Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-10-19
WILSON AND THE MAGIC
WORD WEST"

LIVERY campaign produces It's share
~ OF magic. The magic words The
West" Just now constitute the fetish
20 which Democratic sleight-ofhand
artists bow the knee. These prestidiga-
tators would have us think Of the West as
the pot OF gold at the end OF the rainbow
IN which win be found all the electoral
votes the other side OF the Alleghenies
labeled Wilson"
Divide the country into three parts.
Give Mr.. Hughes the Northeast. about
140 electoral votes. Mr.. Wilson the
Solid South and all it's trimmings. about
40. Then turn 20 the West. Give Mr.
Wilson all the little states-little In pop
ulation though impressive on the map
about forty That gives him 2i0 This
generous helping. by the way. hands him
Utah. which the Democrats concede, and
several others which are certainly Re
publican: but figures are so tricky that
Il Is better TO deal with them wholesale
than retail. Let them go in bunch to
balance New York. For TO say. as Is being
said. "The East may be for Hughes. but
the West Is for Wilson" Is to concede
New York. Mr.. Hughes's home State, or
else Il Is 20 concede nothing.
SO we have narrowed the magic
West" to it's nine large and two medium
sized States. The only way TO get
line" on them is TO estimate the possible
turnover OF Progressive votes to Wilson.
and TO consider the best Democratic but
conservative reports. Polls and other
surface indications Indicate a possible
twenty per cent Wilson gain from the
Progressives. Certainly thirty or forty
per cent Is more than the most optimistic
Democrat could dream of. II Wilson gets
thirty per cent OF the Roosevelt vote In
Illinois he stIll will fail to carry the
State which has been solidly anthem
ocratlc since the Civil War, excepting
the landslide OF 1892. In Michigan Will
son would have TO get more than fifty
per cent of the Roosevelt vote. for he
fell behind both his opponents In 1912
there. Iowa and Kansas are immovably
fixed for Republicanism, according to the
proWilson but always fair New York
Evening Post. Its correspondent speaks
OF "the Republican habit" Minnesota
ton in the forty per cent category. Thus
| far. in the meaty section OF the Western
vote the count IL eighty-four for Hughes,
with seventy-three left to account for.
Nebraska is In the balance, perhaps will
! be Democratic. Wisconsin seems safely
| Republican.
There remain California, Ohio and In
diana. The figures in the first appar
| emily favor the Democrats overwhelm
ingly They were: Wilson. 2s3, ,436; Roose
welt, 2SS.6l0: Taft, S914. on this basis
| only a handful OF Progressives would
have TO vote for Wilson to give him Cal
| ifornla. But Progressive" in California
means Hiram Johnson and that fighting
| Governor is running for the Senate and
| supporting Hughes. His election is con
ceded by such large majority that II
/ is hardly conceivable that the State vii
not swing back to its old Republican al
legiance. Indiana is always classed al
doubtful. though 1t has not given a Dem
ocratic majority since 1892.
Granting the Democrats the rosiest
view of 1t they desire, they yet must SEE
"solid West" fall 10 pieces on analysis
| There Is not the slightest indication ina
thirty or forty per cent Of the Roosevelt
vote will go to Wilson. If ten per cen
of it does It viii be remarkable enough
In view OF the stand OF the former Pro
gresslve leaders. Still the Democrat
cling TO the notion that Ohio will COM
over to them. They concede the probabl
election of the Republican State ticket
The State has been Republican for fift.
years. II would take more than fifteel
per cent gain from the Roosevelt vote Z
give Wilson the State. The struggle 1
close. But II is not so close as II scenes
at this time in the Bryan-McIlinley can
paign OF 1896. In October then Obi
seemed sure for Bryan.
But even the vote OF Ohio, Indiana an
Nebraska, added TO the 2io possible VIII
son votes. would not elect him.
|