The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-10-20

Wilson's Chances In
The Doubtful States
wv HlLE +, no democratic tic, 0ptimis st
Wv will claim that Wilson will
have the phenomenal vote in the cleo
toral college as result of the ap-
preaching election that he had four
years ago-435 as against eight for
Taft and SO for Roosevelt, being a
majority of 339-yet the democratic
ticket will probably win with many
votes to spare. And it may be
landslide after all.
Of electoral votes 266 will be need
ed. If Hughes should carry New
York, Maine and two or three of the
small states that Wilson carried in
1912, the democrats would still have
a strong electoral majority.
1t seems that Wilson's recent gains
have been greatest in the west. States
that were not thought of month
ago as being possibly democratic are
now almost sure to go for Wilson. New
York will remain a debatable state
right up to the close of the campaign,
but the drift Wilsonward in western
states, formerly known as republican
strongholds, is sure to have its eff
feet on New York.
Between now and the end of next
week the republican reactionaries may
raise great supplemental slush fund.
But, even if Penrose and Perkins beat
the Mark Hanna record, it is not easy
to see how they can stem the tide.
One of the owls over the main entrance
to The Age-Herald building had it's
head knocked off by the recent earth
quake. AS the quake" came in the aft
ernoon the unfortunate bird may have
been caught mapping.
According to a New Jersey man, his
wife proposed to him every day for IS
years before he agreed to marry her.
StilI in a case like that man can always
go a-soldiering or set out to look for the
north pole.
Mr.. Hughes throat feels the strain of
many speeches and Mr.. wilson's finger is
| lacerated by enthusiastic handshakers.
Running for office in this country sub
jects a candidate to considerable wear
and tear.
. Cleaning up" highly moral town like
Birmingham should be childs play to
a resolute crusader like Billy Sunday,
| who doesn't hesitate to tackle cesspools
Of sin and strongholds of depravity.
| Vernon Castle showed himself an al
| TRUST by inventing new dance step,
| London Taps" and going away to the
| front before he had chance to make
any money out of it.
| y
| Even though a citizen may have but
a hazy idea of nitrates and their uses, he
should nevertheless work for the estab-
lishment of the government nitrate plant
at Muscle Shoals.
All the colored citizens who are jour-
neying north just now are not lured away
by labor agents. Some of them are going
\ to help the republican spellbinders save
the country"
The allies on the western front have
advanced. all told, between eight and ten
miles. At that rate it will be a long
time before the Germans are driven out
of Belgium.
Norway sees no reason why U-boats
should be forbidden e enter Norwegian
waters. Norway resolutely declines tc
wear the sort of spectacles the allies
prescribe.
When the editor of a weekly newspaper
| in Alabama is in need of photographic
material he starts a discussion on the
proper way to spell Muscle Shoals.
There seem to be more warlike rumors
to the square inch along the Maine coast
than anywhere else in the country, not
even excepting the Mexican border
At any rate, the Armenians who have
been massacred are better off than the
Poles who have not wherewith to keer
body and soul together.
| While Japan is reaching out for more
trade, the European powers are looking
around for more cannon fodder and
floating more loans.
X X
However, the "Buy-a Home" move
ment in Birmingham will not reduce the
number of people who are in the mar
ket for motor cars.
King George is seldom photographed
without his cigarette Queen Mary seems
to have been overruled in one partcu-
lar, at any rate.