The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-10-09
WELLMAN
In KANSAS.
The Distinguished Republican
Newspaper Writer
Gives the Results Of His Obser-
FatiOns.
THINKS IT POSSIBLE
For Kansas to Join the McKin-
ley Column.
A Lengthy Letter in Chicago
Times Herald.

The following from the pen of Walter
Welman, who spent several days in
Kansas Investigating the political sit
uation for the Chicago Times-Herald
Republican gold standard) viii be in
teresting to all our readers regardless
Of what Individual views they hold:
Topeka, kan oct. 6.-Kansas hangs
in the balance between Populism and
sound money. AIcKinley's chances for
the state are as good as Bryan's-
Either may carry it, but the margin
viii be slender, probably not to exceed
10000 votes. Today, four weeks from
the election. Bryan appears to be 5000
or 5000 votes ahead. Six days ago,
however, he was 40 900 ahead. Thirty
days ago he was 10000 ahead. On No
vember 3 he may still have the lead,
but if the tide continues running as it
is running now Mckinley viii get the
state. A gain Of a few more thousands
and sound money wins in the hot-bed
Of Populism and all other experimental
isms- Every day Mckinley gets strong
er, every day Bryan grows weaker.
Even Kansas is coming to her senses.
The wave of sanity and reason that has
followed in the wake of a tide of emo
tonal excitabihty in every other part
Of the country has not passed by the
HN1AE Oh EE1LEL ana y cry simpson III
kansas-wild, wobbly, wonderful kan
sas-comes UP on the right side after
all it VIII be a greater victory for pop
ular government than half a million
majority in New York or Pennsylvania
have this impression of the people
of Kansas. taking them as whole
They are very Intelligent They are
great readers They are intensely in
terested in government, in economic
errT
bred in them from the early days. when
the greatest problem Americans ever
faced was Tor a time concentrated and
fought over upon Kansas soil The
slavery trouble bred out here on the
prairies a race who love to be in the
van and yearn for reform and progress
and for participation in movements
which bring change into the world. 1t
produced men-and women-whO do
their own thinking, often with more
energy and originality than depth and
balance But still they think. and they
are thinking today. If they had an
other month for thought they would
vote for sound money as surely as the
sun rises on election day They may do
so, anyway In Kansas every man is
his own political economist. every man
feels his responsibility as an American
sovereign / have faith in a people like
this-I have faith always in the men or
the people who really think. They may
err, but give them time and they Will
correct their own errors
When Bryan was nominated at Chi
cagO on a free silver and otherwise rad
zeal platform Kansas went Wild kan
sas has waited several years for a dis
tInctly new idea, for some other exper-
mental notion. and it accepted this one
with overwhelming enthusiasm. Re
publcans and Democrats and Populists
alike, in city as well as country, threw
Up their hats for Bryan and cheap
money Nothing like lit was ever be-
fore seen even in this state of fads and
emoUOnalism- If the election had been
held in July Kansas would have given
Bryan 10000, perhaps SO, 900, majority
There would have been no campaign at
that time-no contest The Republicans
would have been compelled to have let
the thing go by default Today the
more hopeful Republicans-an among
these are some Of the better informed
believe they are going to win Such q
phenomenal change in public sentiment
could come only in extraordinary Kan
sas.
It is not surprising that the people of
this state accepted Bryan as Moses
and free silver as an inspiration The
dominant idea in Kansas for years has
been that there was something wrong
IN the government, some oppression
and injustice, something which the
brave men and women of Kansas must
take the field to suppress and correct.
They were honest about it. the most of
them They went after the railroads.
the national banks the protected mon
opOltes, the liquor power. the money
lenders, the Chicago board of trade the
state ring everything in sight The
average kansan thought 1T his solemn
duty to buckle on his armor once a
year and make war on some dragon Of
government or society that was seek
Ing to deV0ur the people. Both political
parties have encouraged this spirit Of
the crusaders The Democrats denOun-
ced protection, national banks. mOnOp-
olies and trusts When the Democrats
got in power the Republicans denounc-
ca them and their government
Both parties have played with the
silver heresy- Leading Kansas Repub-
Iicans have declared for free coinage
To be sure. they did not expect to be
called upon 50 soon to face the issue.
and were only trying to appease the
voters. who must reform something or
somebody or die. In state convention
tine Republican party Of Kansas indors-
ed the Sherman silver purchase law.
The Republicans of the state senate de-
Clared Out-and-out for free coinage At
St Louis the Kansas delegates opposed
the gold standard plank They wanted
g compromise on bimetaIlism or some
other meaningless thing No one can
blame them, considering their own rec
ord. and remem bering the temperament
of the people they had behind them
No wonder. therefore, that after Bry-
ans nomination Kansas rallied around
his banner. No wonder that leading
Republicans seriously questioned the
wisdom OF trying to make stand
against the tide IF there had not been
a governor and other state officers to
elect. if there had not been a state to
save from the curse Of Populistic rule,
the Republicans would have given up
the fight for the national ticket. Now
they thank their lucky stars they did
not surrender. They are fighting
they are beginning to believe they are