The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-11-03
STANLEY IN MINING DISTRICTS
Fred TriGG Says He VIII Cut MAORI
ties in Two

| tseS IN Two.
Deputy United States Marshal Fred c
TTigg. who returned yesterday morning
from an official visit to Montgomery ant
Labette counties, was asked by report
er for the Eagle as to his opinion of The
political situation in the state.
"'Why, there is only one opinion TO en-
terrain on that subject" he replied, "fol
everybody has the same opinion. 1 have
not yet found a man who really believed
anything else than that W. L. Stanley
will be elected.
IN every county I have visited (and
have been in 81 Of them since the cam
paign opened, 1 have heard the same
story-Repubncan gains, and Populst
losses L have not heard one Populist
yet who claimed that his party had made
any gains in his own county. When he
tells you that Leedy is gaining votes he
| tells you a fairy tale about some other
county-never his own.
These reports of Leedy's gains are
slippery, you never catch up with them
they are always in the next county.
Here in Wichita, for instance, a man
told me the other day that while Stanley
would wipe out Leedy's majority in Sedg-
wick county, yet Leedy would gain enough
votes TO offset it in the mining districts.
We'll, 1 have been in the mining dis
tricts. I have been in Usage Cherokee
and Crawford counties. When 1 began
a search for Leedy's gains" they gave
me the horse laugh. Leedy carried Usage
county in 1896 by $50 majority. A Popu-
list office-holder in that county told me
two weeks ago that If Leedy got over
100 majority there this year he would be
surprised, but he informed me that this
disafection was only local and that
down in Cherokee and Crawford the
miners were solid for Leedy" Well,
when 1 got to Cherokee county I found
the Pouplists were discouraged. The 10
car' disaffection seems to have extended
down there also, and the Republicans
were correspOndingly hopeful and jubi-
ant.
IN 1896 Leedy carried Cherokee county
by 1152. Some of the Republican work
ers actually believe they can entirely
overcome that majority this year and
give Stanley as many votes in the coun-
~ as Leedy gets, but l hardly think
they viii do that well. The Fopu!ists
claim the count yby only 200. and con-
sentative Republicans concede it to them
by 500 If the Populfsts can get any COM
fort out of gains Of that kind. they
are not hard to please. Crawford coun-
~ gave Leedy 751 majority in 1886. The
most enthusiastic Populist 1 met only
claimed ne county this year by $50 That
is the way Leedy is gaining over in
the mining districts"
But over there they told me some
stories Of fabulous gains
for Leedy in the Seventh district. When
l told them that they We're not making
such claims for the Seventh district out
here they would hardly believe II.
Il am still hearing stones from the
Populists about Leedy gains. but I have
chased that phantom from county to
county until l am about ready to give
up the race. I have never caught up
with il yet; never even got inside the
same county with it
'On the other hand. you can hardly
strike a voting precinct in Kansas where
the Republicans are not able to sit down
and give you a list of from two 10 ten
men VINO voted for Ieedy in lSs6 and
who VIII vote Tor Stanley in 1885. Better
still. II YOU declare that you are from
Missouri and express any doubt ab.ut the
correctness Of the list, they Will show
you''-take you right out and introduce
you 10 them. and If you ask them i :,
: true that they VIII vote Tor Stanley
this year, they speak right out loud and
SAY You bet your life I will
Among all ciasSes-the farmer. the
merchant. the lawyer. the miner. the
railroad man-it Is The same story. SIAN
ley : making gains among all OF them.
The free silver Republicans VIII vote for
him almost solid'y and he viii carry 20
of the rs counties in the state.
Driven 10 desperate straits for cam
-aign material the opposition have de-
serted every issue and heve commenced q /
campaign Of abuse. When the campaign
opened they said Stanley would not talk
state issues but would talk war" Much
to t3er caaSvin. Stanley talks nothing
ise put STATE issues and only alludes 20
questions incidentally. lie has
mot them sQuarely upon every Guest ION
ana ;hey cannot answer him. he has
ret them upon the ground - their own
-ao1sioE. gave them thesr choice OF wea7-
3uS-and defeated them. Stanley has had
-1,Isjns meetings since lie opening q. tas
"a mQaign. and TIE Pops have me- wi-h
cold frost n almost every instance.
Stanley viii have ,hs largest majority