New-York tribune., 1896-10-30
THE SILENT VOTE,

The silent vote will be more important this
year than it has been for a long time. What
used TO be known as the ves-pOcket vote. the
vote which no campaign worker has found the
least reason to anticipate, is likely to be heavy
because of the powerful appeal which has been
made to prejudices and selfish interests on one
side and 10 honor and conscience and love OF
order on the other. Multitudes who started in
the campaign with one opinion have changed il
for another, but because they did not wish to
face the jeers or censure the actual hostility
Of former associates they have said nothing
about it, 1t has been an unprecedented cam
paign for changes of opinion. and because OF the
Intensity of feeling in Western States for sill
yer and in Eastern States against Reputation
and Anarchy II might be expected that an un-
usual proportion Of such changes has been con-
cealed The man who was an OutspOken par
tisan. and whose continuance In that attitude
nobody has doubted. will 90 to the privacy Of
the balotbox and vote the other way. That
was the most striking feature of the Congress
sional campaign In 1894. and there Is every rea-
son to expect that it will play still greater part
in the results this year. For there have been
more speeches, more arguments and more ex-
tensive distribution Of documents and tracts than
IN any previous campaign
The tendency OF this silent vote can almost
always be correctly judged, though not its ex-
tent In 1894 all knew that the drift was in
favor Of Republican candidates. but nobody ex-
pected such overwhelming success. This year it
rs the part Of wisdom to recognize that there
has been double movement, the earlier against
the Republican party. and the later IN its favor.
The extent Of the movement toward free silver
among Western farmers and toward Organism
among workingmen in cities and towns was not
at first fully appreciated by many. and 1t Is not
now possible to determine quite how far Il ex-
tended For that reason there may be found
Republicans who then determined to go over
to Organism, but kept II secret and have not
changed that intention. The later movement
has been overwhelmingly toward Mckinley, and
II IL positively known that great number who
were at first for Bryan are now active and zeal
GUS for Mckinley. Where 80 many are known
It Is certain that others are not known.
Reasons for concealment are many. Though
as whole the tide is Overwhelmingly for Nc
Kiniey, there are still localities In which opposi-
ton to silver coinage by one who has favored it
excites the most savage feeling, and involves
risk of injury In business or work, or even Of
personal violence. Everywhere the man who
breaks from his usual associates has something
to bear in times Of passion In some cities the
Democratic organization Is lighting for it, very
existence. as Tammany Is here. and has much
power to harm those who. having been In its
ranks. leave them. Among the many labor organ
ixations some are at present in the hands Of lead
ers whose hostility to law and order, to free
dom Of labor and Of citizenship. closely borders
on dIsloyalty Tho workingmen OF such organ
izations who spurn the influence Of such leaders