Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1900-10-05
Items Of Information Concerning
Political Affairs at the
Capital.
THE REPUBLICAN, CAMPAIGN LAe6IHG
Present State of the Philippine Cam
paign The Coal Miners Strike
and the Instrumentality of Hanna
Democratic Outlook I'm the East
bryan Gaining.
Especial Correspondence


ton to his campaign in SO far as
Hanna will permit. The republican
campaign needs something to give it
life and energy. President Mckinley
and his advisers are not likely to
change the adverse drift of popular
sentiment. They have several cam
paign lies to be sprung the last mo-
ment.
One will be that the Philippine in
surrection is over and that civil gov
eminent has been established.
This might do if it hadn't been
worn thredbare so many times be-
fore. 1t is even limited that the an
nouncement will be made that Agui-
naldo and the other insurgent leaders
have surrendered. Well, that also has
been used before.
No announcement of the termina-
ton of the Philippine campaign will
be believed unless accompanied by an
order for the return of at least sc, 900
troops. This is the test. 1t will be
found that the republicans cannot
meet it. Talk is cheap, but the
troops are not going to return until
the insurrection is over. Those whose
term of enlistment is out will be
II
ministration is republican.
Hanna and the Coal Trust.
The coal miners strike becomes a
matter of national Importance. The
coal operators are responsible for the
strike itself and for any consequences
which grow out of it.
The men put up with starvation
wages until body and soul could no
longer be held together. Think of
supporting family on 90 cents day
and having four days work a week.
It is crime against civilization that
a combine should have the power to
dictate such terms to workingmen.
The men offered to arbitrate and the
operators scorned their pitifui appeal.
The sympathy of the country will go
out to these starving miners in their
struggle for living wages.
It is to be hoped that the men will
be patient even under the provocation
that is sure to be offered by the
operators. They are accustomed to
starving, as one of the mine workers
executive board said recently: eve
might as well starve iole as working
It is starvation anyway"
What becomes of the republican
assumption of prosperity and the
''full dinner pail" in the face of this
strike of $4,000 men for wages to
support bare existence? 1t is many
a month since the miners have had a
full dinner pail, and they never ex-
pect to have prosperity as long as a
trust controls the output of the
worlds supply of anthracite coal.
The public is directly interested in
this strike The coal barons are
threatening an advance of one dol
lar ton for coal. Not because there
is any scarcity, but because cold
weather is coming and they have the
power to squeeze the consumer as
we'll the workman.
Never was there a greater output
of anthracite coal than this year, and
never have the operators enjoyed
more prosperity, yet they begrudge
their men decent wages out of the
millions made from the industry.
Hanna would have been glad to
avert, or at least postpone, the strike,
but the operators let him know that
he is their servant, not their master.
When they want antitrust legislation
killed it is Hanna's business to see
Sthat it is done. When Hanna wants
the operators to concede the demands
of the miners because strike will
have a bad effect on the republican
campaign, the operators tell him to
attend to his business of managing
the campaign and they will attend
to theirs. Hanna is chagrined, but
he is like the man in the Arabian
Nights who let the GENT out of the
box and couldn't get them back.
Bryan Gaining.
Chairman Jones, of the democratic
national committee, has been spend
ing a few days in the east. He is
very much pleased over the demo
cratic outlook. New York state is
putting up splendid campaign and
the republicans are much disorgan-
lied there. The democratic state
committees have good active organi-
cations in the middle western states.
The precinct organizations and demo-
cratic clubs are making great head
way. The democrats propose to see
to it this year that every man who
wants to vote for Bryan has the op-
portunity and that every vote cast for
him is counted. There is no objection
to Hanna getting out as big repub-
ican vote as he can, but the republic
ans will not be permitted to count
any votes except those actually cast
for their candidate.
Every week brings new accession
to Bryan from the republican ranks
and every week shows plainly that
there is going to be big stay-at-
home republican vote this year. The
administration is decidedly unpopular
with its own party.