our streams are frozen. AS a matter
of fact, the duck season now is con-
fined to q few weeks in the fall, but
the government officially extends it to
midwinter, and then cuts out the
spring shooting entirely"
This mornings market was a
peach" market. The markethouses
were filled with baskets of the luscious
fruit and the predictions made last
spring that this would be a phe
nomenal year for peaches are more
than justified. The sales to-day were
brisk and people went home laden
with baskets of splendid fruit, and II
was evident that good many people
were going to take the advice OF
Dr. Surface and put up" fruit fol
use this winter when Europe will be
after American fruit and prices will be
going UP.
DR.. Martin G. Brumbaugh is a de-
voted disciple of Isaak Walton and
spends an occasional day or two every
Spring among the hills of his beloved
Juniata Valley.
A friend asked the little Porto
Rican who was brought from the
island by Dr. Brumbaugh and given
an education by him whether the
Doctor was popular in Porto Rico
His eyes frightened with enthusiasm
as he replied that he was the most
popular man on the whole island;
that not only streets and highways
but school buildings have been named
In his honor Those who meet DR.
Brumbaugh at Williams Grove to-mor-
| row will understand his great per-
sonal popularity.
R------------- -. -