Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1898-09-21
lEEDrS YEAR TO WIN.
AS IT.lS SEEN BY A PROMINENT
REPUBLICAN,.
Stanley Considered Weak-Big Crowds ut
Fusion Meetings-Republican
Leaders Not Saguiue.

AeoOofS NOT SoSuiues
Topeka, Kan. Sept. 13.-The po-
litical situation in Kansas is assum-
Ing shape that enables the people to
size 1T up. The mysterious. spa-
thetic atmosphere that surrounded it
is clearing up. Men are beginning to
talk and express their opinions. The
people are livening mp. The most
intelligent opinion of the stats Is that
the fusionists will elect every candi-
date of the first magnitude except the
congressman. In other words, the
parties win be where the election of
90 left them so far as cffice Is con-
cerned. There is q bare chance that
the fusionists will gain congressman.
1t is only chance.
One way to estimate pending bat
tie is to find out how the enemy feels.
The republicans are steadily losing
confidence. There Is no doubt about
this. Tonight representative of the
Times had confidential talk with one
of the most prominent republicans In
the state. 1t was "between- me-and
you" talk, in which it was promised
that no DANES should be given. He
is man who has an intelligent un-
derstandiDg of the situation. His
business necessltates a great deal of
travel through the state. His posi-
tion in the party jnstifies the suppos-
tion that his fellow republicans would
talk to him freely.
STANLEY WILL BE HARD WHIPPED.
Between me and you," he began,
"Leedy will send Stanley back to
Wichita in November the worst whip
ped man in the state. There isn't a
doubt in my mind but that your
entire ticket will be elected"
"If tie vote is brought out" was
suggested.
"Of course, there is danger there, !"
he said, "but there is also danger on
our side from the same cause. The
fact is that, in my opinion, more of
our people will stay at home than
you're. 1 have been connected with
republican politics for thirty years In
Kansas and never saw less entAusi-
asm. Our people are beginning to
weaken on the strongest hope we had :.
The war is doing US no good. We
can profit by it when the national
election comes around. but not until
then. The truth Is that Leedy has
made as good a war governor as Nc
Kinley has made war president. If
we are electing parties on their war
record i: is Leedy's year and not Nc
kinley's."
"How do the leaders feel?"
PARTY LEADERS NOT sANaUINE.
''Tney feel like 1 feel. They all
say that Stanley will be elected, but
they add an 'if.' Our people are u.s.
ing too many IFS to give courage.
1t is if John Seaton works. 'if we
can get the labor vote,' IF the rail-
road boys don't 60 back on US, If
the Diggers don't throw u.s. If the
old soldiers stay by u.s. If the resuh-
mission vote does not hurt Stanley,
if the prohibition populists vote fer
Peffer,' and so on. You can't talk to
a single republican in the state ten
seconds without hearing the word If. ,
"What is your opinion Of the 'ifs'
mentioned?
my opinion Is that most of the ifs
are essential words in estimating the
chances of the campaign. II the Me-
groes don't vote for Leedy they are
not smart. 1 think they will. Mark
you now, that don't believe that the
negroes will become popultsts per-
manentIy, but do think the young
fellows among them are smart enough
to give the republicans an object les
son on appreciation. When Leedy
made his ten strike for the negro vote
1 told our fellows that they ought to
get one of our candidates to Withdraw
on the plea of i'll health or something
and fill his place with negro, but
they wouldn't do it. They missed q
good opportunity of offsetting the
capital that Leedy made for his party.
THE PEOPLE ON MCNALL's SIDE.
ssThe old soldiers" he continued,
"feel an arrangement in republican
politics. They rave not been given
the consideration they were used to
receive In the old days. They seem
to realize that the republicans do not
look upon tberu as a factor In party
politics any more. have been to
their reunions and know what they
are talking and thinking about.