The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-10-27
FUSION OF THE sILvERITEs.
1T DOES NOT GIVE THE PARTY A
MAJORITY OVER THE REPUB-
LICANS.
NO IMPORTANT STATE ISSUES.
Railways, Usual, Factor I'm the
Campaign-Queer NaturaIiza-
tiOn Methods.


owing to it's extensive resources. 1t
has greater diversity of population,
whether considered by industries or
nationalities, than almost any other
Western state, so that the political
situation in this state at the present
time may be said to have many COM
plexities.
OF course, in the beginning, the state
was occupied almost wholly in the rail-
road and transportation industry, and
in cattle raising. But there has
grown up within the past fifteen years
a large sheep and wool raising in
dustry. as well as extensive coal mining
interests. In some sections Of the state
the farming interests have been largely
developed within the last ten years.
Although there are no large gold or
silver mines in the state, more and
branch of industry, and there are now
good many hundred men. who are
connected with those interests.
The population Of the state COM
prises not only men from every section
Of the United States, but large for
eign population, made up of almost
every nationality, in which the Ger
mans, Scandinavians, the English,
Irish and Finlanders probably pre-
dominate. Then we have the Mormon
element in the western part of the
state, which is an extensive exclusive
element of the state. The Mormons
are largely under the influence of
Utah, which is, at present, strongly in
clined towards the free coinage Of
silver In the three counties where the
Mormons particularly live, they prob
ably have 1,500 votes. Their vote cast
at all solidly would turn the election in
this state, but in the past they have
been pretty evenly divided in their po-
litical affiliations.
The live stock state interests aside
from the wool growers, are pretty gen
orally in favor of a low tariff and free
silver. The wool growers, although
comparatively few in numbers, have
grown in Importance and extended
their industry during the past five or
six years, and, until recently, they have
been disposed to flock almost solidly to
the side of high protective tariff, but
many of them are now inclined to the
opinion that free silver would help
them more than a protective tariff It
Is not likely that the Republican ticket
Will gain large advantage among that
class There are probably 500 voters
in the state interested in that Industry.
great many Of them are Mexicans
who are unable to speak or read the
English language, and are thought to be
disqualified from voting under the con-
stitutional provision of this state
There are probably $500 voters in the
state connected with the cattle and
horse industries. ?
The transportation industry is one of
the most important in the state. The
main line Of the Union Pacific running
through the southern portion of the
state, and along which nearly all the
large towns Of the state are located;
more than half the population of which
Is directly connected with the railroad
business. The Burlington & Missouri
railroad also runs through the north
half of the state, and the Chicago &
Northwestern reaches from the east
into the central portion of the state,
The Union Pacific, Denver & Gulf
extends into the state some distance.
Probably between 5000 and 1000 voters
are directly interested in the operation
of these roads, and it seems to be
very general impression that all these
railroads are exercising the full exent
Of their influence in favor Of the cleo
tion Of the Republican ticket.
Closely connected with the railroads
is the coal mining industry, which is
comparatively large one in the state,
and which probably includes $500
voters. In some of the coal mining
towns of the state the population is
largely made up of Finlanders, Chinese.
Hungarians and Italians.
The question has arisen as to. the quail
ification of some Of these foreign voters.
The constitution of the state requires
that every voter shall be able to read
the constitution Of the state, making an
exception Of those only who were quail
ified voters at the time the state was
admitted. Heretofore it has been gem
orally understood that this constitu-
tional qualification required that they
be able to read the constitution in the
English language, which is the only
form in which it has been published
and in which language there is an
authenticated copy, but the attorney
general has just rendered an opinion
to the ERECT that 1t may be read in any
language. 1t is quite generally charged
that this opinion was rendered at the
1nstigation Of the Republican state
committee, because the Finlanders. who
are almost solidly voted for the Repub-
Hcan ticket, would otherwise be dis
franchised
Lie ldI ming IHlSFoSlS lie mostly In
the northern part of the state and are
more or less closely connected with the
live stock interests. The distinctly
farming class probably does not num-
Der more than 5000 or 1000 votes. and
these seem to be subject to about the
same influences which are potent in
Nebraska and the Dakotas and other
agricultural states although they have
been less affected by low prices on ac-
count of better local markets
In these conclusions no distinction
has been made between male and fe-
luale voters. AS general rule it may
be said that the granting of female
suffrage has had no marked effect
upon the division of the vote of the
state. having simply swelled the total
number of votes. Occasionally, how
ever questions arise which effect the
female vote one way or the other more
noticeably than the male vote; but.
SO far. there appears to be no i'm
portant questions of that character in
volved in this campaign
The silver issue is presented for the
first time in this campaign as an i'm
portant issue between the parties.
Since 1855 the Democratic state plat
form has always declared for the free
coinage of silver. In 1894 the RepubIi-
can party platform adopted practically
the same plank, and this, of course
practically removed the question from
the campaign of that year The Popu-
lists. of course. have always advocated
free silver. %
In 1894 the Republicans cast 5a61 per
cent of the vote, esDernoerats 36.11