Evening star., 1896-10-24
Sound MoneXeem and Re-
pubIicass May Unite.
CLAIMS OF oHAIRMEN
Correspondence Of 1hs Evening Star.


| over his republican and populist oppo-
| nents. OF course. political predictions are
more or less guess work. but only the
most sangutne OF the silverites contend
that, even If Bryan carries the state. he
Will carry 1t by any such majority as Blox-
ham received. Conservative silver men.
while claiming that Florida is safe for
Bryan. admit privately that his majority
will not exceed 5000, and may fall con-
| siderably below.
On the other hand the sound n,onav
democrats and the republicans claim that
Florida Is very doubtful, and that with a
perfectly fair election there Is q chance
Tor the defeat OF the Bryan electors. The
| sound money democrats and Republicans
assert that 1t Is utterly misleading to saw
that the state Is safe for the silver cam
didate because Of the result of the cleo
t tlon on a. october They say. and with
democrats voted for Bloxham for gov
ernor. and that every one of these yotes
wlli be cast against the Bryan electors
II Is also ca med that great many re-
rubicans voted for Bloxham because OF
factional differences in their own PARTY
and that. owing to the same factfonai
olnerences great many other republi-
cans did not vote at all. No such causes
however. VIII operate in the November
election and the republican leaders claim
that they will poll full vote for the Me-
kinley electors
sound Money Voters.
Inc souhd money democratic managers
| have claimed all along that they repre-
sent at least 5000 voters With this large
number of votes subtracted from that
given Blexham. and the republican votes
| alleged to have been given him also taken
away. 1t will be seen that Florida NAV
ne Ialrly considered debatable ground Be
| sides the large number of anti-Rrvan votss
| winch bloxham received, 1t must also be
taken into considera ton that the drift
Ior the last two weeks IN this state has
| silver wave has newer been yery high in
| the state. and II is apparent that IL is
| now receding. OF course. there is no way
or oi,,e estlma.ing mating the strength Of this anti
| SILVER drift, but that the drift exists can
not be disputed. Many lifelong democrats
| have expressed themselves to the CORE
spondent In the following language: "ir
| : were not southern man I would vote
lor Aichlniey The policy for which Bryan
| stands will injure my business" These
men are representative of a large class.
| anu II Is safe to say that when they xo
.n.o . tne polling booths. despite the fact
! tnae they are southern born and bred
| they VIII not vote for Bryan.
Inc siiver leaders realize that they NAV
iose l,ss tne state. and they are canvasst1g
Win an energy never before known In
Florida A thorough Canvass wa. mada
before the state election, and the free
silver issue forced to the front, but no
| eHtuusiasm was aroused. for the demo-
cratic vote showed a large falling off as
compared with 1892. Since the state cleo
| tions the Bryan managers have again
| put their orators on the stump, but it is
noticeable that very little is being said
about silver and great" deal about the
danger o: the force bill, If Mckinley is
| elected, with a republican Congress 20 back
| him. oA
| 1t should be remembered that the silver
| democrats must depend on their own votes
to carry the state for Bryan. They Will
get no help from the populists. The popu-
| lists offered to fuse, agreeing to take down
an their electoral and congressional candi-
| dates II they were granted one eector by
| the democrats The silverites refused the
| terms In such way as to cause anger. and
| II Is safe to say that every populist vote
IN FLORIDA Will be cast for Bryan and Wat
son electors. On the other hand, while
| there has been no open fusion between re-
| pubfcans and sound money democrats it
seems to oe generally understood that the
SOUND money democrats will vote in q
way to do the cause which they espouse
the most good. They argue that IN a crisis
| like the present no patriot has a right to
| throw his vote away.
| Claims of Chairmen.
The claims Of the chairmen Of the differ
ent parties are, of course, widely apart
| Chairman w. A. Rawls Of the silver demo-
cratic executive committee says: FLORIDA
Is safe for Bryan. We WIFI carry the state
by 10000 plurality" Chairman Rawls. how
ever. has figured as prophet before, and
not with success. Prior to the state elec-
| tion he predicted that the largest vote in
the history of the state would be polled
| and that Bloxham, democrat for governor
would receive D.0OO majority. AS mat
ter of fact, the democratic vote was one CT
the smallest ever cast. and Bloxham's ma
jorlty barely exceeded 1900.
Chairman John E. Stillman of the re-
publican state committee says: mo one
can tell how Florida will go in November
l consider the state doubtful. and would
not be at all surprised to see 1t carried
by Mckinley. The republicans are in good
shape. and will poll much larger vote
IN November than in the state election.
We expect, too. to be greatly aided by
the sound money democrats. who place
their country's good above partisan feel
ing"
money democratic committee, while max
| ing no claims. IL very cheerful over the
outlook. He says that the sound money
tide is steadily rising, and that the silver
| democrats will be greatly surprised at the
result Of the NoYember election.
The sound money democrats are in con-
j troll of the election machinery in several
Of the largest counties in the state and
chinery in Duval sonnty, in which Jack
sonville is located. oand no one expects
Duval to go for Bryan. The fact that the
sound money democrats are in control In
/ ~ hdHy .COuIlloS.sld4t SAieSAS GU lHo lcpuUA-
can leaders, who knaY that the votes will
be counted as cast 1.-The republican man
| ayers are making exfrtions to teach their
| voters how to mark the Australian ballot,
voting schools having been established in
| many counties. I II
| ~. Conversational Districts.
The race for ceshhgra IS in this ohe seconD
district. 10 attractins attention. and It
seems likely that Robert w. Davis. tho
free silver democratic candidate. will be
defeated. Davis IT, opposed by J. N. Strip
ling (rep.). D. q. Ambler (sound money
democrat) and w. R. Peterson (pop.). The
prediction is freely made that Davis will
| be defeated and that J. N. Stripping (rep.)
| will succeed c. NJ. Cooper. the sound money
| democrat, who now represents the district.
| In the first district 1t is conceded that
8. M. Sparkman, the present democratic
| incumbent, will be chosen to succeed him
self over his republican and populist op-
ponents. The sound money democrats have
| made no nomination II the first district
| and this is considered significant in view
Of the fact that Mr.. Sparkman's congress
sional record is for gold. though he Is now
! supporting Bryan and explaining his anti
! silver record to his rural constituents.
| Involved in the result Of the November
| election is also the question whether United
States Senator Call. whose term expires
March 4. 1897. shall be succeeded by sill