Evening star., 1916-11-01
ILLINOIS CLASSED
ASP|V0TkL STATE
Claim Of 125yO00 Majority for
Wilson Secuted by the
Republicans.
REVIEW OF OTHER STATES

Special Dispatch to The Star.
| CHICAGO. November 1.-Something
has happened to turn the political
| world inside out or upside down when
In presidential year Indiana is count
ed as certain for the republicans and
Illinois is counted as doubtful.
This Prairie state normally is good
Tor 100000 majority for a republican
presidential candidate OF course, 1912
does not count because the conditions
were extraordinary. or, as the poll
ticians might say, cantankerous. Yet
here we are in 1915. in the last few
days of presidential race, with no
entries of Importance except those car
rying the democratic and the repub-
lican colors, and neither side knoweth
which contestant is to win in Illinois.
The republican leaders of Illinois
have been told with commendable
franknsss by the leaders Of the east
he is to win the election. So 1t seems
that this year the Prairie state is
pivotal. The dark outlook in Ohio for
national republicanism is accountable
for the placing of Illinois in a posi-
| tion to make 1t point of turning one
way or the other. II Ohio goes demo-
cratic the republican leaders figure
| that they cannot win without Illinois.
Hence this week OF red fire, burning
oratory and hustle and hades from
Lake Michigan to the Ohio river.
Claimed for Wilson by 125,ooo.
The democrats claim Illinois for Will
son by 126,ooo majority. He won't get
1t nor will he get anything like It, AS a
matter of fact, to the observer stand
ing by 1t seems that Mr.. Wilson prob
ably will not get the state at all. The
betting odds are said to be bout two to
one gainst him as far as Illinois is con-
cerned. Nevertheless there are signs
| that possibly he may pull the Illinois
electoral votes out of the republican
pile. The democratic leaders think that
| Wilson will run $4,000 votes ahead of
the state ticket in Illinois.
| There is no question at all about the
comparative weakness of the demo-
cratic state ticket when put alongside
of the national ticket. 1t almost seems
the field of prophecy again If after say
ing Gov. Dunno is domoed to defeat
the governor should pop up victorious
Everybody hereabouts believes that
the governorship. and everybody, of
| course. includes the democrats. The
| women can't vote for governor, but
they can vote for President. Hence one
l
| hence one real reason for the worry of
the republican leaders over their ma
| tional ticket in Illinois.
peace Talk" Sways Women.
| The peace business" made tremen-
dous headway among the women of the
state. 1t has been checked materially
A good many things met together to
bring about a change in the feeling
| concerning the vote of the women of
| this state on the presidency. One of
the chief things to produce the change
| is the magnificent campaign-no other
word fits-which Harriet E. Vittum.
| social settlement worker of only less
note than Jane Adams. has done
| throughout the state in her attempts to
| make the women accept her viewpoint
Another thing that has contributed to
make people believe that some of the
| Illinois women have changed their
minds about voting for Mr.. Wilson on
| the kept us out of war plea is the
| recent visit of Theodore Roosevelt to
| this city and the screaming welcome,
screaming is the word with which the
and under the roofs. and the acclaim
with which they hailed his words con-
cerning peace at any price"
Since the republicans began preach
| ter to the women Of the state and since
the Roosevelt visit there has been a
| marked revival of hope In the republi-
can camp, and a corresponding droop
| in the ranks of the democratic camp.
Straw votes among nearly all the wom-
ems clubs of Illinois show Hughes far
in the lead. These votes have just
been taken The republican woman
did not dare to take them three weeks
ago. 1t should be remembered, of course,
| that all the women of Illinois do not
belong to clubs.
Congressional Situation.
When one asks democratic lead
| er concerning the congressional sit
| uation in Illinois he looks somewhat
glum. The democrats are claiming that
they will gain two or three members
| in the House of Representatives. but
| claiming. of course. is part of the game
OF both republican, and democrats in
going to lose at least four congressman
in this state and the republicans are
going to lose none. There does not seem
to be any other way out Of it.
! In a group of prominent republicans
the other night the talk centered on
the possibility of a democratic Presi- |
dent and republican House. Leading
members of the G. o. P. who have come
to Chicago this year to pay visits to
western headquarters have held it a
certainty that the House is to be repub
| lican. In the group which was talking
about the matter there was not to be
| found one man who at heart really want |
ed a republican House, provided there
| must be democratic President.
| 1t was said by virtually all of those
present that II the republicans con-
| trolled the House and Mr.. Wilson were
In the White House the President
would recommend all kinds of things
seemingly of a progressive and salu-
tary nature, and then. if the repub-
lican majority failed to sanction them, |
Mr.. Wilson would be in a position to
| say to the country, "See what the
wicked republican majority is doing
| to u.s."
Hot Politics in Wisconsin.
Wisconsin Is a neighbor Of Illinois.
1t Is under the national management
of the western republican headquar-
ters. The political fires are burning
hot in the Badger state this week
William E. Borah is up there. and with
him. or following him, are Raymond
Robins and half dozen other repub-
lican oratorical geniuses. La toilette
is concerned chiefly with his own for
tunes. He has ignored Hughes, and so
ic