Evening star., 1900-09-19
POLITICS IN THE WEST.
Strayvs All Point to Mckinley - Tn.
Conn crcial Men.

Straws All Point to Mckinley The
Commercial Men.
Mr.. F. M. Heaton of this city has recent
ly been on extended trip through the
west, spending good deal of his time I'm
the state of Nebraska. He was at Lincoln,
Neb., for couple of weeks and at a num-
ber of points in the western part of the
state, and he made an especially careful
investigation of the political conditions in
MIR. Bryan's own commonwealth. Speak
ing to Star reporter today Mr. Heaton
said:
II was especially interested in finding out
the status of the commercial men who are
travelling through the west 1t has been
claimed by the democratic managers that
large proportion of the travelling men of
the country had changed their political be-
l1efs, and that they were going to support
Mr.. Bryan. From my investigation and
what saw l am satisfied there is not one
word of truth in this claim. For instance
Hastings, Neb., Is the center for CONNER
c1al men travelling through that part of the
state and at the Bostwick House there you
can always find a considerable gathering of
these agents. When l was at Hastings
there were forty-nine travelling men stop
ping at the Bostwick, and an Investigation
showed that every single one of them was
for Mckinley. These men were from every
part of the country, and represented all
KINDS or commercial houses. L asked a
number of them If they knew of any tray
cling men who were for Bryan, and the an
swer in every case was that they did not
Fillmore county, Neb., contains within its
borders a very large number of men who
are on the road for different houses and |
was told on excellent authority that not
one or these commercial men favored Mr.
Bryan's election.
You only judge the drift Of political
matters In the different states by the way
the Straws follow the wind but Judging by
this test the drift is entirely toward Nc
kiniey, even in Bryan's own state At
Lincoln. Neb there is a very strong feel
ing against Mr.. Bryan among the business
men and hotel keepers on account of his
having gone away from that city to be
rotihed of his nomination. These business
men say that his own town should have
had the benefit of the crowd that would
come TO such an event, and they feel ex
tremeiy sore over the matter. l was at
North Platte at the time what was called
the big democratic mass meeting of the
county was held at which Senator Allen
spoke. There were present In this audi
ence just 125 persons. about half of whom
were voters and the other half women and
children.
Il saw another straw flying in the wind
at Candy. in Logan county, Neb.. at which
place the postmaster told me he noticed
in that neighborhood were subscribing to
and reading republican newspapers. Then.
again, the magnificent ovstion which Nc
Kinley's name received at the time the
veterans of the Grand Army met at Chi
cago was whole bundle Of straws. The
cheers for him during the Grand Army
parade were the most enthusiastic / ever
heard. The old soldiers from Nebraska
were especially cheered as they went along
the streets OF Chicago. and l saw one old
veteran go from the lines to the sidewalk
where the crowds were cheering and say
to the crowds:
You are right to cheer for Mckinley.
for he is going to carry Nebraska by 5000
majority.
LAS matter of fact many of the
shrewdest politicians in Nebraska are of
the same opinion. Up In my own home
county in Indiana. Montgomery, / was tod
by the chairman of the republican commit
tee very prominent and shrewd poll
tician, that In the entire county he knew
of but one man who had voted for McKin-
ley four years ago who was going to vote
for Bryan this year. On the other hand he
knew Of a large number who had changed
this wear from BRYAN to Mckinley