The intimate papers of Colonel House arranged as a narrative by Charles Seymour.

THE ELECTION RETURNS

81

on these rocks.' He was not entirely uncritical of the protection provided eminent public servants by the Government.
'November 8: Old Bill arrived [recorded House], and after
talking with him I think it is best for him to return home for
the present. The Wilsons were sorry to see him leave. He
looked over the secret service men to see if he thought them
fit. He told me that they did well enough, but he did not
like their carrying.38's. When he said this to the secret
service men, they did not like it and replied: "A.38 will kill
a man all right." "Yes," said Bill, "if you give him a week
to die in." I find that he has talked much of me and my
political work in Texas to Wilson. The Governor wanted to
know whether I had been successful in all my political campaigns and what kind of men I had chosen.'
VII
The last days of the campaign were not marked by the
customary excitement, for the result of the election had become a foregone conclusion. The contest between Roosevelt
and Taft had split the anti-Wilson vote so effectively that a
Democratic landslide in the electoral college appeared certain.
As election returns came in on November 5, it soon became
clear that Democratic confidence in overwhelming victory
was fully justified. Mr. Taft carried only two states, Roosevelt only 88 electoral votes. It is true that Wilson's popular
vote was less than a majority, but his plurality in the electoral college was the greatest ever received by a presidential
candidate, and he carried with him handsome Democratic
majorities in the Senate and House of Representatives.
'I went to Headquarters [wrote House on the evening of
election day], and saw a few people, but nothing of importance was going on. By half-past six o'clock it was evident