The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-08-29
THE CHANCES OF THE PEOPLES
PARTY.

General Weaver announced at st. Louis
that Colorado. Nevada. California, Ore
gon, Washington, Montana, Idaho and
Wyoming will go for the Peoples party
nominees. and Senator PETER in addition
to these states expects his party to carry
Nebraska. Kansas. both Dakotas. both
Carolinas, Georgia, Alabama and Missis-
sippi, to come near carrying Texas, be-
sides polling a very large vote in Arkan-
sas. Missouri, Iowa. Minnesota and Wis
consin. These same wild predictions of
success were made by the Greenback party
under Weaver in 1880 When the Novem-
Der election was over it was found that
Weaver had poiled just BOG, 2l9 votes out
of total Of 9, 193, 906. He polled in round
numbers 26 600 out of $4,000 in Illinois,
14,0oO out of Al 600 in Indiana, $1,000 out
of 323, 900 in Iowa, 10000 out of 200, 900 in
Kansas, 5000 out of $4,000 IN Michigan,
SO, 600 out of 10000 in Minnesota. 5000
out of $4,000 in Missouri. 5000 out Of
267, 900 in Wisconsin, 6, 500 out of 100 in
Ohio. 10000 out of $4,000 in Pennsyl-
ginia. IL, 500 in New York out of /, lO4. $50,
1900 out of 5000 in New Jersey, 1,2l2
out Of 1900 in Vermont. 52S out of sc, 600
in New Hampshire, 1900 out of LA, 900 in
Maine. $500 out of $4,000 in Massa-
chusetts.
Allowing for the increase Of population
since 1880. General Weaver will probably
poll about a million of votes. HIS strength
in 1880 was found chiefly in the states
west Of the Mississippi. His vote in New
England, in the great states of New York,
Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois
that at the North he will, allowing for the
increase in population, poll any larger
vote east of the Mississippi than in 1880;
he is more likely to show decreased
rather than an increased poll in the North
ern states east of the Mississippi. West
of the Mississippi he is not likely to in
crease his vote in Iowa. He will doubt
less considerably increase his vote in Colo
RADIO, Washington and Oregon at the
North and in the Southern states. The
pressure brought to bear by the straight
Democracy to carry the whole South for
Cleveland will doubtless greatly reduce
the strength Of the Peoples party before
November, so that there is no reasonable
prospect that Weaver will carry a single
state; great many Of his supporters will
become satisfied of this between now and
November, and will return to their old
political camps.
The average voter is not q rainbow
chaser" he does not like to vote In the
air. and Weaver will lose strength steadily
after the campaign fairly opens. The able
speakers Of both the great parties will
sharply dlssect the platform of his party,
and this discussion will be more than it
can bear. Governor Mckinley, of Ohio,
on his return from his trip to Ne
braska, reports the crops good. the
farmers happy and contented and the Re-
publicans sure to carry the state over the
fusion ticket; Kansas makes returns to
the department of agriculture from 20 of
her log counties that show an average Of
10 per cent. of full corn crop throughout
the state. In some counties the yield will
he the largest for years. As to the wheat
yield, it is larger than ever before in the
state. The same is true of the Dakotas,
where last year thousands of acres were
unharvested because seasonable and ade-
quate help could not be secured. This year
the farmers are not able to secure enough
laborers at from 81 to $3.50 per day. The
estimated wheat yield of South Dakota is
$1,000, 900 bushels. With good crops, good
wages and contented farmers the Peoples
party cannot possibly increase its vote to
any great extent at the North. At the
South the Peoples party has a far
better chance to increase its vote
than at the North, because times are
really hard at the South owing TO over
production of cotton for three years past
and the consequent drop in prices, but the
pressure to carry the South for Cleveland
will be too strong to leave Weaver any
chance to carry a Southern state. The
only result of Weaver's candidacy in
North Carolina. Virginia and West Vir-
gnia will be to increase the chances Of the
Republicans to carry these states.
HcAS 40 A&p iAOtSSA1ihy thc CtcStIOA
will be thrown into the House In the
only election thrown into the House
under our present mode, that of 1924, there
were four candidates, the lowest of whom
got one-seventh Of the electoral college, In
this election OF 1924 Clay received thirty
seven votes to ninety-nine for Andrew
Jackson; eighty-fonr for Adams and
forty-one for Crawford. Clay, as the
fourth candidate, was excluded from
the choice and threw his in
fiuence Tor Adams. even as Hamilton
did in lS00 for Jefferson. In event of the
election being thrown into the House this
year Cleveland would be sure OF the cleo
ton, for the Democrats have a clear ma
joriiy of the states, and this fact makes
the candidacy of Weaver very weak to a
practical minded voter. At best Weaver
can not hope 20 DO more than carry states
enough 10 throw the election into the
House aud elect Cleveland. The simplest
way 10 do this would be for the People'
party 10 vote for Cleveland electors at the
polls.
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