The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-10-09
REGRET AIDING DE8S.
Republicans Given a Scare Over At
fairs In indiana.

fairs in indiana.
CHICAGO, Oct. 8-An Indianapolis spe-
cial to the Record from a staff CORE
spOndent says:
Eugene V. Debs, Social Democratic
candidate for president is giving Repub-
licans in the gas belt a scare. They are
wondering whether his candidacy will
hurt Mckinley more than Bryan. Until
now the Debs movement has been en-
couraged by Republican leaders, because
they thought 1t would draw Socialist and
Populist votes from Bryan The Repub-
lican state committee has estimated that
he would receive 10000 or more votes, and
the national headquarters in Chicago has
given out the same story.
Republican newspapers and campaign
speakers had the cue to speak kindly Of
Debs and to contrast his sincerity with
Bryan. Now there a halt in this pro-
gramme. The other night Debs spoke
at Marion, in the center of the gas
belt and the Republican stronghold.
The largest hall in the town could not
hold the audience, which was made up
largely of Republican trade unionists.
Debs has lectured previously throughout
the state, and curiosity to see him is not
sufficient reason to account for the in
terest his Social Democratic propaganda
awakens. Local political leaders in
the localities he has visited have become
convinced that the movement is making
headway. I asked about it in various
localities. In Muncie, Marion and
throughout the gas belt it seems to have
the greatest strength, and the Social
Democrats have a nucleus for the cam
paign.
The various Republican committeeman
admitted they had been taken by surprise
and will be thankful If Debs draws equally
from Mckinley and Bryan. At Muncie
I was told of fifteen Bryan Democrats
who were supporting Debs, but the num-
Der of Republicans was much larger. At
Logansport the Debs followers were form
ed into a group of 1875, chiefly railway en-
ployes, the majority of whom voted for
Mckinley in 1886. Debs spoke in India
napOlis last night to a moderate sized
crowd, but his presence disclosed that he
had organized support which would go
to the polls.
The Republicans have T. V. Powde~ly.
Charles H. Lichtman and other labor
leaders at work in the gas belt, but COM
plain that the people who listen to Debs
will not go to hear them. Bryans Ind
lana trip has helped to confirm the opin-
ion that the Republican managers made
a mistake in encouraging the Debs move
ment as a means of drawing votes from
him. While Bryan has not caused a polit-
lCe1h 4SNOIul1Ou, his ldlhS 10 II6 miners
and other wage-workers have shown that
while they may sympathize with Debs,
they are going to vote for Bryan.
AS a result of it all for the remainder
of the campa gn the Republicans will have
to divert their energies SO as to check
the social Democratic movement among
the gas belt and the other Industrial in
dustries Though the more common opin-
ion is that Debs will receive 10000 votes,
If it goes that high Mckinley will suf-
fer. Probably by election day the number
of Debs' ballots will drop to 1000 or 5,OOO
but the Republicans will have to work to
keep it down to that figure, and they are
chagrined at the miscalculation which led
them to countenance the movement with
cut knowing its possibilities. In the Terre
Haute congressional district, which is the
home of Debs and which is very close,
| the Republicans are likely to be beaten.