The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-10-28
WILL CARRY THE WEST.
Henry George Says Bryan Is Certain to he
Elected.

Elected.
Early in September Henry George
was requested by the New York Jour
nal to make a tour of the so called
doubtful States and to give to the pub
lie the result of his observations of the
political conditions prevailing there.
Before his reply was received the new:
came from Maine of the increased Re
publican majority at the State election
there. Then followed Mr.. George:
answer, as follows:
CHICAGO, September Is.
Editor New York Journal:
In my opinion, confirmed by Maine,
the result is foregone. I believe, there
fore, that convinced free silver man
would be better to make proposed trip
for Journal than I, as candor is some
times uselessly painful to friends.
Will 60 ahead if you wish and do my
best to give exact truth as T see il, but
both my feeling and judgment are
against this. Would prefer to save my
time and your money by not begin
ming. Could stop until tomorrow's
committee meeting for your private
information if you wish, though dc
not think I could learn anything q OF
public; otherwise would start back
Advise me Victoris Hotel.
HENRY GEORGE.
In reply to this message was tele
graphed to Mr.. George, requestin ,
him to stay for a short time and des,
cribe the situation as he saw it-that
the Journal wanted the truth. On
October Mr.. George, having then
spent three weeks in the doubtful
States, was requested to telegraph for
the information of the editor of the
Journal his opinion of the probabili'
ties. In reply he sent the following
CLEVELAND, o., Oct. Is.
Editor New York Journal:
My belief is that Bryan will be cleo
ted. This is my carefully formed pri'
vate as we'll as public opinion. I CON
gratulate Journal on the good pros
poets. HENRY. GEORGE.
Last week Henry George came back
from the West after spending five
weeks out there and wrote the Journal
the following letter:
Editor New York Journal:
I came back to New York over more
than third of the continent to regis
ter my vote and to hear Governor Alt
geld make in Cooper Union the speech
in which he set forth what, in my
mind, is the most important of the is
sues in this campaign.
The question that greets me from
the lips of every friend I have ever
yet met, and the question repeated in
all l have as yet had opportunity to
glance at in the pile of letters 1 found
awaiting me is: What do you really
think will be the outcome of the elec.
tion2" Let me answer questioners and
correspondents, one and all, through
the medium of the Journal. My per-
sonal opinion differs from that which
has already been expressed IN the let
ters that have recently been telegraph
ed by me to the Journal from the
places where they have been written
only in this: [ am somewhat more
confident than my letters to the Jour
nal have shown, that Bryan will carry
the States that have been considered
doubtful in the Central West, and
will be elected to the presidency.
I have no ability to see into the fu'
ture, and am liable to all the mistakes
of judgment that beset man born Of
woman, but this is my opinion as to
what will be, formed after five weeks
of as diligent. cautious and dispassion'
ate effort as I am capable of to discov'
or the trend and strength of the tides
of political opinion now running in
that part of the country.
This was not my first opinion-on
the contrary, it at first seemed to me
that Mckinley, not Bryan. would car
ry the Central West; but it is the ma
tured conviction with which I came
back to New York. And that the tide
is daily setting more strongly toward
Bryan, I am convinced.
HENRY GEORGE.