Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-09-10
AMONG THE MINERS
Colorado's Electoral Vote Expected to
Go for Bryan.
DEMOCRATS AND POPULISTS TO FUSE
Free Silver Still Living Issue in
the State.
WHY MINES CLOSED DOWN
Special Correspondence OF The Evening Star.

| Special Correspondence OF The Evening Star
DENVER. Col. September Z. 1900
While Senator Wolcott and his friends are
hard at work In the endeavor to carry this
state for the republican party. the indica-
| lions are that they will fall There is too
| much at stake with the opposition to
| neglect any chance which might lead to VIC
| tory, and the fusion forces recognize the
| fact that they must either combine upon
state ticket or else go down to certain
| defeat at the hands of the republicans
The only hope for the republicans lies in the
| disintegration of the opposition. The only
hope of the opposition is in harmony within
| their own ranks. Whatever may be the
| real sentiments of the democrats. silver re-
publicans and populists toward each other,
| they will recognize this condition and pro-
duce some kind Of joint arrangement.
Attorney General CampbelPs Views.
Attorney General D. NJ. Campbell lead
Ing populist and fusionist, said today: Mr..
Bryan will carry this state by 10000 major
| ity, which Is considerably less than his
| majority in 1896 The state ticket of the
fusion forces will be elected by about half
that, or 10000 majority. The loss in the
Bryan vote will be due to the detection of
the silver republicans. thousands of whom
Will probably vote the republican ticket
| this year. There may be about GO 600 Sill
yer republicans In Colorado who voted for
Mr.. Bryan In 1896 and, while the return of
| many OF these to the republican party
makes considerable noise and a great show
| Ing, 1t must be remembered that twenty-five
or thirty thousand OF these will stand pat
| for the fusion candidate. There are enough
democrats and populists in this state to
beat the republicans without the silver re-
this latter element who stand as strongly
today for Bryan as do Senator Teller and
Representative Shafroth about whose
allegiance to Mr.. Bryan there rs no shadow
of doubt.
Probable Division of Offices
'The democrats. silver republicans and
| populists have discussed this matter OF
fusion persstently for many weeks past,
and while no definite agreement has yet
been reached the discussion has gradually
brought about understanding which will
probably prevail On the basis now talked
of the democrats will be given the governor,
lieutenant governor and state treasurer.
The silver republicans will have the audi
tor, superintendent of schools and the rep
| resentative for the first district. In the lat
ter Mr Shafroth will be renominated by all
parties. The populists will have the secre-
| tary of state, attorney general and the rep
| resentative in the second district. In this
district Representative Bell will also be re-
nominated. In addition to this division Of
| the state offices an agreement will be made
| as to an equitable distribution Of the ap-
pointments available in all of the different
state departments.
"Of course. IL the legislature is fusion.
which we confidently expect, Senator VOL
colt will be retired. and in all probability
a democrat Of fusion leanings elected. At
present the contest seems to be between
Governor Thomas and Thomas Patterson.
but that Is q matter which we are not fight
Ing about now. for all are agreed that our
first duty Is to carry the legislature for the
fusion ticket and settle the senatorial mat
| ter after that is accomplished"
Still for Free Silver
There is no question that the hopes OF
| the fusionists are better founded than those
Of the republicans. though the latter will
| cut heavily into the fusion majorities OF
1896 in national, state and local elections
The fusionists take the position that free
silver is a living, personal issue in the state
or Colorado and that no amount of shelly
ing can retire 1t from any campaign in
which the platfroms Of any of the parties
| make 1t question in the election. There is
not the keen and excited discussion of free
silver this year that was common in 1896
but 1t would be useless to ignore the fact
that majority of the residents in a mining
state like Colorado are in favor of the free
coinage Of silver by the United States, be-
neving 1t to be to their great personal ad-
vantage in its influence upon the market
price Of their principal product.
The party, therefore. that advocates the
free coinage Of silver will have the best
OF any election held in the mining states
| w nile some OF the mine owners may reCOg-
nize the republican argument as to the
generally disastrous effect of such free
coinage. vast majority of the miners and
the laboring men dependent upon the silver
output for their living will always believe
that special legislation can be enacted
which will make times better in the mining
region.
An Object Lesson in Trusts.
The democrats and populists also have
what they look upon a great object les
son in trusts for use in all their campaign
ing in this state and that is the : american
Smelling and Refining Company, one of
the largest and closest industrial combi-
nations included in the list of trusts"
The ore producers have attempted to COM
bat this trust and failed. The laboring
men have inaugurated tremendous and far
reaching strikes in their efforts to raise
the scale of wages and reduce their hours
or labor as dictated by the SHELTERS and
have failed The smelling combine con-
tinues to have Its own way. and within
certain limits controls the labor market,
fixes the price of fuel, ore and minerals
with unquestioned authority. The only ar
gument the republicans have been able to
bring against popular condemnation of the
smelter combine has been to show that
since 1t was effected employment has been
steadier and there have been fewer fuc-
tuations in the market price Of the products
of the mines.
A few of the great mining camps OF
Colorado will show a decrease in output
This year, as compared with 1893. ThlS
is especially true of Cripple Creek, where
1t is estimated the output will be 20 per
cent less this year. This has been ascribed
to various causes. mostly local. In each
property. 1t does not generally seem to
be understood, however, that It was fear
of labor troubles during the present season
that caused many Of these mines to close
down until after the election. These mines
were paying s. a day for their labor and
were very prosperous. much that
they all had large reserves in their treas
uries An election year is always OF
labor difficulties, and for fear Of the re-
suits Of agitation the owners of properties
IKE the Portland and the Isabella and
many others in Cripple Creek. decided to
close up and pay dividends during the
summer from surplus funds already accu-
mulated. The men who owned these prop
critics are all very wealthy. though their
incomes were not reduced by this closing
down. for the Portland for instance. paid
six months dividends In advance before
stopping the machinery SO that the clos
ing had no effect upon the stock.
Reduced Bryan Majority.
These industrial conditions are thorough
ly well understood by those dependent upon
the mining interest for living. and with
the democratic party posing as the great