The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-10-14
Republicans Trying to Stir Up
Sectional Hatred.
PREPARED FOR GREAT SURPRISE
Workmen Are Being Buncoed Into So
Called Sound Money" Clubs, But
They Will Cast Their Vote
For Bryan and Silver.
New York Herald.)

While at DOuh hepupilcan ana
| popocratic headquarters the work
| ing motto is claim every
thing" they frankly admit to
me that they know little or
nothing about it, In betting circles
even money is offered. Mr.. Gowdy,
the same Republican State chairman,
was claiming 10000 majority in 1892,
and the betting board showed two to
one on Harrison. Yet the State went
1000 Democratic.
Indiana is political chaos now For
mer elections furnish no criterion to
aid the Judgment. Chair'man Gowdy,
placid and smiling, founders around in
the dark i'm one part of town saying
it is Mckinley by landslide. He feels
it. Chairman Martin, rudely bucolic
and swarthy, founders around in an
other part of town dead certain it is
Bryan. He feels it. Every one privately
admits that the situation is a puzzle
still unsolved and that it will probably
so remain until the close of election
day.
In the meantime every day appar-
emily improves Mckinley's chances.
INTENSE PUBLIC FEELING.
The public feeling is intense. This
exasperating uncertainty and the pecu-
liar character of the campaign have
wrought political excitement to the
highest pitch. Lungs and literature
conflict at every crossing. Streets of
this sound money town are blocked
by idle working classes all day long,
discussing National finance and bitter
lxr n
government.
The issues created by the Chicago
platform are presented here with bru-
tai franlness unknown in the East.
Sectional hatred lis boldly famed.
Property is denounced as robbery. The
seeds of anarchy sown by popocratic
leaders are sprouting in every direc-
ton. There is no attempt to disguise
the plan of the campaign-the array
of every form of labor against capital.
The popocratic chairman, inoculated
with the poisonous virus of sectional
ism and frothing with the silver rabies,
refuses to talk to the representatives
of New York newspapers. New York
is the home of the corporation sharks
and the Wall streets robbers, and the
great newspapers are in their pay. Let
them keep hands off of Indiana. Yet
Indiana is still one of the States of the
Union and no passport was demanded
when / crossed the Ohio line.
The voting population of Indiana is
almost equally divided between town
and country. The country vote, to
which the popocratic candidate APP
peals, shows "a considerable detection
of Republicans. In the towns the loss
is from the popocratic ranks. The
question is, Will the accessions to Nc
Kinley in the towns exceed the access
sion to Bryan i'm the country?
LOSSES AND GAINS.
The Republican State managers con-
cede a loss of 5000 farmer votes, but
claim IA much greater gain from the
towns. From my own Investigations,
| should put the farmer loss to the
Republicans at not less than 10000, and
more probably 10000 votes. The silver
fallacy has been long driven into them
by their own political leaders here.
Now, as to towns. While the thirty
day poll will show large gains to the Re
publicans, any poll based upon the shop
record must be taken with caution.
TIN view of the charges and denials in
the air, / spent two days in personal
investigation of this feature of the
campaign.
Under letters of introduction from
the Republican county committee, /
was shown shop polls by the en-
ployers, but they refused to permit
me to talk with any workman. The
lists showed overwhelming Republican
majorities, and subsequent recapitula-
tion showed the minority had dwindled
to almost nothing. Whether the men
had been Influenced" or discharged,
/ have no means of knowing. Through
individual workmen L visited at their
homes / ascertained that 1t was a
question of bread and butter, and that
not only those / saw, who had McKin-
ley pictures ia their cottage windows
and wore buttons, declared they should
vote for Bryan, but they were only a
sample of many. / had no trouble in
finding several such men In The railway
neighborhood, who are enrolled in the
railway clubs for Mckinley. If this
is general throughout the State, the
Australian ballot will show some dis
agreeable surprises for somebody.
The Federation of Labor has every
year for the last four years endorsed
free silver coinage. It's leaders say
they control from fifty thousand to
seventy-fve thousand votes. But now
they are in politics it remains to be
seen whether at their session this week
they will take an active stand
FIGURES OF PAST YEARS.
To deal with round numbers, the
Democrats carried the State in 1892 by
1000 plurality. The Peoples party
cast $4,000 votes, the Prohibitionists
10000. But in 1894 the Republicans
won by $4,000, while the Populists
cast $4,000 and Prohibitionists 1900.
The latter are split this year, and all
parties conceded that the Populists
viii mostly support Bryan, though
the middle of the road" Populists will
continue to flock by themselves.
The Palmer vote will cut small
figure possibly 10000 or 15,000--al-
though Chairman Piclxens claims
double the latter figure as the lowest.
The thirty day poll will be in this