Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-10-30
New York Voters Take Purely Selfish
View of Politics.
NO FEARS OF IMPERIALISM
The Trust Question Strikes Little
Nearer Home.
S S UE IS P E R S n A L
special From a Staff Correspondent.

| Kansas City convention said was para
| mounter." The immediate issue on Wall
| street Is what is going to happen to stocks.
| The all-important question with Tammany
| is who is to hold the power and patronage
in Greater New York, and what the loss
| says about it. The question which keeps
| the independent mugwump clubhouse pa
triot awake at night is, What is going to
become of us?'-"us' meaning themselves.
With the New York farmer the issue is
| largely financial.
The determining question of the cam
pafgn, the one which affects the unclassi-
fled masses, is whether there is more to he
feared from the trusts or more to be ap-
pr ehended from Bryan.
The question of Imperialism hardly enters
into it at all. When the people talk about
that they mean something else To the
| average anti-administration man here i'm
perialism" means that particular thing
which gives him greatest dissatisfaction.
Only comparatively small number of the
multitude of people here really understand
or have any special sympathy with the
paramount issue proclaimed by the Kansas
City convention. By far the greater num-
Der of independent voters who conclude to
vote against Mckinley will do so because
they do not like Hanna or disapprove of
Roosevelt, or have suffered some personal
disappointment, which, perhaps, nobody
but themselves knows about. A good many
may even fool themselves into the belief
that they are influenced by opposition to
the Presidents insular policy, but it is a
conspicuous thing that this sentiment does
not assail the breasts of those who are
actively engaged in accommodating wealth
and are in every way contented with their
own lot.
Curious Phases of Neutrality-suspicious..
Getting on the wrong side of the market,
political disappointments, a personal feud
or domestic troubles are things that con-
tribute toward making anti-imperalists out
of such material as is furnished by the
most common class of New Workers. The
people here who become hysterical over
Bryan are mostly such would not care
Tow many islands We acquired, or how we
governed them, nor what became of the
Filipinos, with or without their consent 1t
is what they, somehow, expect Bryan to do
for them or to their enemies, not for the
Filipinos, that excites their enthusiasm. OF
course, there are exceptions to this rule,
but 1t is the rule, nevertheless.
The issue of trusts. which, in fact, is an
issue between those who are making money
and those who are not making so much
or perhaps none at all, is uppermost here.
This, put in another way, is the issue of
prosperity, which the republicans want to
have regarded as paramount. The main
dividing line is at the entrance to the field
of prosperity. The comparatively few peo-
pie, outside of mere party organizations,
who will be Influenced by considerations
other than their own personal condition
can hardly effect the result. If the pros
perity which has been enjoyed during the
republican administration has reached as
far down into the mass of the people as the
republicans believe it has, it will certainly
decide the contest in New York state in
favor of Mckinley.
AT democratic meetings the people indulge
in applause while listening to speeches on
Imperialism or miitarism, but the instant
the orators turn their attention to the
trusts or fling a sheer at Hanna the APP
plause becomes much more pronounced.
An analogy is found at republican meet
lngs, for however warmly the discussion of
any other subject may be received. refer
ence to prosperity is still more warmly
greeted. This is undoubtedly at the core
of the contest as far as New York is con-
cerned.
Since Bryans appearance Mere on Satur-
day the democrats are manifesting greater
confidence than at any time before. The
report published here that the number of
republicans in the Chicago parade was
much smaller than expected has given the
democrats particular comfort. Another
thing. in addition to the mere fact of
Bryan's presence, which gives them more
courage is that the deluge Of communica-
tons that pours in upon Bryan wherever he
| is includes many from persons who profess
to be republicans who. voted against him
before and who intend to vote for him now.
The democrats attach much Importance
to expressions of this sort and to demon
strations of enthusiasm.
Republicans Also Gain Voters.
The republicans, too, get hundreds of let
tiers from about democrats who intend
| to vote for Mckinley. Representative Payne
told me today that he would Judge from
what he saw and heard in going through
the state that in some sections democrats
were going over to Mckinley in large
numbers. He knew personally, he said, of
number of farmers who had been for
free silver in SO, and, therefore, most earn
est Bryan men, who now said that they
were going to vote for Mckinley In going
through the state, he said, it was not an
uncommon thing to be told by some demo-
crat that he and about all the democrats
in his neghborhoo1 would vote for Nc
kinley this time. Quite number Of dem
ccrats had made some such statement to
him. either as to their own intention or
that of their neighbors. Mr.. Payne ex-
presses the opinion that Mckinley will
have more electoral votes than he had
in 90.
The republicans at national Headquarters
here are greatly delighted at reports given
them by Representative Hopkins of ILL
nois as to the situation In his state. 1t
is more or less disturbing to have the op-
position persist in claiming a state, though
their claims may not be credited, and,
viewing it from a distance, there has been
just shadow of apprehension among re-
publicans here that there might be some
thing In the Illinois situation to render 1t
unsafe that they did not know Of The
fact that the national committee feels that
| 1t can spare Hopkins from the state to
come and make speeches in New York and
New Jersey is regarded in itself signifi-
cant Of the confidence Mr.. Hanna has in
| Illinois. But Mr.. Hopkins report is glow
| ing beyond the expectation of the eastern
| republicans.
1t might be expected that in newspaper
| interviews so prominent a republican would
speak confidently of his own stat, but
| what Hopkins says within the confidence
| of small circle of republican managers,
who want to know the exact truth, is prob
| ably not an exaggeration Of what he be-
| lieves to be the case. Speaking under such
| conditions, he says that Mckinley is going
to carry Illinois by not less than 100 600,
| and that he may have a majority of $50, 600
1t is known that the republicans We're some
| what apprehensive that both Foss and
| Lorimer. republican candidate for re-elec-
| ton to Congress. were in danger Mr.. Hop
kins declares that both are absolutely GER
| tain Of election, the situation in Cook coun-
ty having greatly improved for the repub-
| licans.
| The republicans have Information from
| Ohio that they are sure to win the Dayton
district from the democrats, and that they
| will probably be able to defeat Lentz also.
| ]. P. M.
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