Evening star., 1900-05-09
DEMOCRATIC CLAIMS
How 1t is Figured That Mr.. Bryan
Will Win.
FREE SILVER NOT TO Be RETIRED
States That Went Republican Ex-
pected to Change.
o P T I M 1 STIC VIEW S

Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.
CHICAGO, May g. 1900
Mr.. German remarked not long ago in
Washington that if the democratic party
would inject little common sense into the
approaching campaign it stood a good
chance of success. When asked his opin-
ion as to the outcome of the election he
said that from present indications he an
ticipated democratic House of Represen-
tatives and the reelection of President
mckinney. There are other prominent
democrats in the east who take a more
hopeful view of the situation than even
Mr.. German, but as a rule the eastern
democrats are conservative in their claims
as to probable democratic successes There
is no limit, however, to the confidence OF
the democrats in the west and the claims
they are making, which they support by
the most extravagant figures. Sitting out
the claims Of the wild enthusiasts and con-
siderng only those with some basis of pos
sibility they are sufficiently logical to be
interesting.
Democratic Press Committee.
Chicago is the headquarters of the demo-
democratic party west of New York. The
Unity building, owned by ex-Gov. Altgeld,
and in which he has his office, is the shrine
Of the democracy, and to it's portals hasten
pilgrims from other states and within its
walls are held the conferences. written the
circulars and tabuated the figures which
will elect Mr.. Bryan President in Novem-
Der unless there is some serious fault in
these optimistic calculations.
Bryan received the total of 17G electoral
votes in 1896 and President Mckinley 271.
One of Mr.. Bryans votes came from Cali
fOrnia. nv accident. and ShOil19 be restored
to the Mckinley column leaving Mr..
Bryan 175 votes. By local complications
rather u out of the 13 electoral votes, and
these u votes must be restored to Mr..
Bryan, giving him normal vote, based on
the figures of 1896, of 1877 in the electoral
college.
There are AT electoral votes, and the
successful candidate must have 224 of
these. Allowing the strenuous claim of the
democrats that Mr.. Bryan will hold the
states which were his in 1896, and giving
him Kentucky as being normally regular
In its democracy he needs 81 additional
electoral votes to turn the scale in his
favor.
States Claimed by Conservatives.
The states claimed by the most conserva-
tive democrats are California, Indiana, Del
aware and Maryland having total of thir-
ty-five electoral votes, leaving only two
necessary to secure the desired 224. Some
claim Michigan, some Minnesota, some Il
linois and others New York. 1t is evident
that if California, Indiana, Maryland ana
Delaware go democratic, only one other
state is needed to throw the election to
Bryan. In California, out of the total of
900 votes in 1896 Mckinley only received
a plurality of 2,797, and the democrats
claim that the anti-expansion sentiment is
now stronger In California than the eXpan-
sion sentiment was some time ago. Indiana
it is claimed, is a normally democratic
state and with the free silver issue in the
background and a regular democratic or
ganization harmonious, it is believed by the
democrats that the 5000 plurality given to
Mckinley out of the $4,000 votes can be
overcome Maryland is claimed by the
democrats by the grace of Mr. German
who, as he is said to have expressed it, has
his coat off for the democratic party. Del
aware is also held by the democrats to be
surely IN line for Bryan this year, Or rather
not much for Bryan as for the democrat-
ic party. Minnesota is claimed on the anti
expansion issue and the vote of the Hol-
landers, and encouragement for this idea is
obtained from the fact that the present
governor of Minnesota is a democrat and
very popular with the people. Pingree is
given credit for being sufficiently disturb
ing influence to make Michigan doubtful
also. Illinois and New York are placed III
the doubtful column by the more enthu-
siastic prophets. In fact. there is 40 limit
to the great landslide which is predicted
from the headquarters Of the democ ratio
The Vice Presidency.
The idea of defeating Mr.. Bryan for the
democratic nomination at Kansas City is
laughed at in the west.
There Is very little discussion of the vice
presidential nominee, and there seems in
fact, to be considerable Indifference as to
who is selected. There is one factor which
does not seem to be taken into considera-
ton in the least in discussing democratic
candidates for this office which will have
great deal of weight in the west not only
with Mr.. Bryan, but with the great mass
of the democratic party, and that is the
serious objection to a military man. This
was realized in Chicago when Admiral Dew
ey was here and was talked of as a vice
presidential possibility, for the objection
was very promptly set forth that the peo-
pie did not care to put military or naval
ofhcer, representing, as he did, certain
things to which the democratic theory is
most antagonistic, into any position of
power over the people, as he might nat
urally be expected to favor legislation in
creasing the armed strength of the country
Free silver Not to BE Retired
The eastern democrats are mistaken If
they hope for the retirement of the free
silver issue after the Kansas City conven-
ton. The publications of the national dem
ocratic committees press bureau are even
now largely devoted to an exposition of
the principle and an advocacy of the free
coinage of silver at a ratio of 16 to l. Willis
Abbott, who has charge of the press matter
for the national committee, came to his po-
sition through his warm friendship for and
close acquaintance with Mr.. Bryan, and If
the latter had any idea of shelving the
money question there would have been some
indication of this in the circulars and other
| matter which has issued from the office of
the committee.
The democrats claim that Mr.. Bryan is as
strong everywhere as he was in 1896, and
that President Mckinley Is weaker, and 1t
| is upon this they base their hopes of sue
cess. The democratic leaders seem very
much more confident of late of ample finan-
cial support during the campaign. Just
where this Is coming from is not apparent,
but there is evidently plenty of money on
hand at present to keep a very active force
at work issuing cheerful estimates and
hopeful propaganda. The stock of enthusi-
asm and optimism is unlimited and seems
to inspire every one from the leaders of
the party to the Office boy Of the press COM
mittees room.
Ten Dollars or Thirty Days.
For the larceny of a suit Of underwear
i ol,re. e. Sn