Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-11-03
Changes as to Political Matters Since
1896.
VOTERS OF TIE COUNTRY CLASSIFIED
Conditions Favor the Success Of
the Republican Party.
LOSS IN INDUSTRIAL RANKS

Written for The Evening Star.
That there have been changes in public
opinion In matters political since 1896 is
acknowledged by all experienced politicians
and others who have kept in close touch
with popular sentiment during the present
campaign. Summing the situation up as a
whole, 1t may be said that there has been
very little increase of republican sentiment
over 1896. Such increase can be found in
certain localities. but the decrease in other
places will offset this gain. An estimate of
the popular sentiment as regards the two
political parties becomes, therefore, merely
question of what inroads have been made
upon republicanism by the democratic can
didate for President and the platform upon
which he stands.
Four Classes of Voters.
The voting population of the United
States can be divided roughly into several
clases not antagonistic in any way to each
other, but classified simply as to their oc-
cupation. The agricultural, the commercial,
the financial and the industrial vote may be
said to include all the suffragists OF the
United States. These large classes can be
subdivided into almost any number or d.
visions but as a general proposition any
strong influence which makes itself felt
with any large element of one of these
classes has decided influence upon the en-
the political conditions in every state shows
that the agricultural vote as whole prop
ably stands about as 1t did in 1895. There
have been losses to the republicans among
the agriculturists in states like West Vlr-
GINA, and there have been gains to the re-
publicans in states like Kansas. These va
riations are only found within circumscrib-
ed limits and do not assume great import
ance in relation to the popular vote OF the
entire country. The farmers generally are
fairly well satisfied with conditions as they
ment in government policy. They recognize
the fais:ty of Mr. Bryans predictions OF
1896, and they have no confidence therefore
in his predictions of 1900. The farmers are
hard hit by the trusts, but many OF them
do not believe vote for the democratic
candidate means relief. AS rule the resi-
dents of rural diSthicts are antl-1mperial-
lists, but at the same time they believe the
present administration has merely followed
out the inevita BILE course of events ana that
MIR. Bryan would probably be guided In
similar directions if he was at the head OF
the government.
This condition among the agrlculturlstS
is especially true in the states needed by
the democrats to secure a majority IN the
electoral college. In Ohio Illinois, Indiana,
Michigan and Minnesota there Is, II any
thing a slight gain to the republican party
among the agricultural voters. Marked
diSaff ection with or marked increase of re-
publican sentiment is found in states which
ether not in doubt or else whose cleo
toral vote can be given one way or the
other without affecting the final result
Financial and Commercial Interests.
The financial and large commercial in
terests of the United States are as solidly
ar1ayed against Mr. Bryan this year as
they were in 1896, but with difference. In
Mr. Bryan's first campaign he was opposed
by active organiza ton and open and de-
clared opposition on the part of railroad
managers and other large employers of la
r,rN1n I'M
they are not giving the energy, time, at
tertion money to the republican cause
which they gave in 1896 They profess to
believe however. that their employees are
so thoroughly aware of the political at
titude of their employers and so well edu-
Gated as to the disastrous effects of a
change of national policies that no such
work is needed in this campaign as was
carried on in the campaign of four years
ago Railroads a rule are extremely
averse to taking any active part In politics
! Their business is non-partisan and In COM
| petitiVe territory especially they are SLOW
| to antagonize any particular political fac
| ton. This is not only true Of local affairs,
| but holds good from the bottom to the top
| of the ticket. While it is true that the eff
| fects of the work done in 1896 are still in
| evidence 1t is also true that a relaxation
of effort on the part of these great corpora
! tons will have perceptible effect In de-
| creaSing the republican vote in certain To-
| calities. The employees do not feel the same
I sense of responsibility to their employers
| political interest where the employers sup
| port of his own political party is purely
| platonic as they do when it Is vigorous, ac-
| tive and material.
| Confidence of Large Corporations.
This Indifference the part of the man
ayers of large corporations has arisen from
several causes, the principal one being their
entire confidence in the reelection of Presi-
| dent Mckinley without any such active
work they performed in 1896. Another
| reason is their chronic dislike of politics
| and another that they are affected, as are
| other people, by the general lack of inter-
| est and apathy which has prevailed upon
! the surface throughout the country in the
present campaign. The registration figures
| do not show any such lack of interest on
| the part of the voters as apparently pre-
walls, and this is one of the most interesting
and most puZZling features of the situation.
| In some of the states 1t Is known that the
railroads and other corporations. dependent
| upon legislation and the good will of public
| officials for certain favors, have contributed
! In equal amounts to the campaign COM
| mittees of both parties.
| The smaller commercial interests are not
so solidly republican they were in 1896
| This class of enterprises has been seriously
| affected in many localities by the operation
| of the trusts, and in the belief that the
| democrats are sincere in their attack upon
| these institutions tine smaller storekeepers
| have shown strong democratic inclinatiOns.
| This defection from the republican vote will
|
| the smaller commercial houses are affected
| by larger ones. upon whom they are de-
| pendent for business and credit. These
larger houses are almost universally strong
| ly in favor of a continuance Of republican
| rule and they do not hesitate to use their
| influence over their customers in the direc-
ton in which they think most beneficial.
The Commercial Travellers.
The democrats unquestionaby overesti-
mated the strength of the anti-republcan
influence among the commercial travellers
1. will be found that a very large ma
| jority of the men on the road are very well
| satisfied with the business conditions which
have prevailed during the past two years,
and they fear the results Of change Of
administration. There have not been near
Iy as many commercial men thrown out
| of employment by the trusts as claimed
| There has been some sitting and elimina-
ton of the least desirable of these men and
| there has been a decrease in the number
of those employed in the minor branches of
the business There are not so many men
travelling about the country hanging up ad-
vertising matter and pasting stickers as
there were before the recent consolidation
There may possibly be loss to the repub-
| 1ioap party in this direction hut tho orr,,.