Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1900-09-27
Items of Information Concerning
Political Affairs at the
Capital.
THE REPUBLICAN CAMPAIGN LAGGlAG
Present State of the Philippine Cam
paign The Coal Miners Strike
and the TnstrumentaIity of Hanna
Democratic Outlook in the East
Bryan Ginning.
Especial Correspondence

campaign needs something to give IT
life and energy. President Mckinley
and his advisers are not likely to
change the adverse drift of popular
sentiment. They have several cam
paign lies to be sprung the last mo-
ment.
One will be that the Philippine in
~surrection is over and that civil gov
eminent has been established.
This might do if it hadn't been
worn thredbare so many times be-
fore. 1t is even limited that the an
nouncement will be made that Agu1-
naldo and the other i~nsurgent leaders
have surrendered. Well, that also has
been used before.
No announcement of the termina-
ton of the Philippine campaign will
be believed unless accompanied by an
order for the return of at least $4,000
troops. This is the test. 1t viii be
found that the republicans cannot
meet it. Talk is cheap, but the
troops are not going to return until
the insurrection is over. Those whose
term of enlistment is out will be
replaced by others, if the next ad-
ministration is republican.
Hanna and the Coal Trust.
The coal miners strike becomes a
matter OF national Importance. The
coal operators are responsible for the
strike itself and for any consequences
which grow out of it.
The men put up with starvation
wages until body and soul could no
longer be held together. Think of
supporting a family on 90 cents a day
and having four days work a week.
It is a crime against civilization that
a combine should have the power to
dictate such terms to w~orkingmen.
The men offered to arbitrate and the
operators scorned their pitifuI appeal.
The sympathy of the country will go
out to these starving miners in their
struggle for living wages.
1t is 20 be hoped hal the men will
be patient even under the p~rovocation
that is sure to be offered by the
operators. They are accustomed to
starving, as one of the mine workers
executive board said recently: eve
might as well starve IDLE as working.
1t is starvation anyway"
What becomes of the republican
assumption of prosperity and the
"full dinner pail in the face of this
strike of 143,OdO men for wages to
support a Dare existence? 1t is many
a month since the miners have had a
full dinner pail, and they never ex-
pect to have prosperity as long as a
trust controls the output of the
worlds supply of anthracite coal.
The public is directly interested in
this strike The coal barons are
threatening an advance of one dol
lar a ton for coal. Not because there
is n scarcity, but because cold
weather is coming and they have the
power to squeeZ the as
well as the workman
Never was there. a greater output
of anthracite coal than this year, and
never have the operators enjoyed
more prosperity, yet they begrudge
their men decent wages out of the
millions made from the industry.
Hanna would have been glad to
avert, or at least postpone, the strike,
bur the operators let him know that
he is their servant, not their master.
When they want antitrust legislation
killed it is Hanna's business to see
that it is done. When Hanna wants
the operators to concede h demands
of the miners because a strike will
have a bad effect on the republican
campaign, the operators tell him to
attend to his business of managing
the campaign and they will attend
to theirs. Hanna is chagrined, but
he is like the man in the Arabian
Nights who let the genii out of the
box and couldn't get them back.
Bryan Gaining.
Chairman Jones, of the democratic
national committee, has been spend
ing a few days in the east. He is
very much pleased over the demo-
cratic outlook. New York state is
putting up a splendid campaign and
the republicans are much disorgan-
lied there. The democratic state
committees have good active organi-
cations in the middle western states.
The precinct organizations and demo-
cratic clubs are making great head
way. The democrats propose to see
to it this year that every man who
wants to vote for Bryan has the op-
portunity and that every vote cast for
him is counted. There is no objection
to Hanna getting out as big a repub-
licau vote as he can, but the republic
ans will not be permitted to count
any votes except those actually cast
for their candidate.
Every week brings new accession
to Bryan from the republican ranks
and every week shows plainly that
there is going to be a big stay-at-
home republican vote this e The
administration is decidedly unpopular
with its own party.
Bryan by his own speeches is MAX
ing thousands of votes. He speaks
as the plain man of the people. He
las the compassion and understand
ing for humanity in his heart. He is
frank and courageous. He tells the
people exactly where he stands on all
the great issues. His Labor day
speech in Chicago put him in sympa-
thy with the working people all over
the country. He discussed their cause
with understanding and sympathy. as
If he were oJea of them. Not so with
Roosevelt. He was pelted with jeers
and hard questions by the working
men of Chicago on Labor day. They
openly tainted him with favoring gcv-
eminent oy injunction and a military
form of government.
Hanna has been keeping Roosevelt
as far west as possible because the
eastern republicans will not stand