The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-11-02
THE NEWS FROM OHIO
Rather Difficult to Make an lntelli-
gent Estimate Of the Elec-
tons Result.

gent Estimate of the Elec-
tons Result
Republican Efforts to Defeat Camp
bell Confined to the Four
Large Cities.
try vote-Foster Prepared for an
Earthquake.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 1.-The Icy from
Ohio ia very entertaining, although, i
must be admitted, rather complicated. A.
this time it would be rather difficult IL
make an honest and intelligent estimate Of
the result Of the pending election. There
ia no doubt, however. as far IA can be heard
here through the best political channels,
that the republican chances Of success are
BY no means as bright as they wers at the
beginning OF the campaign. Campbslps
friends are very hopeful of success. Nc
kinley's friends, while Dragging still. are
by no means as cheerful as they were a
couple of weeks ago. The effort Of the
democratic managers in turning the chief
issue OF the campaign from the coinage
and currency to tariff and taxation had a
very happy etfeot upon the canvass.
A letter was received here to-day from
Secretary of the Treasury Foster. in which
he said that he hoped that Mckinley and
Sherman would pull through, but that he
was prepared for an earthquake. This was
suggestive, to say the least. Foster has
been in Ohio now for about ten days look
ing after the job side of the canvass and
handling the money. The fact that he is
afraid of a democratic victory ought to be
is not in the habit Of giving such things
away in advance unless he feels sure that
explanations may be necessary later on.
All political observers: in Ohio in commu-
n~icating with their friends in Washington
declare that Campbell n the democratic
ticket generally will receive an enornou
vote from the farming element, and that
the only hope of defeating Campbell is in
the big cities of Cincinnati, Cleveland, CO.
lumbus and Toledo. Foster is at present
engaged in massing blocks of five in these
big owns. The republican bosses have
concluded that it is rather a difficult Job to
buy the farmers by wholesale, or even to
hold the farmers who we're originally re-
publicans in line on the tariff issue. The
hope of the democrats seems to be a big
vote in the country. and the hope of the re-
publicans seems to be a big vote In the
cities. At this time it looks very much as
if Campbell and the democratic ticket gen.
orally stood the best chance of election.
Mai. John Carson, the able n far
sighted Washington correspondent OF the
Philadelphia Ledger. has been in Ohio for
the past few weeks, helping his friend Mo
Kinley. Mai. Carson, in addition to hls
journalistic duties, was clerk OF the WAYS
and means committee of the last house, and
was consequently very close to Mckinley,
who was chairman of the committee. Car
son, however, Notwithstanding his present
friendship for Mckinley, his fealty as a re-
publican and his desire for democratic de-
feat, feels bound, in his journalistic ca
pacity, to tell things as he sees them. Mai.
Carson has a very interesting letter In the
Philadelphia Ledger of this morning, dated
at Cleveland. 1t is evident that. while
Carson is trying to make as good a case as
possible for the republicans. he is some
what in doubt in his own mind, for he says:
I'm previous dispatches the situation of
the legislative contest was explained and
tho close districts pointed out. The repub-
sixty-fve of the 107 members of the house
and nineteen of the thirty-one senators.
The democrats claim that they will elect
seventeen senators, which would give them
control Of that body, and that their pros
poets are good for securing a majority of
the lower house. The elements OF uncer-
tainty are 80 numerous and positive that no
man can correctly estimate the result of the
voting on the legislative ticket. On the
vote of last year the republicans would
secure the number claimed, but in this
claim are several districts in which a frac-
tion of 100 votes would give pluralities to
the other side, and in ONE of these there is
cratic chances. This county, C~uyahoRa,
elects three senators and eight representa-
tives. The republicans claim them all.
while the democrats claim they will elect
one senator and three representatives.
There are SOM weak men on the republican
and some strong men on the democratic
ticket.
Then Major Carson goes on to tell a very
able story Of the campaign, in the mean-
time explaining some of the prejudices
against Mckinley in a very candid and
straightforward manner. He shows up the
workings Of the Mckinley bill and the re-
duction of wages Of laborers engaged in
industries highly protected by Mckinley in
an inimltable way. In order to appreciate
what follows the reader onght to UNDER
stand that Major Carson ia himself a high
tariff man. Yet in his candid statement of
affairs in Ohio he submits this evidence of
the travail of the laborers of Ohio:
SIN Summit county, which adjoins Cuya-
hoga on the south, there is much dissatis-
faction among the ~workingmen, growing
out of a reduction Of wages in some of the
large industrial establishments at Akron.
There is a large oatmeal mill at Akron,
manufacturers of oatmeal throughout the
country assembled and formed u trust to
regulate the price Of their product. The
new tariff act increased the duty OF oat-
meal from one-half cent per pound to one
cent per pound, an increase of 100 per cent.
Immediately following the formation
of the trust the Akron mill managers
made n reduction in the wages of their en-
ployes. There is also at Akron an estah-
lishment for tho manufacture OF agricultu-
raj Implements, in which ex-Congressman
Conger, who ia q member of the republican
national committee, is largely interested.
That establishment also recently cut down
wages. In consequence of these reductions
of wages there is a great outcry among
those Immediately affected, and considera-
BILE Indignation is expressed by republicans
generally. Summit county is republican by
about 800 in a total vote of about 10000.
The men who are suffering from q cut in
wages are disposed to condemn the tariff
act as the instrument which brought about
their loss. Similar products of these Akron
mills, when imported, must pay Increased
duties under that act, yet wages at Akron
are cut. Increased duties and decreased
wages ann be reconciled by these makers
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