The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1915-07-28
PREDICTIONS ON
1916 ELECTION
Republican and Democratic
National Committeeman
Talk of Political
Outlook.
BOTH ARE CONFIDENT
HilIes Says Country Wants Change,
While McCombs Says Every
body Is Perfectly
Satisfied.
by Lowell Mellett, United Press
Staff Correspondent

I[By Lowell Mellett, United Press
| Staff Correspondents
i NEW YORK, July 2S.-William F.
McCombs, chairman of the democratic
national committee, and Chas. D. Hill
les, chairman of the republican ma
tional committee, made their first Off
cial predictions on the 1916 election
today. They did not issue statements
be it understood; they suffered them.
selves to be asked by the United
Press what they thought Of prospects
and they give their hopeful opinions.
| It wasn't much like the year pre-
ceding the campaign Of four years
ago; in fact, each Of the chairmen
was rather startled by the sight Of a
reporter. However, recovering, they
said:
Hilles-"We have every expectation
of winning. The country Is dissatis-
fed with the democratic administra-
ton, getting more SO every day and
is ready to return to the republican
party. Every report I get from all
parts Of the country indicates this. So
does every election that's held"
McCombs-"Unless there is some
decided change In the situation it will
not be necessary for either party to
establish headquarters next year. The
result is a foregone conclusion, as
| things stand now. The democratic
party is enjoying an unexampled pre-
eminence that is not likely to be lost
for many years."
Apparently politics has reached an
"impasse" like that Of the war cam
paign on the German-French border.
Both chairmen admitted their conf
dence rested on their having united
party next year. Hilles expects Roose-
Welt to be regular next year, but
doesn't know, he said McCombs has
MT any doubt that Bryan will be regu-
lar-but said he doesn't know.
"The fight will be made on domes-
tic questions" said Hilles. 1.-THE
whole country Is standing behind the
president on foreign questions. No
fault can be found with the manner
in which all our public men have lined
up in his support"
There are no domestic Issues
that the people will listen to-lossible
for the republicans to raise" said Nc
Combs. CAS- for disregarding foreign
questions, a thing the people are
thinking about all the time, cannot be
disregarded. The chief foreign ques-
ton referred to. OF course. is the man.
ner in which President Wilson has
handled the situation brought about
by the European war. AS for domes-
tic issues, perhaps the tariff is meant.
Well, If Congressman Dngley was
called back from the grave, he could
MT write a tariff schedule protective
enough to make a particle Of differ
ence in American business affairs
Filed away in his business Office,
Chairman Hilles has stacks of figures
held since the last presidential cleo
ton. They show, he says, that the
country is swinging back to it's an
cient republican majority. Every nor
mally republican state will be repub-
lican next fall. he declared, and he
named Maine. New York New Jersey,
West Virginia, Ohio. Indiana, Ne
braska and Nevada as stray sheep he
expects back in the fold. He confess
ed to considerable satisfaction in the
figures that have been filed away on
the city of ST. Louis since the cleo
ton of 1912 when the democratic ma
icrity was 10000, until the election Of
this summer when the republican ma
jority was 10000 The significant
thing, he said, is the steady gains
through three elections in st. Louis
not the last majority. Republicans hope