Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-11-03
The Populists Fighting to Perpetu-
ate Their Control.
WAYE'S STRONG GRIPON THE MACHINE
Business Interests of the State All
Opposed to Him.
THE VOTE OF THE WOMEN
of The Evening Star.

campaign ever known in the history OF
this state is now under full Roadway, and
the contest wakes warmer as the day of
election approaches. Enthusiastic meetings
are being held daily everywhere, and the
two principal parties are using every
method known to politics to assure a fuil
vote on the 9TH of November.
The people have been in a political fer
ment ever since the presidential election
of '92, when, owing to dissatisfaction with
the financial policies of the republican and
democratic parties, they foreswore their
old allegiance, and cast in their fortunes
with the populists Two years of the rule
of that party has left them more at sea
than ever to what permanent policy
they would pursue
All three Of the parties have full tickets
in the field but as the democratic party
failed to- poll 10 per cent of the total vote
cast at the last election, it is scarcely to be
considered serious factor in the contest.
The fight really lies between the republi-
cans and the populists. Both of these par
ties are making eXtravagant claims to
their respective strength, but the truth is
no man can do more than guess at the out
come. The populists are making life-and-
death struggle, apparently with the belief
that their future existence as a political
organization in the state depends upon
the result of this election, and as they have
control of the official patronage it looks on
the surface as If the odds are in their
favor. The governor is a consummate po-
htical wire-puller of peculiar type, and
Whatever else his opponents may think
say, they realize that they have in him an
antagonist of no mean proportions. He is
perfectly frank in letting the public know
exactly where his sympathies lie, and on
more than one occasion has informed them
that he intended to run the state in the
interests of the miners and ether laborng
classes. This of course, has end cared him
to those elements, and, to all appearances,
the country districts and mining towns
are almost solidly populist in sentiment
Many OF these people sincerely believe that
the governor is the greatest man in the
country and support him with zeal that
amounts almost to fanaticism. He is MAX
ing MS campaign and building his hope of
success OH the sympathies of the laboring
classes, and few men know better than he
does how to play upon their prejudices.
The A. y. A. Movement
An element that is working TO the disad-
vantage of the republicans is the religious
antagonism aroused among the Catholics
by the active part the A p. A. is taking in
the campaign. The populists are using that
fact with considerable effect, and it will
probably deprive the republicans of a con-
| siderable portion of the Catholic vote, es-
| sentiment of anarchy of considerable
| Importance has sprung up among tie gov
ernor's followers, though it is of a milder
| type than that with which the police of
| eastern cities are familiar, and he is some
| times referred to by his jealous partisans
as the grand old anarchist The chief ex-
| ponent OF this element is the Rev. Myron
| Reed, who, until quite recently, was pastor
of the First Congregational Church, one of
| the most fashionable places of worship in
| fhn Oft afn ADr Ia L.,
| porter of the governor, and as he is an I'M
| usually bright man and popular ora tor,
and expounds his theories rather plausibly,
his influence will probably count for good
! deal
The republicans lost a valuable man in
| the detection of l. n. Stevens of this city.
| The public will remember him the attor-
| ney for the prosecution in the DIR. Graves
murder case. He was considered one of the
| best organizers in the party. and although
| it had been known for some time that he
| was growing weak in the faith, thus tend
| ing to discount the effect of his transfer to
| the opposition, yet his loss is, nevertheless,
pretty serious blow to the party.
| Opposed to Waitc's Reelection.
| The mine owners and business men of the
| cities and larger towns, especially east of
| the mountains, are strongly opposed to
! Waite's reelection. They claim that he
| has, by Incorporate public utterances and
! injudcious official acts, not only kept out
side capital from being invested I'm the state
| but actually driven out much that had al
ready been placed here. They point to
| his action in sending the state militia to
| Cripple Creek for the purpose of dislodging
| the sheriff's deputies who were sent there
| to protect the property of the mine owners
| from the strikers as an evidence that he
| is in league with the lawless elements of
| the state. They charge him with being
| responsible for q condition bordering on
civil war when the troops were called out
| to 6islodge the fire and police board from
| the city hall of Denver, for the purpose of
| installing the newly appointed board, with
out first appealing to the courts for action
| in regard to the matter, and say that all
| these things were published in :he eastern
papers, thereby giving people abroad the
| impression that the state government could
| not be relied upon to protect property and
| that as a result they have been pressed
| by their creditors and hanpered i'll their
attempts to get money for the purpose OF
| saving or developing their business. In
| support of these charges they have pub
| lished letters and extracts from letters
| from eastern investors, in which the latter
| not only refuse to place more money here,
but express desire to withdraw what they
| have already invested, giving as reason
| that the present admins ration cannot be
relied upon to protect their interests.
| If rent is to be regarded as reliable
| index of the value of property then real
| estate values in the city OF Denver alone
| have shrunk at least 30 per cent within the
past eighteen months. Houses that rented
| at from $50 to $50 per month in the spring
and summer of 1898 may be had now at
| from $l2 to S25, and the owners are glad
| to get tenants at those figures. Furnished
| houses may be rented at lower rates now
| than would have been charged for them
| vacant at that time. This also is charged
| to populist rule, though much of 1T is I'M
doubtedly due to former imitation of values.
| The Woman Vote.
A new element in the present contest with
which the politicians have not had to deal
| before is the woman vote. This will be the
first general election in which the women
| will exercise the full rights Of the elective
franchise. Each party is claiming the
| credit of having bestowed upon the women
the right to VOTE and basing its claim for
| their support on that ground. The repub.-
| cans created considerable bitterness among
| their feminine contingent by refusing to
| recognize their claims for representation on
| the party executive committees, but have
| smoothed that over to a considerable eX-
| tent by granting their demand in part,
| and nominating woman for superintend-
| ent of public instruction of the state and
| several for representatives. They are also
appealing to the women to support the
| republican ticket on the ground that If
| the populists are successful 1t will be taken
| in other states an indication that women
| cannot safely be intrusted with the ballot.