The record-union., 1896-09-25
Republicans Leaders Think the Political
Battle is Practically Won.
A Big Change Among Western Voters
in the Last Two Weeks.
Democrats, on the Contrary, Think
Bryan Will Carry the Entire West,
One of the Leaders Going So Far as
to Claim a Democratic Majority of
Twenty-Five Thousand in the
State of Ohio.

State of Ohio.
CHICAGO, Sept. 24.-While the cam
paign leaders at Republican national
headquarters do not want the impress
sion to get among the party workers
that the political fight is practically
won, for fear of relaxation of effort,
there is settled conviction in the minds
Of such old campaigners as Payne, Dur
bin, Cummins and Hahn that if the peo-
pie went to the polls to-day Mr.. Bryan
would be beaten by an immense major
ity. These leaders talked to-day to re-
es in tone OF supreme confidence, and
as if a load of anxiety and doubt had
been lifted from their shoulders by the
latest news from the field.
Acting Chairman Payne said: eve are
ready to go TO the polls now, and we can
hold our own for the next six weeks. In
Wisconsin it is not considered respect
able any more to be a Bryan man. Mr..
Bryan has killed himself by talking.
His talk has made the sensible and con-
Servative citizens afraid to vote for
him, although they may not like the
Republican platform. The intelligent
people will no longer read the vaporings
OF Bryan. His party has gone to the
dogs. They are doing nothing to win
votes or keep them. We have men out
whose business it is to report what the
Democrats are doing, and they cannot
find anything but mastery inactivity.
| have just received the result of the
second poll taken by our agents in
South Dakota. 1t shows the Republican
party has gained over 5000 votes which
were doubtful when the first poll was
ia ken, and that the Democratic vote has
decreased in that time. This is an indi-
c. ton of the general Improvement of
the Western situation within the last
few weeks. A poll was recently taken
in Winnebago County, H., and it show
ed 5000 plurality for Mckinley, big
Increase over two years ago"
Major Hahn said: There has been
big change among the Western voters
within the last two weeks, more so with
in the last week, and / am firmly con-
vipced that the result In November in
what are now considered doubtful
States will surprise our most sanguine
party leaders. My reports are only part
| ~ based on information received from
the 225 National Committee speakers
now in the field
Senator Burrows came in from Michi
gan, which he declares will give 90
| coo plurality for Mckinley.
Ex-Congressman Roswell G.. Hoar of
New York came in from an extensive
Western tour, and his only doubt is
about Kansas, which he admitted will
be hard fighting ground to the end Of
the campaign.
E@I
ker will make two speeches each in
Iowa Nebraska and Kansas.
FROM A DEMOCRATIC STAND
POINT.
CHICAGO, Sept. 24.-Campaign Com
nitteeman j. D. Johnson has received at
Democratic national headquarters from
country banker in Illinois a copy of
letter sent out by n. w. Harris e Co,
the investment and bond brokerage
| firm of Chicago and Boston, to it's CORE
! spOndentS in that State. This letter
gives the result of canvass in Illinois.
In the first place the firm sent inquiries
| TO 1000 correspondents and it received
| about 1,2OO answers. The letter giving
| this result states:
There We're III bank cashiers who
reported that in their opinion, from
| present indications, the Democratic
| vote in their county next November
/ would be less than it was in 1894, and
| that the free silver tendencies were on
! the decrease. There were eightysix
| bank cashiers who reported that in their
/ opinion there would be an increase in
| the Democratic vote in November as
compared with the Democratic vote in
| 1894, and thirty of the bank officials
/ of
change. In Minnesota the firm sent out
! inquiries to it's correspondents and re-
ceived about 400 replies, which were Of
| the same tenor as those received from
Illinois"
! Mr.. johnson remarked that the Min
nesota correspondents evidently forgot
the Populist party in their estimates.
as they say nothing of the 10000 Popu-
! list votes cast in 1894 and nothing about
| the Republican silver detection led by
John A. Lind and Congressman Towne.
! He added: The correspondents are in
every case men engaged in the banking
or investment business a class which
is hostile to Mr.. Bryan. Unreliable as
/ the information is, it shows that even
| from bankers standpoint the silver
movement is likely to carry the entire
| West
Senator Teller, who is in Ohio this
week, will arrive in Chicago Sunday to
FIJI speaking engagements that are be-
ing made for him in Illinois and adjon-
| ing States.
| The reports to headquarters are that
Kentucky is full of Republicans who are
| coming into the Bryan camp.
Colonel McConville of the speakers
| bureau returned from Ohio, which he
says will give Bryan 5000 majority 1t
is claimed at headquarters that a Re-
| publican poll of Omaha has just been
made and shows 25>per cent. of the Re-
publican votes will be cast for Bryan.
| /. N. Stevens, Chairman of the Silver
| PARTY Executive Committee, returned
! to headquarters from the East, and will
remain here until the close of the cam
| paign, except to go to ST. Louis next
month for the Silver Clubs Convention.
He said active campaign work was be-
| irC done by the Silver party from it's
headquarters in Washington. He denied
| that he had not been able to get any
campaign funds, and said that the party
had all that was needed. He had a con-
| ference with Chairman Jones, with
whom he said he was on amicable terms.