Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1900-08-11
HOPES OF BRYANISM.
FIGHT TO BE MADE IN STATES or
The MIDDLE WEST.


Bryan.
Organism enters upon this canvass
with the absolute assurance Of winning
the 112 electoral votes Of the II states
Of the old secession Confederacy. be-
sides II more from Missouri, or 100 In
all, says the New York sun. 10 these
may be added the rs Of Colorado. Ida
no, Montana, Nevada and Utah and
probably the eight of Nebraska. or 1J3
in the aggregate.
The whole number of electoral votes
under the present apportionment is
All, and 224 are accordingly essential
to an election. Where, then, does Bry-
anism expect to get the II additional
votes it needs2
First it relies on carrying Delaware,
3; Kentucky, 10, and Maryland. 8, or "a
in all. Kentucky Is In d condition Of
political turmoil, which may give the
state to Bryan. Republicanism In Del
aware is rent by warning factions,
which may make President McKin-
ley's chances somewhat doubtful in it.
yet they are far better than Bryans
The attitude of the Gold Democrats of
Maryland since the Kansas City con-
yention makes that state at least rea-
sonably sure for Mckinley. But even
il the electoral votes of all these states
are given TO Bryan, they make up his
aggregate to only III, or ~ less than Is
necessary to an election.
In 1896 Bryan carried Kansas, with
ten electoral votes, and he assumes
that he win have it again in 1900. But
in 1898 Kansas went for the Repub-
lean governor by 1874 as against
Bryan's 1920 in 1896, and its present
condition of prosperity may be set
down as assuring it to Mckinley this
year In 1896 South Dakota, with
four electoral votes, was carried by
Organism. but only by the bare plural
ity of 1873, and subsequent elections
seem to indicate that it is now safely
Republican.
All Of the Pacific states, California,
Oregon, Washington and Wyoming,
are sure to go for gold and expansion
next November. In 1896 President
carried California by less
than 5000 plurality, but in 1898 the
Republican governor was elected by
n plurality of 1908. McKinley's plu-
ralty in Oregon in 1896 was only
little over 1000, but in 1898 that Of
the Republican governor was 1851.
Bryan carried Washington in 1896 by
12,493, but it went Republican in 1893
by S,113. In 1896 Bryan carried Wy
Oming by JS3, but it went for the Re
publican governor by 1,394 in 1898. |
All these Pacific states may be set !
down assuredfy for Mckinley.
Giving Bryan the III electoral votes
we have named. where is he going to !
get the AZ more necessary to his cleo /
lion? He has no hope in the east His !
only hope is in getting them from the
middle west, from Illinois, p; Indiana, /
10; Michigan, II; Minnesota, 9; Ohio, /
%, and Wisconsin. L. The Bryanite !
theory is that the humbug of i'm
perialism" win draw off enough Ger
man votes from Mckinley to enable
him to get from those states the addi-
tional votes he needs. In 1896 he had
w 1855 iOllGs gnu ltttA VI tAAG 1tollL III
these states prevailed generally. But
how did the election turn out? Nc
Kinlcy and gold carried them all by
these great pluralities:
Illinois .......~l 4o. 49s Minnesota $50. 53,s75
Indiana ......... 1s,1S1 Ohio ........... 47i97
Michigan 56,56s Wisconsin ...... 1026l2
Those returns certainly do not offer
any comfort for Bryan. Nor was
there any encouragement in the, cleo
tons Of 1898, when the Republicans
carried Illinois by 1850, Indiana by
1888, Michigan by 1907, Ohio by
49,023 and Wisconsin b. 37.7S1. Min
nesota. it is true, was carried by Linz,
the Scandinavian fusion candidate for
governor, by 20.TS4, but that result IN
Dictated no change of sentiment so Ear
rs concerns national politics, for the
entire congress delegation elected was
and in all except one in
stance by large maiorlties. In Ohio,
it is true, there was in 1898 a vote of
100, 721 for the eccentric Jones, so that
the Republican candidate Cor governor
received 57G9S less than the aggre-
: dlt iJtlAONA dL4C Hlih dOLES NttACt Bul
Of the congress delegation of u elect
ed Is were Republican.
II will be seen therefore, that the
grounds for Bryan's hopes in those
states DO not seem to have any justifi-
cation, but his entertaining them indi-
Gates that 1t is in the middle west that
his most energetic efforts are to be
expended. Nor need it be doubted
that this Bryanite effort viii be met
by corresponding energy on the part
of the political forces arrayed for the
maintenance of the gold standard.
And, as we have shown, the results in
1896 and in 1898 sre all in their favor.
Moreover, the reports of expressions
from Gold Democrats in the west
prove that they are rs malterably OPP
posed to Bryan as are the Democratic
sympathizers in the cast. The only
Bryanite hope is in humbugging the
western German with the cry of Sim
perialism," but as yet there is no in