Omaha daily bee., 1896-09-11
INDIANA IS AGAINST BRYAN
Free Silver Champion Will Not Garry the
Hoosier Kingdom.
M'KlNLEY'S MAJORITY ALREADY ASSURED
Leading Democrats of the State Have
Declared Themselves Opposed to
the Candidate of Rcpudin-
tiOn and Anarchy.

LINCOLN, Sept. 10.-(Specal.)-The fol-
lowing letter has been received by promi-
nent republican here from an old-time friend
in Indiana, peculiarly familiar with con-
ditions in the Hoosier state, explaining the
Indiana situation
FORT WAYNE, Sept. I, 1S96.-Yours OF
| the Goth of August asking for my opinion
of the political outlook in Indiana came
duly to hand. The republican plurality in
Indiana in the coming election will be 40,-
OOO-rather more than less than that num-
Der. This is my opinion. Now for my rea-
sons: Four years ago Cleveland's plurality
| in this state was 1000 in a total vote of
| $50 ,61S At this election but three repub-
| ican congressman were elected, but in
| the landslide of two years ago every dis
| trct in the state was carried by us. Are
| the times any better than they two
| years ago? Worse. If anything. Then, why
should the people want to experiment with
| free silver when two years of free trade dem
onstrated the fact that protection is what
/ this country wants and must have in order
| to be prosperous. Can a majority of the
people in the United States be fooled twice
| in four years? l think not. l figure it out
that there will be large republican gains in
every city in this state and that the rural
vote will be practically as it was two years
ago. The free silver lunacy is unquestion-
ably losing ground every day ami the more
| the people study the matter the greater
| will McKinley's majority be.
'There is very large German Lutheran
| vote in Indiana, which is an important fac
| tor in all of our elections Judging from
| the number and character of those who
usually vote the democratic ticket in this
| city but who have publicly declared their
opposition to Bryan, the German vote will
be largely republican this year, whereas it
is usually strongly democratic. Both of the
German dailies published here are demo-
cratic and both are opposing Bryan.
NAMES SOME OF THE MEN.
| ~. f. w. Meyer, a lifelong democrat
and perhaps the most influential member of
| the Lutheran church in this city, Is doing
| all he can to defeat the nominee of the
Chicago convention. Mr.. Meyer has lived
here for more than forty years and has a
wide acquaintance among Germans all over
the country. He has prospered in business
and is, therefore, competent to instruct his
countrymen upon the money question. j.
d. Sarnighausen, the editor of the Stats
Zeitung, has always been a democrat and
his paper has large circulation among
members of that faith. He is opposing
Bryan with all his might.
Three of our bank presidents are demo-
Gratis, but all will vote against the "boy
orator" J. H. Bass, the president of the
First National is perhaps the largest manu-
facturer of car wheels in the United States,
having immense establishments here and
in Chicago and st. Louis as well. He also
owns and operates an iron mine in Alabama
and gives employment to several hundred
men in each of his plants. S. B. Bond
president of the Old National bank, a life
long democrat has no use for Bryan. The
Bond family in Fort Wayne Is a large one
and they all vote either for Mckinley or
Palmer. Charles McCulloch president of
the Hamilton bank, is son of Lincoln's
secretary of the treasury, Hugh McCulloch
and has been an active democrat since 1872
but he has given it out strong that he can
not swallow the dose prescribed at Chicago
John Mohr, cashier of the Hamilton bank,
and at present a democratic member of the
city council likewise refuses to support the
populistic combination.
None of the men | have named are poli-
ticians. none have ever sought office. and
none have ever held political positions save
that of councilman or something equally
unimportant; but they are all in the front
rank in business and they have all helped
to mould democratic opinion in this county
for many years. / could go on and emu
mcrate dozens of others who have gone
back on Bryan, some of whom are practical
politicians. j. Nj. Barrett is OF the latter
class. He has been a state senator and
has more than once been a candidate for
congress from this district. p. A. Randall
is another. The latter gentleman is one
of the most popular democrats in this sec
city and county Is unquestionably larger
than that OF any other politician within
these boundaries. lie has just returned
from Indianapolis, where he was In attend
ance u9on the national democratic conyen-
tiOn. In a brief talk | had with him yes
terday ne said the national democratic
ticket would poll forty to fifty thousand
votes in this state, and that 40 per cent
OF the democratic voters OF this county was
for honest money, Mr. Randall comedies
Indiana to MCkinlpy nv 2b
1t may be double that II the gold demo-
Gratis support him generally, instead OF
voting for their own candidates 1t is my
impression that the great majority of them
in this state will do that very thing
FREE SILVER REPUBLICANS.
"Now as to the free silver republicans
hereabouts. About three weeks ago a call
was issued for the purpose of organizing
free silver republican club Just eight
cen men responded to the call and were
enrolled as members. and IL heralded
abroad that the club was organized with
membership of l50. One of the most active
members of this club removed to this city
from an adjoining county seat town twoI
or three years ago. and IL was not known
how he had been voting. Last week, how
ever. a paper published in Warsaw, his
former home. learned of his pretending TO
be republican, and published the facts
in the case, from which II appears he has
never been anything but a dyed in the wool
democrat. He has since admitted that such
is the case by publishing a card in one
OF our daily papers. And II Is altogether
likely other members OF the club are sail
ing under false colors also. as some OF
them have never made their republicanism
manifest Not a single one of this club
is prominent, either in politics or business
and, admitting they are all what they claim
to be (republicansl, they cut a very sorry
figure when compared to the number OF
democrats who will not support Bryan.
The ratio may not be sixteen to one, but