The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-10-02


this is a year when voters will not
estav bought" and much of the money
roes where it viii do the most good
to the Democrats There are Demo
Gratis i'm New York and elsewhere who
make a business of bleeding Hanna
lust to keep Republicans from getting
Il and for the smartness of the trick
without paners or known leaders,
PbiIadelphia has come to number Its
silver men by the thousands, whereas
a wear ago there was not believed to
he a, handful in both parties in that
CITY. Bryan's visit doubled the mum
her. and it is one of the pecullarltles
of those who become free silver con-
verts that they all become missionaries
and are not satisfied until they nave
converted their friends. A prominent
Democrat. whose name would be read1-
Nv recognized, told me that until the
Chicago convention he had never given
the silver question any attention. 1
had read in my papers, said he, that
IL was a craze that was rapidly dying
out. and didn't think it worth while
to study it. But when that convention
endorsed free coinage, 1T set me TO
thinking. / saw that there must be
something in a question which TOOK
such deep hold on the majority OF my
party. I began to read everything /
could lay my hands on until now
am as dyed in the wool as Bryan OF
Blackburn This was the substance
of the remarks of not a few men of
influence from Baltimore to Bath"
SIN Baltimore / saw Mr.. John tx.
Norris. the well-known popular drum
mer whose contributions to the press
L III
North Carolina. He has been an OPP
ponent of free coinage at ratio of Is to
i. as is well known. but he is a Demo
crat with big d. 7 have never seen
ANYTHING like the change in senti-
ment here he said. Three weeks ago
there was no chance for Bryan in
Baltimore. The tide against him was
so strong that did not think it could
be stemmed, but almost before straw
berry could ripen there has come a
change, and now it looks like no power
could prevent his carrying Maryland.
His meeting here Saturday night was
the greatest in the history of the city,
and did great good Another North
Carolina drummer, whose name do
not think it prudent to give, told me
that his employer sent for him and
said: / hear you are for free silver.
Don't YOU know it is against my in
terests?' The man replied that mas
much as business had fallen off under
the gold standard, he thought it was
to the employers interest to have free
coinage. and he knew it was to the
interest of the agricultural sections.
The conversation ended there, and the
aforesaid drummer paraded in a big
badge at the big Bryan meeting in
Baltimore. There may be many Nc
Kinley drummers, said a drummer 10
me yesterday, but they don't travel
out from Baltimore
'sThe sentiment for the free coinage
of silver in Maryland is so
strong that even if Baltimore
gives large majority against
Bryan, the counties outside will give
enough for him to give the electoral
vote for Bryan. A few miles out OF
BALTIMORE, quite a company got on
the train to see Mr.. Bryan. One of
them told him that he would get
large majority in his county though
the Democrats lost it last year. Are
there Republicans who viii support.
our ticket?" asked Mr.. Bryan. Il am
one" replied the man, and he went
or to give the names of his Republic
can neighbors who would vote for Bry-
an. This incident was repeated in
every State North of Maryland, and
Delaware, except that in the New Eng
land State the bulk of the Republic
cans who announced they would sup
port Bryan were mechanics. There
were very many of these, and they
were usually mechanics of the highest
type who had been studying the ques-
ton and were ready to give reason
for the faith that was in them.
'Will Bryan carry any of the New
England States?"
ut is question of mathe-
mates. There is some detection
among the gold Democrats, but it is
inconsiderable. The leaders who have
gone have been unable to carry the
folks with him. The case of ex-Gov-
ernor Waller, of Connecticut, Illus
trates most all. He bolted the
Chicago ticket, and tried to be dele
gate to his county convention. He is
a strong and popular leader in Con-
necticut, and has been the idol OF his
people, but with great unanimity his
ward refused to elect him as a dele
gate. The lines are tightly drawn in
Connecticut. At least so per cent of
the party are enthusiastic for the Chi
cago platform, and very many work
ingmen, heretofore Republicans, are
equally so. The law partner of Sam
Fessenden, the Republican National
committeeman, heretofore. stalwart
Republican, is Che most prominent
accession to the Democratic party in
Connecticut. The accessions are not
usually among politicians. You have
to go into the factories, or the work.
shops, and on the farms to find them
But you find them there in numbers.
It is yet too soon to say whether the
number of Republican converts will
exceed the Democratic assertions, but
those in a position to know believe
that they viii at least two to one. IF
So Connecticut is Bryan's. The con-
duct of the Yale students Infatuated
the common people of New Haven. At
least dozen letters were sent to Mr..
Bryan from Republicans telling him
that the conduct of those youths had
determined them to support him as
the hest Tehu1a they could administer