The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1896-10-23
Washington Letter.
From our regular Correspondent

From our regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON. d, G. October, II. 1896.
Mckinley and Hobart will to dead
certainty, carry Iowa, Illinois, Indiana
and Ohio. This is no ante-election
buncombe, but is calm, serious state.
ment of facts, based upon full reports
from every Congressional district in
the states named which are now in
the hands of chairman Babcock, OF
the Republican Congressional Com
mittee. Just compare this statement
with the claims put forward for Bryan,
the most modest of which includes
Indiana and Illinois, and you will get
fair idea of how hopeless the popo-
cratic campaign really is. The latest
of these claims was made by Chair
man Butler, of the populist National
Committee, and presents total of
232 electoral votes. Now deducted
the electoral votes of Indiana-Butler
very considerably comedies that
Illinois. Michigan, Iowa and Ohio are
in doubt-and Bryan is a defeated
man, even though he should carry all
the other states claimed by Butler,
among which are the two Dakotas,
Washington, Wyoming, Kentucky,
Kansas, Nebraska, Oregon, California,
Maryland and West Virginia, eleven
states, of which more than half will to
dead certainty be carried for Nc
Kinley. 132 will come much nearer
to the number of electoral votes Bryan
will get, than 232.
The Republican Congressional Cam
paign is in just as good condition as
that of Mckinley and Hobart. There
are enough republicans whose election
to the House is now absolutely GER
tain-ascertained by actual personal
contact with the vOters-to insure
republican majority OF more than 80
in the next House, and there are about
so more districts in which republicans
have an even chance to win. Taking
the whole situation, it is a conserya-
tive estimate to place the republican
majority in the next House in the
near neighborhood of so. That isn't
as big as it is in the present House,
but it is big enough to do business
with.
Representative Hepburn, of Iowa,
has been in Washington for the pur-
pose of comforting with the republican
Congressional Committe. He SAYS
Iowa will give Mckinley not less than
10000 majority. and will send solid
republican Congressional delegation.
Representative Coffin, of Maryland,
who has been actively campaigning in
that state, says nothing can prevent
its electoral vote from being cast for
Mckinley and Hobart. In his own
language: maryland is sure to 60 for
Mckinley this fall as Pennsylvania is"
Several prominent silver men have
privately admitted that Maryland was
certain to go for Mckinley, notwith-
standing Senator Germans claim to
the contrary. Maryland republicans
have. never admitted that there was
doubt of their carrying the state this
year.
Republicans as rule have not been
considering that the party have more
than fighting chance to carry Mis-
souri,, but recent news from that state
indicates that it will likely be carried
for Mckinley.
Mr.. w. B. Thompson, Treasurer of
the republican Congressional Commit
tee, has just returned from Michigan.
He says he hasn't the slightest doubt
Mckinley will carry that and that the
Congressional districts are all right,
the gold democrats alone having
strength enough in several of them to
swing the balance of power to the side
of honest money. He says that practi-
cally the entire business interests of
the state are taking an active part in
fighting the free coinage of silver.
Betting men have increased the odds
on Mckinley in order to coax the pop
ocrats to put up a little money, but
they have not succeeded. In one
place, much frequented by politicians,
$4,000 has been posted for several
days with instructions to bet it to 1
on McKinley's election. but up to this
morning none of it had been covered.
"Did you ever see 60-cent dollar?"
is a favorite query of the free silver
gentlemen. Probably you never have,
and it is quite certain you never will
as long as the credit of the government