Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1918-07-12
SITUATION IS PUZzLING
Forecasts Up In the Air I'm
til Smoke Blows Away
After Primary Battle.

ing Un6 TWO pdrGl0S UIllS Tall are SO
different from what have existed here
tofore that little can be said in the
way of forecasting the distribution of
the vote. In recent presidential years
Democrats have been given the ad-
vantage by the national ticket. In
fact it appears that national Democ-
rscy has grown steadily ever since the
disastrous defeat in the Parker cam
paign of 1904.
Republican majorities during this
period were as follows: Roosevelt,
1904, 156, ITO; Taft, 1908, 81, 0S5; Roose-
velt and Taft combined, 1912, So, 814;
Hughes, 1916, %, 49, In addition to
these is the Lenroot- Davies contest of
1918, also fought out on national is
sues, in which Mr.. Lenroot's MAORI
ty was $1,000 These figures Indicate
that the Republican majority has
been steadily tapering down through
a decade.
This is not national year, however,
and in the state campaign the figures
have shown greater variation and,
due to local conflicts, Democrats have
not gained ground on state issues as
they have nationally. The majority
on governor during the same period
follows: LaFollette, 1904, 50,952; Dav-
idson, 1905, 80,412; Davidson, 1908,
76, 986; McGovern, 1910, 81, 113; Mccoy
ern, 1912, 12,O19; Philip, 1914, q, 1858;
Phillip, 1916, 1928. These figures
!show that the Republicans generally
held their ground, except in 1912.
when John F. Karel, running on the
ticket with Mr.. Wilson. with the
Roosevelt-Ta split in the national
field, cut down the Republican major
ity materially. Mr.. Philipp restored
lit to some extent the following year,
and, in 1916, when the German coun-
ties broke away from the Democratic
party, the Republican state majority
was back to normal.
The Lenroot- Davies election last
spring, on national issues, but with
stat6 leaders exceedingly active,
showed that the two old parties suf-
fered in nearly equal proportion from
the Socialistic detection in German
territory, and that if either party
Jared the worse it was the Republi-
can. Mr.. Lenroot polled 55,839 votes
fewer than did Mr.. Hughes in the
last national campaign, while Mr..
Davies polled AZ, 440 fewer than did
Mr.. Wilson, In round numbers the
Republicans lost Ia, 900 more votes to
the Socialists than did the Democrats.
These figures do not tell all the story,
however, for in many Republican
counties Mr.. Davies appears to have
gained Republican votes, and in this
way to have Offset any Democratic loss
elsewhere to the Socialists. The vote
last spring Appropriated presiden-
tial vote totalling 423, 1893 for the three
candidates, as against AT, 134 for the
presidential candidates in the last
election.
In the forthcoming primary, fore
casters agree that the Republican
vote will far exceed that of the Dem
ocrats The Democratic primary vote
will in all probability fall below
$4,000, and the remainder of the vot-
-ers will be found sharing in three
cornered fight of the Republicans for
governor and in the congressional
fights. It is the usual thing for
Democrats in the strong Republican
counties TO vote in the Republican
primary as the method by which they
may have voice in the selection of
county officers, This year the Repub-
lican primary vote is likely to be
-swelled by participation of some
10000 to $4,000 German Democrats
who are evening up scores with their
own party by quitting its standard on
the war issue.
1t was these Democrats, as we'll as
the German anti-war Republicans,
10000 in number, who voted for Ber-
ger last spring. With the exception
of few who are regularly identified
with the Socialist movement, they
will be free to enter the Republican
primary in September, and their num-
bers make them formidable factor.
If the men they prefer are nominated
they may be expected to support the
ticket through the election. Other
wise, many may again support Social
iSJ candidates.
The trend to the Republican pri-
mary in the fall is partially due to
the county fights, particularly con-
tests for sheriff In all but about a
dozen counties, the Republican nom
ination is virtually equivalent to cleo
tion. This is so well understood that
instances are fairly common where
Democrats who aspire to county
office have filed their papers on the
Ranuhlican ticket and in fow