Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-10-31
RUSH OF INDEPENDENTS
HAS BECOME STAMPEDE
Progrcssives and Republicans in
Middle West Coming Over
to Wilson.
WOMEN ALSO FAVOR HIM
Astonishing Number of Suffrage
Votes VIII &c Cast for Democratic
Party on November 7-Encourag
ing Figures Reported.
Especial to yhc rimcs-Disp;.,ch. ]

Especial to The Times Dispatch
WASHINGTON. October 3O.--With
the announcement last week by Victor
Murdoch. of Kansas. chairman OF the
Progressive partys national commit
tee. of his purpose to work and vote
for the election of President Wilson,
the rush Of Independents and Republic
cans to the Presidents cause became
Il stampede through the Middle West
and Far West
1t Is now assured that President
Wilson will poll In the East more
than % per cent of the Progressive
vote Of 1912. and fully 80 per cent Of
this vote in most of the States OF the
Middle West and Far West.
Hughes has shown a spirit OF
mollycoddlN,g on the big issues" said
Murdoch INA statement published in
his newspaper. the Wichita Eagle
"in the A,st two years especially. Mr.
Wilson seems To have escaped The
shackles Of his Jcftcrsonian traditions
and to be moving definitely and de-
cidedly in the direction OF the Pro-
grcssivc platform of 1919. And If he
Is going in the right direction and
going further and faster than his OPP
ponent. that is the logical reason for
VAST PROGRESSIVE
VOTE; FOR PRESIDENT
Conservative reports received by the
Woodrow Wilson Independent League
show that not only great number
OF Progr.ssivcs will support the Pres
idcnt on November :. but also an as
tonishing number of Republicans Or
great Importance also Is the suffrage
vote. Here President Wilson is sure
to receive the stanchest of support
orc OF the most prominent members
of the Hughes Alliance, Il leader in
the Congressional Union. made the fol-
lowing statement privately this week:
II hate to say it, but know that
President Wilson will receive three
fourths Of the suffrage vote of the
country"
Enrolment of independents and Re-
nublicans in the Woodrow Wilson In
dependent League IN some Of the prln-
cipal States are: Greater New York.
$4,000; New York tup-Statc), 10000:
Illinois. 100000: shington. 10000:
California, 5000; ohio. $1,000: Wis
consin. $4,000; Kansas $4,000: Nebras-
ka. 5000: North Dakota, $4,000. Ore
gon. $1,000.
These are figures furnished to the
New York headquarters of-eAc league
By various state headquarters. They
represent outright cnrollmcnts in the
cnuSe Of Woodrow Wilson Is. Rcpnb-
licaHs, rroEressSvcs and independents
Who do not care TO lie classcd us Demo
crtts. They furnish one OF the sure
indexes OF the tremendous strength OF
the President.
With the women and ProErcssivcs
both in line for the President there
can be no doubt OF California, regard.
less of fake straw votes. such ms arc
being forwarded from Los Angeles to
New York. In Oregon the farm vote
will be east for President Wilson, to.
Scther with ut least 10 per cent OF the
Progressive vote of 1912 In Wash
inGton, besides $4,000 members of the
Woodrow Wilson Independent League
many thousand other pro"rcssives will
support the President. and this State
is safe for Wilson. In North Dakota
the IroEressivcs have lined up almost
solidiy for the President, and ut least
10000 farmers, formerly Republicans.
Will vote for him. Colorado is surely
Democratic.
TWO-TIIIRDS Or WOMEN
WILL VOTE For WILSON
In addition TO the 100. 600 league en-
rol!mcnts I'm Illinois. IL is predicted
that OF the 100000 women who will
vote for President in that state for
the first time, two-thirds will cast
their ballots for the President Within
the last week ten branches of the in
dependent league have been formed i'm
minnesota. whose membership Is I'm
almost every case 10 per cent Rcpub-
lican. In Ohio the Republican State
Committee, while publicly boastinE
that il expects victory. privately
makes the statement that Wilson will
win.
Coming East New York has 100 600
league members nearly all former adj
hercnts Of the Progressive party.
They report everywhere "A strong swing
to Wilson and that tons of thousand,
OF farmer Republicans will vote for
him. In this State. the Socialist vote.
normally, about 10000. will be less
than 10000, the other $4,000 voting for
Wilson.