The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-09-01
OHIO INDIANA

James Creelman, a noted writer for
the New York Journal, in an issue of
Wednesday, declares that Ohio will
give her. electoral vote to Mr.. Bryan
this year. Mr.. Creelman argues the
question at length and bases much of
his faith for this claim upon the sup
position that the strength of Golden
Rule Jones will be thrown to the Dem
ocrats. He has also been Over a con-
siderable portion of the district and
talked with the laboring men, The fac
tory hand and all classes of labor are
greatly dissatisfied with the present
conditions, he says, Inc viii protest at
the polls.
While there is no doubt that great
apathy exists in the presidents state at
the present time. it is not reasonable to
declare that Mr.. Mckinley will lose the
electoral vote of his state his fall. To
be sure, the great majority OF the Gold
Democrats are again back in line, but
the Republican party is fairly well
united, and when that is the case Ohio
is pretty sure to be found in the Re
publican column. In 1896 President Me-
Kinley carried the state by a plurality
of 81, 549, and the Republican candidate
carried the state in 1899 by a plurality
of 1923. In 1896 over a million votes
were cast. This was the highest nurn-
Der of votes ever polled in the state.
Owing to the apathy existing this fall.
the vote viii perhaps fall off at least
100000, which means a reduced plu-
ralfty for III Republican party. But
ills safe to say that Mr.. Bryan will not
come within 10000 votes of carrying
Ohio in November.
Having disposed of Ohio ten weeks
before the election, it might be we'll to
take a glance at the neighboring state
of Indiana and the conditions as they
seem to exist there today.
The Hoosier state has always been a
doubtful one, but it is less so now h
in years. Indications point at the pres
ent time to the success of Democratic
electors. The Democrats are united and
aggressive, while the Republicans are
quarreling among themselves Gov
ernor Mount is not on speaking terms
with the chairman of the state central
committee; the bitterest kind of riv-
airy exists between Senators Fairchild
and Beveridge, and ex-President Har-
rison refuses to take the stump on ac-
count of his bitter opposition to the
policy of the administration in the
Philippines. Gen. Lew Wallace is also
su1king. In 1896 the Gold Democrats
cast over 1000 votes for Palmer and
three times as many for Mckinley di-
rect, while the Populists cast over 5000.
Few of these can be counted in the Re
publican column this year.
AT least 80 per cent of the Germans
who voted with the Republican party
four years ago are now with the Demo-
Gratis. The majority of them are loyal
followers of Car Schurz and followed
him to the polls for the Republican
ticket in 1896 on the issues of sound
money. Now Schurz declares the money
question is settled and the question to
be feared is our colonial policy. Schurz
will stump Indiana and give his views in
the native language. Nearly all of the
prominent German leaders of Terre
Haute. Fort Wayne, Richmond and New
Albany have dissolved their connection
with the Republicans. The coming out
of ex-Congressman johnson for the
Democrats is another straw. Again the
attitude of the colored voters of Indian
apolis is a vexation. They are showing
sign of dissatisfaction. Mayor Taggart,
manager of the Democratic campaign,
is considered the smoothest politician in
Indiana and somehow he has managed
to corral the colored vote of Indianapolis
as firmly as Croker controls Tammany.
A slight violence of this was shown this
week when the cOlOred editors OF the
state in convention assembled voted
down a resolution to indorse the admin
istration. Another significant pointer
came out his week after the Republi-
cans had taken a hurried poll of the
state. When the totals had been footed
up the result showed a majority of 49,
600 for the Democrats.
Chairman Hernly secretly issued a
call for a meeting of the state executive
committee. To the members Hernly said
that at the present time the state is
in the hands of the Democrats, and it
will take a heroic effort for the Republi-
cans to get it back before the election.
The Republican poll shows the great
est change from the Republican to the
Democratic column in the counties COM
posing the gas belt. Many of the largest
and most important manufacturing
plants of the cities in the gas belt have
been closed within the last two years
and thousands of men have been thrown
out of employment. The workmen think
the trusts are responsible.
As it has been shown that Ohio is
safely Republican so all indications
point at the present time to the electoral
vote of the state of dian being cast
in November for w. J.. Bryan.