Evening star., 1900-09-29
CAMPAIGN IN NEBRASKA
HOT FIGHT FOR VOTE OF BRYAN's
STATE.
Both Sides Make the Usual Claims
Drift, However, Seems to
BE Republican.
Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star.
OMAHA. September %, 19(

Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.
OMAHA, September %. 1900.
Nebraska never saw such a political bat
tie as that which is now being waged. Re
publicans are making desperate struggle
to redeem the state. The fusionists, led
by William ]. Bryan. are confident that
they can hold their strength. Both sides
give pretty good grounds for the belief en-
tertained.
In 1896 the total vote cast in Nebraska
was 223, ,245 Bryan's plurality was 1876.
He received nearly 80 per cent of the vote.
Two years later the fusionists cast only
5O19 per cent Of the total vote for governor.
electing Poynter by plurality of 2.I21. At
this time the republicans elected a ma
jority of the state legislature. Last year
justice of the supreme court was at the
head of the state ticket. Mr.. Bryan cam
paigned the state with great vigor. The
total vote was '220, 249. almost equal to that
of the presidential year, and the fusionists
carried the state by ID, ,1OI.
Conservative men in the fusion ranks are
claiming the state this year by from II, 600
to 1900 plurality for Bryan. This means
that the republicans must change at least
1900 votes in order to redeem the state for
Mckinley. This the leaders on the repub-
lican side are confident can be done. Re-
gardless of the large disaffection among
the populists, who are going over to the
midroad ticket, as distinguished from the
Bryanfte ticket, the republicans GER
tainly making deep inroads into the fusion
ranks. Reports to this effect are cumula-
tive and cannot be disregarded
H. c. Lindsay's Statement.
81 can discount my reports 80 per cent"
said H. c. Lindsay, the chairman of the
republican state committee. yesterday, land
still will have margin for safe estimate
of republican success this fall. This result
aJrry,
oratory: 1t is a condition brought by
prevailing prosperity. The farmer is get
ting from 80 to "a cents per bushel for his
corn, whereas four years ago he got but
to 10 cents. The prices which his live
stock is now bringing will average about
80 per cent higher than those he got in
1896. This is doing the work. 1t has dis
proved Bryan's theories. County chairmen
throughout the state say that the farmers
want to be let alone. They do not even
want to be talked to, and we have reports
from some counties asking us to keep cam
paign orators out OF the district, SO salts
factory is the sentiment in those localities"
j. H. Edmiston, chairman of the populist
state committee at Lincoln, recently made
the assertion that Bryan would again
sweep Nebraska, and this time by at least
% 600 plurality. He said the German-Amer-
lean vote was a unit for Bryan. In one pre-
cinct where there Is a colony Of Holland
Dutch, most ot whom voted for Mckinley
four years ago, Mr.. EdmiStOn says. Bryan
will get % per cent Of the vote this year.
There are many German settlements in Ne
braska, and these Germans. 1t is claimed
take stock in Mr.. Br;ans argument against
miitarism, and have been won over by
him. This is especially true of the German
Lutherans and Catholics. Moreover, the
labor vote is solidified in favor of Bryan
largely because his arguments are directed
against the rich and powerful He has con-
vineed the labor vote that he is their cham
pion and friend. The laboring men of Ne
braska very largely have been made to be-
lieve that the republican party has fostered
the trusts, although the republican state
antitrust statute passed by a republican
legislature under which a popocratic attor-
ney general is now prosecuting the STAN
dard Oil Company and J. Sterling Morton's
Nebraska City Starch Company, which, 1t
is alleged. have joined the respective oil
and starch trusts.
Trend Toward Republicanism.
There is an unmistakable trend of senti-
ment favorable to the republican ticket.
There is little doubt that c. H. DIETRICH, re-
publican candidate for governor. will be
elected. and there are good grounds for the
prediction that the republicans will have q
majority Of the egislature-probably fifteen
or twenty. There are towns in western Ne
braska whose merchants four years ago
were noisy for Bryan to man. This year
95 per cent Of them are outspoken for Nc
kinley. Many straw ballots have been
taken on the railroad trains, invariably
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