The Portland daily press., 1900-10-05

fssson that on national questions the
state was anti-BIyan. We think, there
fore, there can be no room for
doubling that Connecticut viii follow
the other New England states this year
and give its electoral vote for Mckinley.
New York is, as it has been for many
years past, a pivotal state. It is true
that Mckinley can be elected without It,
but We can see no possibility Of the suo-
cess Of Bryan unless he carries It To be
sure the Bryanites are claiming that
he can succeed without New York
but a very slight examination
Of the claim shows that it assumes
the carrying Of other states which only a
political landslide Of vast proportions
could turn to the Democratic candidate
1t is, We believe, practically impossible
for Bryan to be elected, unless he carries
New York. Now as to the chances In
that state. -Four years ago it went Re
publican by something like 200, 600 ma
jority; a majority due in large measure
to an uprising on the part Of business
men against Bryan's financial doctrines.
Ii Is true that these doctrines are not so
prominent as then, It is true that they
ara net the one Issue Of the campaign
as they were then but it Is also true that
they are an issue. Business men cannot
and viii not close their eyes to the fact
that Bryan stands just where he did
four yea ago on the currency question.
He Is just as ardent a free silver man
now as be was then, ana If elected, he
would be under just as much obligation
as four years ago to use all his power and
influence to place the silver dollar on an
equality with the gold dollar. We
believe that business men viii not con-
ssnt to take the risk that will be involved
in his election. Before election day arrives
there is noIdoubt that the danger Of Brysn
robustness prosperity will grow oaEthsm
and that they viii be as strongly opposed
to him as four years ago. With the busi-
ness interests s0lidly opposed to him
Bryan cannot carry the Empire state. 1t
is a state in which they are
vast and exceedingly powerfuI-alto-
gether too powerful for Croker's minions,
numerous though they be, to overcome.
A while ago the Democrats were inclined
to concede New York to the Republicans,
but when it daWned upon them that
thereby they practically conceded Bryan's S
defeat they had to face about and profess
confidence that they could carry the state.
But their professions are sincere. Neither
Croker nor Hill down in his heart has the
least expectation that the great Empire
state, with its vast commercial interests,
can be carried for Bryan and free silver.
The Hon. George Fred Williams re-
Gently returned from the West with rosy
reports Of Democratic confidence Of carry
ing Illinois, Indiana and Michigan and
even Ohio. Senator Lodge, however, re-
ports that the trend Of sentiment in the
West is strongly toward Mckinley. 1t is
true that there is doubt about Indiana,
as there always is; but about Illinois,
Ohio and Michigan there is no more
doubt than about Maine. The cities will
probably not show so heavy Republican
majorities as four years ago. but in the
country, where the Republicans LOST four
years ago, there is every reason to believe
they viii make large gains this year. On
the Pacific coast the Democrats admit
they will lose electoral votes which they
had four years ago, notably in Washing
ton, and even in the mining states they
have got to make hard fight to hold
their own. Unquestionably their chances
are better in Kentucky, Maryland and
Delaware than four years ago, but to
carry all these states Will avail them
nothing, without New York or the great
states Of the Central West.