Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-10-24
THEY ARE LOSING GROUND
Have Cried Calamity, but Now Can't
Prove It-A Lively Fight All
Over the State.
Of The Evening Star.


The democrats are putting on an extra
head Of steam for the closing days OF the
campaign, and the fight they will set up
would be creditable in a presidential year.
The republicans fired their big gun when
Mckinley made his sky-rocket tour through
the state but the democrats have a lot Of
big guns to fire early after McKmiey's
echoes die away. Assistant Secretary Of
State Edwin r. Uhl arrived In Michigan
Saturday, and addressed a big meeting in
Detroit that night, and is down for fifteen
speeches in the state before the campaign
ends, closing in this city the night before
election. Congressman Asher G. Caruth
of Kentucky is helping the Michigan
democrats to the extent of dozen
speeches. Ex-Governor James e. Camp
bell of Ohio Is booked for three speeches
the last week of the campaign, speaking
In this city, Saginaw and Bay City. Vice
President Stevenson will give Michigan one
day, speaking the afternoon of Octo-
Der - at Jackson, and in Detroit in
the evening. Gen. y. f. Cary. a favorite in
the state in the old greenback days. has
been laboring a month already, and Is
booked up to election day. Judge Allen B.
Morse, consul at Glasgow, has come home
to help the campaign, and William. Z.
Quinby, minister at The Hague, Is also at
home. but will lend his moral influence to
the cause rather than preach democracy.
In addition to these shining lights from
abroad, Spencer o. Fisher, the gubernatorial
candidate. Is putting up a very hot fight.
Last week he made tour through the
upper peninsula, and this week Is can
vassing western Michigan. The only other
nominee on the state ticket who is doing
anything is James O'Hara, the candidate
for attorney general. The candidates for
Congress are all on the stump, and they
are being aided by swarm of local orators.
A careful and impartial review of the
situation indicates that the republicans
are losing ground as election day draws
near With the widespread dissatisfaction
and disaffection in democratics ranks. due
almost entirely to the operations of the
referee system, there is little question but
that the republicans will sweep the state
as they have not done before since those
days when to be a democrat was looked
urcn almost as something criminal.
still Losing Ground.
But it is easy to see that they are losing
ground, and losing rapidly. Last summer
when the lines were laid for the campaign
the times were still hard, business was
dead, and factories and work shops were
idle or running short-handed and short time.
1t was decided to make the hard times the
leading issue of the campaign, laying all
the blame Of the manifold disasters Of the
country at the doors of the democracy. 1t
was in other words, to be a calamity cam
paign, and though little late for the open
'o6. was depended upon to strike the key
note. He did, and the key was pitched in
most lugubrious tone. But since the
plans of the campaign were laid there has
been wonderful change In the business
and industrial situation, and this change
has taken a wonderful lot of wind out of
the republican sails. 1t is hard to con-
vince the people that the country is going
to eternal smash when the factories are
running nights to keep up with orders, and
that Is the handicap the most eloquent of
the republican orators have been laboring
Under 1t Is needless to say that the demo-
c1ats do not modestly refrain from pointing
to the revival of business as one of the d.
rect results OF the Wilson bill.
The republicans are also losing ground
among the farmers. 1t is true that wheat
and wool are down, but the farmers are
well OF this year. having had large fruit
and vegetable crops and good prices, and
the democrats are making them believe
mat the low prices Of everything they buy
at the store are due directly to reductions in
the tariff. In addition to this the farmers
are, as rule. In favor of free silver Gov.
Rlch mas no Views on the financial ques-
tion and the republican platform is nom
committal, while Mr.. Fisher is in all his
speeches advocating free silver, and at the
same time is attacking Gov Rich's admin
istration. Early in the season the pros
poets were that the democrats would be on
the defensive throughout. but the situation
has so changed that they are now making
the fight aggressive while the republicans
are on the defensive. Were the democrats
united as they were two years ago they
would stand a very good chance OF carrying
the state.
The candidacy Of s. s. Olds for the short
term senatorship has at last been announc-
ed, but not until the time limit for making
nominations had expired Mr. Odds has
been 1aboring all summer for Senator Nc
Millan's reelection. and under his direction
most of the states have been arranged and
tickets put up. If he were not tolerably
certain Of how enough legislators to elect
will vote, II themselves elected, II is safe to
say Mr.. Odds would not announce himself
He may be put down as the leading candi-
date for the short term, with Julius Caesar
Burrows second on the list, Jay Hubbell
third, and John Patton is not in it.