The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-10-14
WILL LOSE HIS STATE.
HENRY GEORGE SAYS M'klNLEY WILL
BE BEATEN IN OHIO.

He Has Como 10 This Conclusion After
spepdine Two Weeks In the State and
makipc m Impartial Investig cation OF the
Situation.
CLEVELAND, October 5.-After such
an examination as one may make IN
little over two weeks. it is my conclu-
sion that Bryan will carry Ohio on
the third of November, and that the
electoral vote of his own State will be
cast against Mckinley.
This is not preconceived opinion.
On the contrary, when l entered the
State my first impression, though not
decided, tended the other way. Nor
is it an opinion in which the wish has
been the father to the thought. J
know how subtle is the disposition to
see the things through the medium OF
ones own desires, yet have not only
tried to dispassionately discover and
coolly estimate political conditions
and tendencies, but think that have
so far succeeded in trying to be fair as
to under, rather than to over, estimate
what has accorded with my wish.
Nor have 1 any such intense desire
as to the result of this election to warp
my judgment. I resolved from the
first to vote for Bryan, for, although
I might dissent from him on some
things he clearly came nearest to ex.
pressing what l think just and right
in national policy. But I would cast
my suffrage for him as readily If l
knew he would not get single electo-
raj vote as if I knew he would gain
the whole college. And l have learned
not to count too much upon elections.
I tried to aid the election of Tilden
with all my strength, because I
thought him a believer in that Jeffer-
sonian philosophy of an adherance to
which I believe the perpetuity of De-
mocratic, Republican institutions de-
pends,
1 again worked earnestly for the
election of Cleveland, only subsequent
ly to feel that it would have been bet.
ter for the immediate success of all l
thought him to stand for if the elec.
ton had gone the other way. I was
ready to vote for Mckinley, although
he stands for everything ] oppose, in
case Cleveland or such a Democrat as
he proved himself to be had been
chosen at Chicago, for, free trader as
I am, I thought it better to have a
thorough going protectionist in the
Presidential chair than such revenue
reformer as Mr.. Cleveland proved to
be.
Nor would I now despair were Nc.
Kinley to be elected, for under him l
think there would be such a saturna-
liza of special privilege as would bring
strong and quick reaction. In this
cool temper 7 have gone over SO much
of the State of Ohio as makes me
think I can judge of the rest, forming
my opinions from those whom I could
think dispassionate, and it now seems
to me that Bryan is gaining a greater
strength in Mckinley s own State than
even the local Democratic politicians
dare to figure on.
Both the hope and the fear that Nc
Kinley will carry Ohio are based upon
the perfection of the Republican Or
ganization, the special interests at its
back and the great amount of money
at its disposal. But to my mind, there
are forces on the other side that more
than offset these. Take the matter OF
organization, a matter of which every
Democratic practical politician laments
the lack, and it seems to me that the
Bryan people have the advantage.
Their organization is of a different
kind, but it will prove, l think, the
more effective as the short sword and
more open order of the Roman legion
proved more effective than the long
spears and serried ranks of the Grecian
phalanx.
In every city in which I have been,
and in every town of which l have
heard, is the proof that the political
discussion that is going on is hand.to.
hand work, and what counts the hang
ing up of banners, the hiring of great
halls, tie bringing of speakers from
abroad, the getting up OF monstrous
excursions, to the talk of neighbor
with neighbor that is honeycombing
the entire State with free silver clubs
and Bryan leagues.
Take the power of the bands and
railroads and all they control. Time
and time it has been proved that their
power at the polls is as nothing when
clear issue is made against them.
Take the matter of money. ltseems
to me that the monstrous size of the
funds at Republican disposal will
prove an injury, not a benefit, on elec.
ton day. Over all the States and
from the lips of every speaker, Demo
crat and Populist alike, the word has
gone forth to spoil the Egyptians.
Take all they offer you and then ask
for more, but when you get in the vot-
ing booth vote as your conscience die
tateS."
I think the very knowledge OF the
fact that this on the Republican side is
money campaign will destroy the
effectiveness of money.
Now in the last Presidential elec-
ton Harrison is credited with having
carried Ohio by only something like a
thousand votes, but in reality the con-
test was even closer than these figures
show. One electoral vote was given
to Cleveland. The reason of this was
that in a number of cases both Repub-
licans and Democrats were under the
impression that by marking the first
name on the list OF electors they would
cast their votes for all the rest. By
this mistake the Democrats lost more
than the Republicans. So much so
that tho rota cor The first electnr WAS