Evening star., 1900-10-16
he Declares He Will Get 8,500,000
Votes This Time.
VIEWS OF THE POLITICAL WRITERS
New York City for Bryan, State
for Mckinley.
ANALYSIS OF THE SITUATION
Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star.

dent Of the United States in 1896. 1 shall re-
ceive $500 900 votes for President in 1900.
Only wholesale wrongdoing can defeat NE
The above statement was made by Will
lam Jennings Bryan to democratic leader
from western New York who had just re-
turned from a trip through Michigan and
Illinois. While in the wolverine state he
met Mr.. Bryan. and had heart to heart
talk with the Nebraska man.
It is significant that every political writer
in this city, matter whether he is re-
publican or democrat, no matter whether
he is employed by republican or democratic
newspapers. considers Bryans chances as
worthless Said one Of these men. dem
ocrat employed by democratic newspaper
today:
II spent a week up the state just after
Bryan's Indianapolis speech. and just be-
fore Coler was turned down by Croker Tor
governor. l really became convinced that
Bryan had a chance. l spoke to the lead
ing republicans that met at the headquar-
ters and told them that their leaders up the
state were dead. The reply that l received
was Just watch them liven up the week
before election Today it Is only cues
ton of majorties against Bryan in New
York state. 1 do not think that Mckinley
will fail to get less than hundred thou
sand plurality, and he may get quarter
of a million over again"
Yet, in spite Of all this, there are some
queer things going on in this election.
Your correspondent spent Saturday night
and portion of this wet and disagreeable
Sunday on the populous east side. Investi-
cation disclosed that 1t is a ferment of un-
rest in some sections. and II the election oc-
Cured today in these localities the demo-
cratic vote would be overwhelming. 1t is.
of course, impossible to even venture
guess as to how many men may change
| their minds during the next three weeks.
The battle for Mckinley and sound money
was not won for the republicans four years
in ri tor gold
standard parade. That magnificent pro-
cession, which took seven hours to pass
given point IN 1s96-the prettest parade
that the new world has ever witnessed, con-
vnced thousands of shopkeepers and those
who like to get in on the winning side that
Mckinley was certain to be elected. That
single parade was responsible for a large
share Of the 26S.0O0 plurality rolled up for
Mckinley. 1t was the best expended money
that has been recorded in political cam
paign during recent years.
The republicans claim that TammaDy
Hall administration persecutes the small
business man that he intends to vote the
republican ticket to get out of the road of
additional blackmailing and unknown trou-
bles. On the other hand, the democrats
claim that the trusts and the great depart
ment stores are responsible for the crowd
Ing out of the little fellows. and that the
small proprietors favor Bryan IS a protest
against existing conditions. No matter
who is wrong who is right SO far as the
causes which have led up to the present
only question Is. What are the facts? Are
these men for Mckinley or for Bryan?
Your correspondent in confidence, was
shown a list of the small shopkeepers, sa-
loonkeepers and little business men collect
ed by enthusiastic Bryan democrats not a
thousand miles from the great produce mar
kets of the city Tammany Hall had moth
ing to do with the collection of these sta
tistics. The data was gathered by en-
thusiastic Bryan men, who have been
making cart-tail speeches for the Nebraska
man. The lists were not intended for pib-
lcation. and these cart-tail orators have
never referred to them during their spell
binding. Yet they are convinced that the
Nebraska man is going to win. Tney base
their conclusions upon the fact that out of
the storekeepers. saloonkeepers and shop
keepers in that particular territory thirty
eight were for Bryan, while only three Were
for Mckinley.
No Influence in the Poll.
Had these statistics been collected by
Tammany Hall 1t might have been inferred
that the saloon keepers were afraid of po-
lice interference and that the storekeepers
were fearful of annoyances being heaped
upon their devoted heads by the street de-
partment IL they declined to answer "Bry-
an instead of mckinley But the poll
was an independent one, and the Tammany
Hall leaders of the district did not know
that 1t was being conducted by the Bryan
ite labor orators who had the matter in
hand But for the fact that this ratio of
thirty-eight for Bryan to three for Mckin-
ley was accompanied by names and street
numbers it might have been argued that
the reports were fictitious. But the holder
OF the lists challenged the accuracy OF the
Observation-Disclosures any one to find more
than three Mckinley men in the territory
indicated
Even this might be worthless. except on
the straw vote basis. and there Is nothing
more deceptive than straw votes, even
where the canvass is carefully and honestly
made. But out of curiosity your CORE
spondent visited the lower sections Of New
York city. On Broadway republican ban
ners are hanging in the proportion of two
or three for Mckinley to one for Bryan.
And this is change remarkable indeed
even on the main thOroughfare Of the city
from four years ago, when only one Bryan
street banner could have been found
stretched across Broadway.
But south Of 14th street one can walk for
blocks and would not even dream that there
was such a man as William Mckinley in
existence unless he happened to cross the
main streets. On the other hand, banners
large and banners small bearing the name
and the portrait OF Bryan greet one at al
most every step. The free silver apostle
appears in the windows of the homes OF
the poorer classes at a ratio Of sixteen Bry-
ans for one Mckinley.
Perhaps the children initiate their elders,
but it Is, nevertheless. fact that Tam
many Hall districts south of 18th street
have been thoroughly Bryanized. Free sill
yer is not being talked much. but the in
reused by the stories-no matter whether
true or false-of the bull pen'' Of Idaho
and Of the sufferingss of the Pennsylvania
miners. 1t is perhaps fortunate for the re-
publican party that 5the registration has
fallen off in the lower wards, which are
democratic. AS compared with four years
ago there is slight decrease. The Tam
many Hall leaders account for this by the
fact that the republicans picked out a poor
class Of men for registry clerks and that
these men cannot read and write rapidly.
In a single congressional district they claim
to have had over one thousand of their
voters stopped from registering the first
two days They assert that they will make
up for this during the closing days Of the
registration. when naturally there will he
more time and opportunity for all who de-
acknowledgements Campaign.
That a red-hot Isocialistic- cam
paign is being carried on in the southern
section Of the city must be evident to the
most careless observer who makes a tour
through this section OF the city Things
are said at some of the regular Tammany
Hall meetings which would make Grover
Cleveland or even David B. Hill stand
aghast at the radicalism suggested. When