Evening star., 1896-10-31
All Others Are Rapidly Dwindling
Into Insigni6cance.
FEAR OF THE FREE SILVER MEN
Sound Money Democrats t
Generally Vote for Mckinley.
WATSON'S SMALL FOLLOWING

AS election day approaches one fact is
declared as patent to every one by both
republicans, democrats and populists. All
candidates. except those representing the
main issues of the campaign, are dwindling
into insignlficance.
r.,r ,..> ,Obliterating Party Lines.
The statement of General Palmer In Mis-
souri,. that he would not think hard of
sound moEey democrats who. should vote
for Mckinley and sound money, and of
Tom Watson, who has told his followers
that they could take their choice aud vote
for whoever they want, were discussed to-
day az meaning nothing else tina n a n, l.b-
4rteratfer of all party lines and marshaling
of voters back of Mckinley and Bryan
1t is expected by shrewd politicians who
are watching the campaign in its closir g
days that this feeling will become more
and more pronounced as election day ap-
proaches, and they assert that they would
not be surprised II a formal declaration
should not be made before Tuesday on
behalf OF Palmer and 2uckhef,r tadvisin g
all friends of sound money to come forward
in manly and vigorous way and to cast
their ballots. for the candidates to best as
sure the maintenance of what they regard
as American principles.
Palmer and Buckner's Candidacy.
There Is no question about the way free
silver men regard the candidacy Of Palmer
and Buckner. They would regard as a
serious matter any declaration from these
gentlemen advising in forcible way that
their followers vote for Mckinley. They
claim that such course, IT, adopted would
throw the entire strength Of those candi-
dates for the republicans and they are re-
lying upon the sound money democrats to
practically withdraw from the contest
thousands of sound money voters in doubt
full states and in that way to greatly i'm
thnt,. hn,n
AS election day approaches men are fig
uring on the way in which they can make
their influence felt most, forcibiy, and there
is a feeling that every vote on both sides of
the contest must bs made to do full duty.
The throwing away Of votes on candidates
who cannot be elected is daily becoming
more and more unpopular, and 1t Is doubt
full whether mere sentiment can influence
voters In the casting Of their ballots next
Tuesday. ,.
Some very careful politicians argue that
1t would be a bad move on the part of the
sound money candidates to formally advise
their followers to vote for Mckinley, as 1t
might result In irritating some of them
whose prejudiceS would not allow them to
vote for anybody or anything not marked
democratic but 1t is believed that even
with this class party ties are not now so
strong as they were when the Indianapolis
convention met and named its candidates.
Watson's Following Diminishing.
Well-lnIor1ned pOpullStS assert tnat ION
Watsons following is getting smaller and
smaller daily, and that Watson men who
would have voted for populist elec tors a
few weeks ago will vote for the straight
democratic ticket next Tuesday. They say
that Watson had he showed more streng tn
in his efforts to get recognized, would have
rallied about him the great mass of popu-
list voters. but his utter failure has caused
even his friends to desert him as a leader,
on the ground that he has not shown
enough ability to be worthy Of their sup
port
From all directions come indications
recognized by the politicians as meaning
that on next Tuesday the force of ballots
will be aimed at Mckinley and Hobart.
and Bryan and Sewall, and that side issues
will be forgotten in the desperate struggle
for supremacy.