Volume 17 , Issue 45

1912 - Herald Says Wilson Leads

Here is another news article, dated 23 October 1912, Wednesday, page 1, from The Dispatch, Lexington, North Carolina, concerning "Herald Says Wilson Leads."

Found on Newspapers.com

Wilson was in the lead. Roosevelt was second, and Taft was third, but making gains in many parts of the country.

This was the report of the New York Herald, gathered from more than 200,000 test votes and scored s of special correspondents stationed in every part of the county. For many years the Herald had been predicting the result of presidential elections and it had never missed.

From what could be learned back then, the attempted assassination of Mr. Roosevelt would not greatly strengthen him. Indications were that there would be an additional sympathetic or sentimental vote for him in many sections, but no sufficient to be of material aid. One result, which was highly important from the Roosevelt point of view, was that the attack upon him had braced up wavering "Bull-Moosers," as they termed themselves, and they were backing the nominee, Mr. Roosevelt, with new enthusiasm.

Just how extensive the sympathetic vote would be it is impossible to tell. The managers of the Roosevelt campaign did not believe it would greatly help them.

Interesting changes in the situation were shown by the figures. Since the tables were published the last Sunday more than 50,000 new votes had been incorporated in the computations, making a grand total of 205,332 ballots thus far cast. They represented every class of voter invert part of the country. Of this number President Taft had received 45,501, Mr. Roosevelt 60,295, Governor Wilson 86,421, and Mr. Debs 12,115.

Back then they were reporting the law of percentage based on this vote showed that the president on the first compilation received 19 per cent of the total vote, on the second 21 per cent, on the third 21 and a fraction, and on the fourth, published 23 October 1912, 22 per cent.

Mr. Roosevelt received on the first 28 percent, on the second 3o, on the third 29 and on the fourth 28.

Governor Wilson ranged from 44 per cent on the first computation to 42 on the second, 42 and a fraction on the third and 42 and the same fraction of the fourth.

In polls made in 32 states Governor Wilson led in 27. Mr. Roosevelt in 4, and the President in 1 (Wyoming.) The four in which Mr. Roosevelt took the lead were Illinois, Michigan, Idaho and Washington. On the surface it would appear that the margin between the president and the first place was too wide to be overcome. It would appear also that he had considerable distance to go to be assured of second place.

In the first table of percentages he was 9 points behind Mr. Roosevelt. On the second ballot he was still 9 point behind. In the third ballot he was 8 points behind, and in the last ballot thus far taken he was 6 points behind.
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