The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-01-09

so absolutely a~ntagonistic TO all he has
ever said or ~professed TO mold The Mes
senger once showed that a change OF
bue o. 600 in some states would have
elected Bryan. The republican from the
west says:
In the frs place, while Mckinley's
victory in 1886 was in one sense over
whelming, analysis shows that the
change of less han $4,000 votes in four
southern and two northern states Wouio
have put his opponent in the Nh3Se
house. Bryan secured n OF the eieS-
tors from Kentucky, and Mckinney Cd
tanned the other twelve by pluralities
not exceeding Isl; the other three states
of the formerly solid south which
went for Mckinley Were carried by
1887 votes in Delaware, 1I,4ST in West
Virginia, and s.. 2S2 in Maryland Bryan
secured one of the nine electors from
California. and lost the other eight by
pluralfties rising no higher than l.Sz2.
Indiana went for Mckinley by a plu-
sality OF 1S.1S1. In other words. IL the
h~esitating voters in these half dozen
states, who made VI their minds a the
last moment. had gone the other way
to the number OF l4l in Kentucky. S62
in California. 1913 in Delaware, 5.s+4
in West Virginia, 1901 in Indiana. and
10. l17 in Maryland, Bryan would have
had 22S electoral votes and the presi-
dency. despite h fact that even then
McKinley'S plurality over him a the
polls would nave been much more than
half a million"
We are not giving an opinion, but re-
cording speculations as to what may
have happened or may happen Nc
kinley will be nominated, n with
his immense patronage, with the plu-
tocrats to back him with money with
out stint, with some Mark Hanna 10
buy up votes and lay a plan Of COM
pulsion and intimidation upon all en-
ployes in northern mills and mines, etc.
it will be indeed extremely difficult to
defeat in an age of d~ecadence the re-
publican candidate.
Will the republicans, having changed
front on both tariff and money. be so
strong in 1900 as in 1896" The probable
fty is that the gold stanG of Mckinley
Ga clear sop) will make MIN as strong
for il will draw TO him more democrats
than voted for him in 1896. The Even
ing Post supported Mckinley with
might and main, but it says now:
In 1896 the republicans had the great
advantage of being the outs and of
having the hard times issue against
the other party-a combination which
has won after every great financial
panic in our history for sixty years. In
1900 they will lack this advantage. Sup
posing the present prosperity 10 last
until next fall, all they can say TO the
w~orkingman is that Mckinley should
be reelected 10 insure its continuance.
They used precisely the same arSu-
ment under similar circumstances when
Harrison ran for reelection in 1892, and
were overwhelmingly beaten.
THE republicans seem today to stand
a better chance than the. B~ryanites of
carrying three or four states beyond
the Missouri which they lost before,
Kansas, South Dakota. Wyoming. and
Washington, no one of which. howev-
er, except Kansas, has above four cleo
tordl votes"
We have an impression that Mckin-
ley will be in the east to
some extent by his policy of conquest
and killing. He may even lose by it in
the west. If the working men in that
great section who antagoniZe that eX-
pansion policy of conquest and addi-
ton shall stand firm. Mckinley may
Lose more than a half million votes. The
Evening Post concludes a long dis
eussion in part by saying that lit is OBJ
vious enough that the western republi-
an whose remark we quoted at the out
set is quite warranted in his view that
the presidential acc of 1900 may not be
a Walkover for the candidate of his
party"
We apprehend thai Bryan viii not
be 50 strong in the south, for there are
gold democrats, protection democrats
and expansion democrats who may
prefer even such a trickster and sum-
n~ersaulter as Mckinley to a bold,
Brave, determined man like Bryan with
honest principles and convictions he
&0ul- mtaintain at all hazards.