Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1900-09-27
AS OUTSIDERS SEE US.

called, has been making a review Of
the. political situation in Delaware.
And hero are his surmises:
"Delawate's three votes are for Nc
Kinley and Roosevelt. The politics OF
the little State is more mixed than of
| any commonwealth have visited, but
the Presidential electors are not in
volved, and 1t is, therefore, possible to
judge that in total vote Of 35, 900 or
sc, 600 Mckinley will have plurality Of
l,00U or thereabouts, as against plu-
rality of 5000 in 1896.
THE total vote may be little larger
| than the vote of four years ago, while
the Mckinley plurality will be smaller.
But margin of n thousand in so small
vote is not easily wiped out.
$50 much is head about other
phases of the campaign that 1t is diff
| cult to get ut the national situation. A
governor and other State officers are to
be chosen along With the Representa-.
tive i'll Congress to fiji a vacancy caused
| by the death of the member elected in
1893, as we'll as the Representative in
the Fifty-sevonth Congress Then there
is the Legislature, which will chouee
two United States Senator's Tint is
the real fight. 1t explains why SO little
is heard OF the Presidency. Neverthe-
less, outside Of Delaware the interest is
chiefly in the electoral vote.
| In national politics the Democrats
are stronger than they were in 1895.
Besides the Gold Democrats, who voted
for Mckinley and who were estimated
at from 900 TO 1850, there were 1000
straight-out votes for Palmer and
Buckner. The latter were mostly the
personal following of Senator George
Gray, who found himself unable to
support Bryan, yet was not ready to
identify himself with the Republicans.
Senator Gray is now on the Federal
bench aud IS not active in public
affairs, but most Of those who acted
with him in 1886 are supporting Bryan.
Anti imperialism as sentiment
has some strength in Delaware, yet the
revival Of the Democratic spirit and
the desire to be with the old party,
again has more to do with the improved
prospects of Democracy. From 1894 ON
the party was without organization.
Now il has fair organization.
1.-The farmers Of the State incline to
Democracy. They are not like the
heat-gruwers ard corn -raisers Of the
Western States, for prosperity has not
come to them. The peach crop this
year has not been profitable and the
tomatoes are not bringing heavy re.
turns. So the Delaware farmer listens
to MIR. Bryan and is confirmed in his
tendency TO be Democrat
Then there are the Germans, who
are mostly located in Wilmington and
other parts of New Castle county. Until
, 1896 majority Of them were Demo-
| Gratis, but Mr.. Bryan was unable to hold
I them from Mckinley. Now majority
of the Germans are supporting the
Democratic national ticket. Nobody
who goes among them can doubt it,
, THE failure of the Democrats of
! New Castle county to nominate popu-
lar young German named Kurtz for a
| county office has chilled them little
and may affect the local ticket, but l
! have not been able to find that it will
keep them from opposing Mckinley.
The Wilmington voters OF German birth
or parentage number 1000 or LOGO.
t This is not a large voting element,
o but in small State such as Delaware
! it is important, and the German infiu-
ence as whole is TO be counted for
q Bryan. ...
t "Of the Gold Democrats, who either
supported Mckinley directly or voted
t for Palmer, the best opinion / have
8 been able to get Is that between 70 and
0 so per cent are now for Bryan. AT
Q least 20 per cent of them luok upon
a themselves as wholly outside the Demo
cratic party and cannot be persuaded
. to 60 against Mckinley. OF the larger
| number, who have returned to their
party, several with whom talked told
9 me that former Secretary Olney stated
their views. They will have none OF
9 Bryan's financial theories, but they
look upon other issues as paramount.
Assuming that so per cent of the
Gold Democrats support Bryan and
estimating their number in 1896 at
}, $500, it might be assumed that their
changing back to their old position
] would neutralize the Republican ma
' jority Of 1896. II this were the only
y element entering into the contest the
Q outcome would be uncertain and the
Presidential electors might not have
t margins of moro than 200 to 800.
. But after making full allowance for
: all the sources of increased strength
D for Bryan these do not offset the posi-
' tive Republican gains. The two lower
i counties Of Kent and Sussex may give
slight Democratic maiorities, but New
l. Castle county, which is to say Will
8 mington, is Republican. Whatever
g growth OF population there has been in
the State is in that section, and If the
t total vote is increased the city is
almost certain to give an increased
= Republican majority.
, Wilningtou's many industries are
. recruited either from neiehboring
t counties in Pennsylvania, which are
S Republican, or from tho farms in
: Southern Delaware. Some OF the
l farmer boys are Democrats, but when
they find the majority Of their fellow
workmen in the shops Republican they
are apt to become Republican. Their
5 places on the farms are taken by
8 negroes from Virginia, who are also
Republicans. So there is no source
D from which the Democratic vote of the
. State can be recruited fast enough to
, overcome the industrial preponderanoe
. of Wilmington.
THE labor situation in that city Of
. shops and factories seems to be salts
factory to the Republicans. Two OF
three small strikes have occur cd, but
! they have been settled. There is ne
marked unrest among the wage work
: els, and found that the local Demo
! cratic leaders in Wilmington were mo-
counting on gain from this source
= They expected to hold their share Of
the labor vote and that was all.
"It has been question how far thu
savage Republican fractional fight
o which has ragged for the last four o.
paign. The factions are the Regular
Republicans and the Union Republi
cans. The latter are the supporters o
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