New-York tribune., 1896-10-26
CONFLICTING CLAIMS.

The confident boasts Of Mr.. Bryan and his
managers undoubtedly impress some MINDS WIN
n sense Of apprehension. The man must have.
people imagine some sort Of foundation for his
boasts and If the silver craze and the hostility
of labor organizations toward capital are IN any
degree such as he imagnes the difference be-
tween the fact and Republican expectations may
he very great and even fatal These fears are
not unnatural. but 1t Is proper 10 confront them
with facts The value of political estimate de-
pends entirely upon the efficiency Ofthe organza-
ton through which il is obtained Everybody
knows that the Democratic machine thlS year IS
more completely disOrganized, andisi in the hands
of less experienced and competent men, than II
has been at any time since 1860 Even in that
memorable campaign. although the Democratic
rupture made defeat inevitable. the capable ana
experienced workers AT the North were heartily
enlisted for Douglas and nearly the whole OF that
force at the South was for breckenridge. 50 that
one wing or the other OF the Democratic party
had excellent sources Of information as to every
mart of the country. But to-day the Democratic
organization has simply gone to pieces Sheehan
cannot begin to guess how many OF his COM
mitfeemen and workers in this state are gong
ia vote for Bryan nor can Altgeld In Illinois
Dickinson was always closer to the truth IN
Michigan than Campau. Brice closer than any
other Democrat in Ohio. Bynum than any other
Democrat in Indiana, Villas than any other III
wisconsin, and these men and their most ef-
fectiye and reliable followers. with others Ike
them in nearly all the States are against Bryan.
On the other hand, II Is the testimony or every"
body who knows about political management
that the Republican organization has never be-
fore been as complete thorough and effectively
handled as 1t has been this year Its workers
are men Of the largest experience In that Drs-
ness. and thoroughly acquainted with the fields
In which they operate. Nearly half the Demo
cratic workers are men who have never tried
the same work In the same localities before, and
II IA but plain common sense to calculate that
they would be far more often In error than such
men az are handling the Republican Organlza-
ton. This difference alone suffices to account
for amazing discrepancies in estimates regard
ing the various States.
Still. there Is in many minds the feeling that
the Republicans may have been deceived; pos
sjbly the members Of the silver leagues and
some labor organizations have been sysfematl-
cally misleading all nQurers 1t Is said. and
this is the story which Popullsts aud Bryanies
themselves are telling when they learn OF Re-
publican canvasses. But II Is simply incOnceiv-
able that this kind Of thing could be done on
any extended xcale without leaking out. II Or
canizatlons advise their members TO report I'M
truly about their position. there must inevitably
he some who would make the trick known. but
there has been not even the pre:ence OF any
such disclosure. II not one Of the many thou
sand men who were for free silver at the out
eet. but are certainly known to have changed.
has ever received or heard Of such advice from