Evening star., 1900-10-22
CONFIDENT LEADERS
Republican Party Managers Await
ing Election Without Anxiety.
JUSTIFIED BY TEE REPORTS RECEIVED
viii Gain Farmers and Win Hold
the Labor Vote.
HANNA AND THE BIG STRIKE
pecial Correspondence of heEvening Star.

Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.
CHICAGO, October 10. 1900.
Just four years ago today, doubt and some
gloom existed at republican national COM
mittee headquarters. The exactly opposite
conditions exist today. Greater confidence
of success at the approaching election was
never entertained at any political head
quarters.
This confidence comes at late date, and
as a result of the most systematic. per-
sistent and effective work at republican ma
tional committee headquarters. 1t required
two months of the hardest work by the
most capable and experienced managers to
first effect the organization now existing,
and secondly, to arouse those who believe
in the policies of McKinleys administra-
tion to the full realization of danger. At
first the apparent lack of interest in the
impending campaign was interpreted to be
based upon apathy" 1t was believed by
republican managers that there was over
confidence, and that those who were In
clined to support Mckinley and Roosevelt
simply lacked the time to express them
selves. and the energy to make their senti-
ments felt.
When the party was properly organized
and reports began to arrive at national COM
mittee headquarters it was found that there
existed a great deal of opposition to many
of the policies of the present administra-
ton among those who had heretofore work.
ed with the republican party. Considerable
opposition was expected among the German
element on account of President McKinley's
foreign policy, but when that policy became
familiar to the German voters, and they
realized the impending danger of the adop-
ton of the free and unlimited coinage of
silver at 16 to 1, danger from that quarter
shifted. The trouble has not been with the
German element-a class of people in this
country who believe in sound money, sound
government and protection to home indus
tries.
Farmers Change Their Views.
Chairman Jones of the democratic nation
al committee soon learned in this campaign
that there had been wonderful change OF
sentiment among the farmers Of the central
middle and far west, and that the popu-
lists-men who had once been strong repub-
licans and had changed to the opposition on
account Of 16 to had come to the con-
clusion that they were misled in 1896, and
were now for sound money, Mckinley, ex-
pansion of the markets and general pros
perity Then Chairman Jones, or his as
sistant managers, began to work upon the
laboring men. Their literature indicated
disposition to make the workingmen In the
town and city believe that he was paying
for the success and prosperity enjoyed by
the farmer, or that he was not receiving his
full share of general prosperity. The fight
of the republican national committee with
the democrats to retain the vote of the Ia
boring on the ground that he was
gaining more and better employment than
four years ago has been very hot for four
weeks. pills taken in the labor centers
during the past week indicate to the salts
faction Of this committee that the working
man will remain In the republican column.
Outlook I'm Cook County.
This (Cook) county, so far as the laboring
vote Is concerned, is regarded as the storm
center of the entire country. The fact is,
Chairman Hanna and his associates on the
republican national committee, as well as
the Cook county republican committee,
were considerably surprised to receive yes
terday the insight of the full poll of the
Cook county vote 1t indicates republican
majority in this state, as well as in this
county. as large as four years ago. 1t indl-
Gates also that the labor vote will stay with
the republican party fully as strong as it
did in '96.
Polls have also been received from the
leading labor centers in Indiana. where
glass, iron and steel workers predominate.
In every one of these labor centerS-and
they represent the heaviest percentage of or
ganized labor within the United States-the
polls show that the vote of 1895 for the re-
publican ticket will be fully maintained. If
any doubts the confidence at national
committee headquarters entertained to
the result in Indiana bet made this week
by Mr.. Charles Pfister, one of the wealth.
lest men in Milwaukee, and an intimate
personal friend of Chairman Payne, should
set all doubts at rest. Mr.. Pdster bet, 1t Is
said, $4,000 even money that Indiana would
give a plurality for Mckinley and Roose-
welt in excess of 10000. This is a decided in
crease for the republican vote Of 1896
A landslide has taken place in the Rocky
mountain states from Bryan to Mckinley.
While it is not expected at republican ma
tional committe headquarters that the cleo
toral votes of Montana, Idaho and Colorado
will favor Mckinley and Roosevelt, no sur
prise will be expressed at such a victory. AS
to the electoral votes OF South Dakota. Ne
braska. Kansas and Wyoming, there Is no
more doubt entertained than there is that
Ohio, Indiana or Michigan will be republi-
can.
Settling the Coal Strike.
Chicago is agog over the part Chairman
Hanna took in the adjustment Of the an
thracite coal strike. 1t is known here that
some weeks before the strike was ordered
Senator Hanna was approached by the
friends of the miners, and after hearing
statement from both sides of the controver-
sy declared that the demands of the strik-
ers were just and should be granted. No
one will probably ever appreciate In Its
fullness the work performed by Mr.. Hanna
in bringing about the settlement of the an
thracite coal strike. which was satisfactory
to the miners.
Secretary Heath was also greatly inter-
himself made several trips to New York,
representing Senator Hanna and the ma
tional committee, and met delegations who
did a great deal of hard work to secure the
satisfactory adjustment, although he dis
claimed any credit for 1t.
Secretary Heath's Work.
| Perhaps it may be of interest to know
something of the great work that Secretary
Heath has performed during this campaign.
He has done the work of ten men, and per-
fected an organization for the distribution
| of literature that cannot be criticised. Sec
retary Heath brought with him to the Office
| of secretary the varied experience of a
newspaper man, and added to this the prac-
| tical knowledge of a printer. This knowl-
| edge has served him well, for in the print
| ing of documents he has saved the national
| committee an immense amount of money
| and given the voters high class of litera-
| ture. While the national committee has not
| circulated anything like the documents it
| did in 90, 1t is generally conceded that the
matter has been of a much higher class.
The people were educated to 1t four years
| ago and the demand this year was unpre-
| cedented Thousands of tons Of documents
upon every subject raised by the democrats