La Junta tribune., 1900-09-22
a WEAK CANDIDATE.
Not Sure of Thirty-Five Electoral
Votes Outside the Solid South.


Votes Outside the Solid South.
Mr.. Bryan is the weakest candidate
ever nominated by one Of the great
parties for the office OF president Of
the United States.
There is not one of the leading issues
OF the campaign upon which he has
the support OF anything more than an
insignificant minority OF this country.
Take the paramount" issue of anti
Imperialism us materialized by the III
dianapoIis speech of acceptance. Sup
pose the American people were called
10 vote upon that proposition and moth
ing else. Are you in favor OF calling
an extra session OF Congress for the
purpose OF abandoning United States
sovereignty In the philIppinex?" There
Is not state In the Union. North or
South. East or West. TINT would give
majority for the Democratic candi-
date upon that issue. The South has
its cotton. the East its factories. the
West Its undcveloped resources. and to
each of these the development Of Pa
citic commerce and the trade with
eastern Asia is of utmost Importance.
Take the paramount" issue OF 1896
free silver coinage at 10 to 1. still
part Of Mr.. Bryan's political creed,
though relegated 10 n subordinate posi-
fion. The Republican party IL opposed
to It. The Democratic national conven-
tion Indicated that twO-thirds of Its
members We're opposed to any specific
mention OF II In the national platform.
Under these circumstances what
chance would Mr.. Bryan have before
the people OH this issue! Outside OF a
little group OF mining states Of the
West he would not receive n vote and
hi S,,s Al,
scarcely equal tenth of the total
number.
Take the matter of free trade,
lower stratum of the abandoned issues
OF Democracy. hut still carried In the
Democratic platform. Let the fight be
made on the destruction of the protect
I've tariff and the return to the Dem
ocratic principle OF a tariff for revenue
only, and how many votes would Mr..
Bryan get! Scarcely more than In
the other two cases already mentioned
What, then, is MIR. Bryan's chance
for success!
He has none. The Republican party
IL reasonably sure OF at least 273 cleo
toral votes, where only 224 are needed,
and the possibility OF changing enough
to secure Mr.. Bryan's election is so
| small as to be outside the region of
fair possibility.
Upon what do Democrats base their
hopes?
Primarily upon the number of voters
In this country who will vote for Mr..
Bryan because he Is a Democrat, re-
gardless OF the issues involved, and in
the second place upon the number Of
voters who can be induced to look at
Imperialism. so-called, militnrism and
silver in false light.
= Hhnt tx.x. <>Rx ~.
with nm even hundred electoral votes,
to which may be added the twenty
nine of Tennessee and Missouri, max
ing together five-sixths OF the number
Mr.. Bryan Is likely to receive. The
South ts for expansion. II IL NOT
frightened by the bogey Of imperial
ism. II believes In government strong
enough to protect the liberty Of the
| people and an army big enough to de-
fend the national interests. But the
South will vote for Mr.. Bryan because
he Il . Democrat A large part Of the
Democratic party in other states win
do the same thing, for the same rea-
SON. and upon this nucleus the Demo
Gratis who are sincere In predicting par-
| ~ success hope to collect enough Of
the scattered elements OF opposltion to
turn the government over to Bryan,
Altgeld and company. Their theory
seems to be that II they can combine
| enough different min0ritfes In support
Of them and their platform they may
chance upon SUCCESS.
Outside Of the ten Southern states,
where the vote VIII not be cast upon
the issues Of the day ~ outlined in
the national platform. Mr.. Bryan 3
not reasonably certain Of thfrty-nve
electoral v0te1l He b the weakest
candidate ever nominated for the once