The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-09-08
Bryan's Vote to Be Weakened
by the Bourbon Sound
Money Ticket
MANY TO FOLLOW VERMONT.
Several States That Were Regarded
Doubtful Will Give Mckinley
Majority.


bers of the Republican campaign comm it
tee regard as unusually favorable reports
rece ived from Texas, Alabama and
Louisiana, and declare that the sound
money ticket will serve in each of these
States to reduce the Democratic vote.
Nor are the reports from the West dis
couraging, and Minnesota, Wisconsin,
Michigan and Nebraska are con sidered
safely Republican. These States were
regarded as doubtful at the beginning of
the campaign.
Senator German was at Democratic
headquarters to-day. Exactly what part
the Senator proposes to take in the cam
paIgn has been for some time matter of
speculation. The fact that he spent
nearly an hour in earnest consultation
with Senator Faulkner lent substance to a
rumor that he will give the campaign
managers the benefit of his advice. Sen
ator Faulkner was not willing to make
known the subject of their discussion.
The anxiety of Democratic leaders in
creases. They fear that the Maine cleo
tion will emphasize the lack of mi crest in
the silver movement throughout the New
England States. Maine's majority for the
Republican ticket will be, it is appre-
hended, proportion ately as large as that
of Vermont, and anticipating this some of
the managers are bewaIling the mistake
made by the Chicago convention in select
ing as a candidate for the Vice-Presidency
a man who cannot strengthen the ticket
either in his own or any other State.
Chairman Babcock of the Republican
Committee said to THE CALL correspond
ent:
''The Maine election will be a pointer
upon the general situation and prospects
throughout the country. If Maine gives
$4,000 Republican majority or better it
will be pretty good evidence of the trend
of public opinion. After all it is the natu-
raj trend of affairs that forms the best ba-
sis of estimate. 1t is like woodsman
dropping a piece of bark in a sluggish
stream to observe the direction of the cur
rent. The general trend of affairs before
an election, when it becomes known, has
a powerful effect upon public opinion.
You let it become apparent that the tide
is setting a certain way and it sweIls in
volume by accessions until nothing can
stop it.
''The effect of the Republican victory in
Vermont shows more than anything else
the truth of this. 1t has slim ulated pub
lie confidence to such an extent that
values in the stock market have appre-
ciated more than 500. 600, 600 in a week
People are encouraged to look for sound
money victories in November, business is
stimulated, capital takes new hope to it.
self, and there Is relief through a Republi-
can Victory in even one State.
The calm Judgment of those, who as
tion of sound-money Democrats at Indian
apolis, is that it was one of the most i'm
portant political gatherings ever assembled
in this country. There are good and SUBJ
stantial reasons for believing that it will
insure the election of sound me- oney Pre-
sident. The Republican victory in Yer
mont was unquestionably of significance
as showing how solid the East is for a
sound financial system. But Vermont's
elections do not always influence voters in
the West and South, which will be the
real battlefields OF the momentous struggle
for the preservation of the gold, standard.
1t was, therefore, necessary to organize in
to an effective protest the sentiment
which exists in these sections against the
proposed debasement of the currency, and
the Indianapolis convention did this more
successfully than it could have been done
through any other agency.
If it be asked what this convention has
d one the reply is that in every important
State of the West and South it has pro-
yided for vigorous and aggressive opposi-
ton to the un- Democratic principles enun-
ciated by the Chicago convention. In
Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Missouri, Kansas,
Nebraska. Ohio and California; in the
Northwest. Minnesota, Michigan and Wis
consin, and in the South, Kentucky
Louisiana, Alabama, Florida and Texas, it
has put the party OF silver monometallism
on the defensive, and will weaken it i'm
measure bly, by diyerting thousands of
votes from Bryan. This Is denied, OF
course. by those who are cham pioning the
cause of the Chicago nom inees, but despite
their sneers they recognize the handwrit-
ing on the wall, for they know that this
convention has deprived him OF ali
chance of winning some important States
which they had. counted upon.
There is an element in the Democratic
party that could not under any circum-
stances be induced to vote for Republi-
can, although they would oe fully justified
in resenting the proposed abandonment OF
its time honored principles. To this ele-
ment the indianapolis convention will
address itself with every assurance OF
fruitful results. And when the fight has
been made and won the masses who get
their living by hard and relentless toll will
realize that they have been saved from
approving a movement that If successful
would have brought them only suffering.
II is for the purpose of convincing this
class of voters. whose loyalty TO party is so
great that they wouId vote almost for their