Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-09-22
BOTH PARTIES CLAIM II
Republicans and Democrats Both Confident
of Carrying Indiana.
The New Democratic Chairman Talks
-RailrOaders and Commercial Men
for Sound Money.

Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.
Indianapolis, Ind. September q. 1896.
The republican leaders are not SO san
guine today as they were a week ago, but
still confidently claim the state by a hand
sc me plurality. and majority of the con-
gressional delegation. Parks Martin, the
new chairman of the democratic commit
tee has got his force Systematically at
work, and has put new life into the cam
paign. Today he put his figures at 10000
plurality for Bryan. He sizes up the sit
uation as follows:
1.-The republicans are baSing their cal
cuaticns on the vote of two years ago. At
that election they gained over the vote of
1899 $1,000 votes, while the democrats lost
"a 900. The total vote was 1900 greater
than in 1892. The populists gained 1000,
while the prohibitionists lost nearly 1000.
AT least 10000 democrats voted with the
republicans that year. The republicans
took it for granted that they were all con-
Verts to the doctrine of protection, and
had gone into their camp to stay. There
were many causes operating to make the
democrats dissatisfied that year, and many
of them voted with the republicans, while
many others went over to the popullStS.
They had no intention of abandoning their
party for good, and at least H. 900 of those
who voted with the republicans are back
again in their old party. This will make
difference of 81 900 in the vote this year.
Two years ago the popuiists polled little
more than $4,000 votes. We had hoped
that a fusion would be agreed upon. where
by the whole of that vote would be cast
fer the Bryan electors. but we are assured
that more than half the vote will come to
us. anyhow. This will add $4,000 to the
democratic vote. Then we will get at least
1000 from the prohbitioniStS who favor
{ these three
will add to our vote of two years ago 81,
900, while the republicans will lose II 900
This wipes out the republican plurality,
and places 5000 to our credit. We have
reports on which we confidently base our
claim. that 10000 free silver republicans
will vote for Bryan, while his loss by the
detection of gold democrats will not be
over 10000 From our reports we have a
margin of 5000 to go on, and. if we fall
short 30 per cent, we will still so above
10, 600"
The Republican Claim.
There are reasons for believing that the
republican tide which set in soon after the
Chicago convention has reached high-water
mark, and is likely to ebb to some extent,
at least. While this Is true the republican
managers by no means admit the accuracy
Of Mr.. Martins figures. They say that two
years ago the republicans made gains in
every county of the state but one, and
there the loss was only twenty. 1Aey say
they have thoroughly canvassed the situa-
ton to fnd what per cent, if any. of the
gain then male would return to the DEM
ocratS this year, and are confident that
they Will not lose 10 per cent of the gain.
Two years age the republican gain in this
county vas about 1900; they claim that
| this year 1t will go 5000 above that. or
enough to make good all they will lose In
that there are not 5000 free silver republi-
cans who will vote for Bryan, let alone
oo,oO From figures furnished them by
the sould money democratic committee,
| they place the vote of that wing of the
party at about 10000, half of which will go
directly to Mckinley. Thus it will be seen
| that the two committees are very wide
apart in their estimates, and that one or
| the other CT them is badly deceived or Is
attempting to deceive the public.
Prior to 1884 party lines in this state were
so definitely drawn that even this long be-
| fore the election the party leaders knew
! how the state would go, and could safely
! calculate within hundred or two of the
! actual plurality one way or the other. They
did not always make public the result OF
their polling of the state, but the figures OF
both committees practically agreed Since
then there has been growing UP a silent
vote that has kept all parties in the dark
until after the ballots were counted. 1t Is
possible that the silent vote this year will
| be much larger than ever before and the
| trouble Is TO determine just where it will
fan: One fact is patent at this time, and
| SOrely
disappointed at the failure to secure 3
| fusion with the populists. The best in
| formed admit that Bryan will get nearly
II not quite, one-half of the popuist vote Of
| Two years ago The republicans have beer
| disappointed up to the present time in get
ting their big guns into the field Senate,
| Ihurston is the only one so far. A lack OF
| funds with which to meet the expense ha:
| been one OF the causes. but the leaders
| claim that there is want Of disposition
manifested on the part of the big guns t.
| enter the campaign.
| Sound Money Railroaders.
| The sound money democrats expect t.
| have Cochran, Schurz and other promi
| nent opponents Of that theory to maxi
| several speeches in the state. The republf
| cans base their hopes very largely on tn
| railroad vote. and there Is no denyin,
| that the railroaders are actively with then
! this year. There Is not a town in tn
| state where there are any number of rail
| road employees but has it's sound none,
| club among them, and up to the presen
| time the free silverites have been unabl
| to organize a club anywhere among tina
| class OF wage earners. 1t must not be un
| derstood that all railroad men are for Nc
| Kinley, but that the Bryan men anon,
| them are too few to organize club a
| any point. The railroad centers are In
dianapolis, Fort Wayne. Terre Haute, La
| fayette. Logansport. Hammond, Soutl
| Bend and Richmond. Hammond was tn
| scene of the great strike Of 1893 All thes
| places have sound money clubs with hun
| dreds of members. More than one-thir
of the members have formerly been demo
| Gratis.
| The republicans have another very eff
| fective element of strength this year Il
the commercial travellers. who almost t
a man are advocating Mckinley and SCUM
| money. They are admirable canvassers
posted thoroughly on the question an
as rule are excellent takers, and the
talk all the time. They talk in the stores
on the trains. at the hotels. They circulat
| literature in the most thorough manner
| They are veritabe missionaries, going int
| all parts of the state. On every ham
they scatter the documents they carr
| with them. AS one of the republican com
mittee said. they are the most effectiv
workers to be had, and demand salar
| and never present an expense account.
The action of the banks in refusing t
loan money except to the large borrowers
and then only on the highest sort of Sc
curity. has strengthened the democrats t
some extent, in the larger cities especially
and has stirred up a feeling against tn
banks. In this city very large amour
| of street Improvement has been going on
and some of the assessments are due
| Small property owners find it difficult t
meet their payments, and the banks vii
| not loan thayn n tide them over Th