The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-09-09
POLITICAL NOTES AND GOSSIP.



has had the effect of stirring up the work.
ers of both parties in that State and Mary
land. 1t is significant that week ago
the Republicans we're talking with great
confidence of carrying Maryland by ma
jority of 10000, which is 49, 900 short of Mr..
McKinley's lead in that State four years
ago, but today they content themselves
with the bare claim of holding Maryland
in line. As to West Virginia, the Repub-
lican mathematician have not been so free
with hgures, simply laying claim to
"clnch' on the State. Several days ago
Senator Elkins remarked to a Times rep
resentative in New York that he was glad
| Mr.. Bryan was going to visit West Vlr-
ginia so early in the campaign. Mr..
Bryan will stir UP both parties in my
State. said the Senator. HE will stir up
the republicans more than the Democrats,
and as we need that sort of thing worse
than the Democrats do. it is plain that he
| will do US more good than harm" And
the Senator then added: But | hope Mr..
Bryan Won consider it necessary to visit
| West Virginia along toward the close Of
| the campaign" Senator Elkins meaning
is too plain to need explanation. 1t shows
the fear even that he feels about the State
Some of the best informed and most in
I
that it will not be necessary for MIR. Bryan
to visit their State again. The Democrats
now are thoroughly orga lized. Mr.. Bry-
ans visit served the excellent purpose of
! showing that there are no longer any To-
cal divisions in the party. All factions
| were represented in the committees which
received and entertained him. Every prom
1 iEeIt local Democrat who desired exploita
/ ton for selfish reasons was afforded the
! NITfff- a+nI
with or near Bryan Thus he brought to-
/ sether in common cause party workers
who have been pulling apart for years, and
with united party in a State that at
/ heart is Democratic anyway there can be
scarcely any doubt Of West Virginia swing
| ing back into the Democratic line in No
vember. Mr.. Bryan will come East again
about the middle Of October. He will on
| this trip devoie his attention mainly to
| New York, New Jersey. and Delaware. 1t
! is thought however that he can be in
| duced to make half dozen or more rear
platform speeches in Maryland and West
virginia as he passes through those States.
IN view CT the fact that even the Repub-
| hcan managers concede that with the thir-
ty-six votes of New York Mr. Bryan can
win the election it Is considered probable
that he Is keeping closer personal watch
on party affairs in the Empire State at
While he was in West Virginia last week
Mr. BRYAN asked very searching questions
ABOUT New York OF nearly everyone of his
travelling companions who had been in New
! ork lately. 1t is declared that he dis
played thorough knowledge of the situa-
| ton, and naturally 1t is inferred that at
the proper time he will make his influence
felt at the Saratoga convention Many Del
| aware Republicans admit that their State
! III
democrats claim that Mr. Bryan will carry
, that State by an old-time Democratic ma
Jorlty- So it is evident that the East is
nc longer the enemys country and that
Mr. Bryan Is not now rainbow-chasing
when he crosses the Allegheny Mountains.
fhe seventeen votes of Maryland. West
virginia, and Delaware can be accounted at
thls time as much more safe for Mr.. Bryan
than for Mr.. Mckinley and that there is
an excellent fighting chance in New York
cannot be doubted Still, too much hope
should not be placed on New York until
the work OF the Saratoga convention is
completed.
scott, the Great CInimer.-Tbe Hon
Nathan B. Scott of West Virginia. seems
TO have supplauted the Hon. Charles H
Grosyenor. of Ohio. in the esteem of Mr..
Hanna as the lightning calculator of the
National Committee. This is Senator
Scotts first experience in national poll
ties, and it is not expected that he should
know everything. oldtimers declare also
mat the Senator is displaying that de-
lightful optimism of the beginner which
Is the JOY and support of the men who
nave been in the game long enough to
nave grown pessimistic. In the latest
statement ISSUED by Eastern headquar-
tiers Of the National Committee Senator
Scott puts Nebraska. Colorado. and South
Dakota in the safe Mckinley column. 1t
Is believed that he is the only statesman
in the United States who would thus
classify these three States. and il is pre-
dicted that when he gets to be an older
hahd at the game-or say, In the next
canpaign-he VIII not thus recklessIy
follow the rule of the famous Judge
thompson, of Ohio, OF claiming everything
until the votes are counted. Democratic
reports on Nebraska indicate that that
State viii give Mr.. Bryan about the same
majority as 1t gave him in 1896 il, spits
OF the nominal split in the Populist par
ty II is confidently believed that the
return OF the gold Democrats to the fold
under the leadership of men Ike Olney
assures the electoral vote Of South ma
kota for Bryan by considerably incrcas-
ed majority. AS to Colorado. it is beIiev
ed 10 be absolutely impossible to wine
out Bryan's majority there of 134.OO in
total poll of less than 200. OGO. Tie
Democratic managers are not Worrying
themselves over Colorado any more than
over Mississippi
Hanna in New iork.-It is learned
upon trustworthy authority that Mr..
Hanna will return to New York from
Chicago in about two weeks, and that he
will practically make his Headquarters
in the Eastern instead Of the Western
metropolis Obviously this means that
Mr. Hanna is a deal more uneasy over
the situation in the East than lie and his
associates are willing to acknowledge II
Is suggested that one reason the boss Of
the Republican machine finds 1t advisable