The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-10-15

business interests will be disturbed ty
the election of Bryan. and, therefore, vote
for Mckinley and re-elect him.
This is the situation today. In all the
places l have been l have not met a
wealthy man Of large business interests
~ho was for Bryan and believed that the
election of Mckinley was in doubt. Be-
cause they were prosperous and every
thing good was going their way, they had
made up their minds that Mckinley had
a cinch. These men form their opinion
from their bank balances. They really
know less about an election than the poor
or middle classes for the reason that the
circle in which they move is of their own
class and thinks the same way.
Among the men of wealth there are few
doubtful voters. They have prospered
under Mckinley and they want more.
Men of wealth, as a rule, have no politics
but their pocketbooks. Wall Street, led
by Whitney and Flower. was for Cleva-
land, Democrat, in 1892. because Wall
Street believed that 1t would make more
money under Cleveland than Harrison.
though the latter was Republican and
made the country al honest and most ex-
cellent Chief Magistrate. The rank and
file of the Republican party had no doubt
four weeks previous to the election in
1892 but that General Harrison would be
reelected, and yet he lost his own State.
and was disastrously beaten. Why? Not
on account of the Homestead riot. but
because he had refused to obey the de-
mand of Wall Street. No doubt ex-Sec-
rotary Foster could tell you all about 1t.
This same Wall Street, led by Pierpont
Morgan, who has prospered SO well under
Cleveland and Mckinley, is, Of course, for
Mckinley. Why? Because they know that
under Bryan they are not in it wall
Street was for Blaine in 'S4 and it took
close figuring to elect Cleveland by few
hundred votes. In IS Wall Street was
for Harrison because it had not succeeded
then in capturing Cleveland. Then Cleve-
land went out of office and settled in Wall
Street. cultivated the operators. and made
a fortune. Then when he ran again for
President he was a comrade OF the Wall
Street spectators and they supported him
for President simply because they knew
he would issue bonds, and that Harrison
had refused to make a bond issue. though
his Secretary of the Treasury had not only
urged him to, but had gone SO far as to
prepare bond plates.
In 90 Wall Street and Cleveland were
for Mckinley as they are today. These are
facts which cannot be controverted sue
cessfully.
But notwithstanding the attitude Of Wall
SlTeel anu lEe wealthy CidSStS III lue pres
emit campaign, the surface indications are
that Bryan will be elected. The drift is
for Bryan as sure as night follows day,
and it cannot be mistaken. l have found
the tide for Bryan wherever l have been.
The poor men outnumber the rich in this
country sixteen 10 one" / believe that
so per cent of the labor vote is for Bryan
today and that at least 20 per cent of that
vote will be cast for him. l believe that
IS per cent of the German-American vote
is for him and that he will get 60 per cent
at the polls. This will elect him in spite
of Wall Street and the money power.
The most significant of all my observa-
tons in the West is the fact that the Dem
ocrats are earnest and enthusiastic and
confident that they will elect Bryan. l
found no doubling Thomases among them.
Not one. They are hard at work every
where for Bryan and going down in their
own pockets for dimes to pay hall rent
and the drum corps. There was more snap
and get-up in them than I ever saw be-
fore. They did not ask the leaders in the
party how the election was going but they
told the spellbinders and managers that
they were going to elect Bryan.
/ found the changes from Mckinley to
Bryan twenty 10 one in favor of Bryan.
never met single Democrat who had
voted for Bryan in 90 who was not for
Bryan now, and / met hundreds of Demo
Gratis who voted for Mckinley or Palmer
in Sc who will vote for Bryan next month
II there were changes from Bryan to Nc
hiniey 1 could not find them, and l could
not hear Of one well authenticated case OF
that Kind. II the silent or doubtful vote
divides equally between Bryan and Nc
kinley, Bryan will still win. II two-thirds
OF 1t should go to Mckinley. Bryan will
still win. To elect Mckinley, from the
present surface indications, feeling. and
conditions. the money power, with its
splendid organized election machinery.
must swing all of. the doubtful vote to Nc
kinley. and with all their money. expert
manipulation, and political science. have
no idea that this can be done.
The South is today practically solid for
Bryan. Notwithstanding Republican claims,
Kentucky is as sure for Bryan as is Ar
kansas, and Maryland went back to Demo-
cratic moor!ngs last year to stay. The
only two States in the South which can be
regarded as doubtful are West Virginia
and Delaware, and the chances in each Of
these States are in favor OF the Democrats.
/ have talked here to good and conser-
vative men from the far Western States
and they tell me that Bryan is as strong
in Colorado. Idaho. Montana, Nevada,
Utah. Kansas. and Nebraska as when he
carried those States in 1896. Why should
he not be, as he is admittedly stronger
in all the other States in the Union which
he did not carry? / am assured by COM
petent authority that the only State in
the Bryan column of 1896 that is the least
bit doubtful is Kansas. There the Re-
publicans have put up big fight, but the
Democrats say that the Fusion lines are
intact and that they will certainly carry
the state. So far as Nebraska Is con-
cerned, there is not doubt but that il
viii go for Bryan. 1t will give him 20. COO
over Mckinley
Minnesota is more liable to go for Bry-
an than Nebraska is to go for Mckinley.
Mr.. Eugene G. Hay, who was District At
torney for Minnesota under President
Harrison and 4 prominent Republican
and leader of that State. visited his ma
tive State, Indiana, short time since.
and when asked b. n friend as to the
political situation in his adopted State
replied:
Politics in Minnesota is badly mixed.
There are many Republicans who voted
for Mckinley four years ago who are
against him now. ! would not be surprts
ed IL the State went against him this fall.
/ am not sure yet how / shall vote"
The same feeling prevails among Re-
publicans in Michigan and Wisconsin. The
antitrust and anti-imperialistic tide runs
clear through the West and it NAV be
strong and swift enough to sweep all of
these States into the Bryan column There
is either something or nothing in these
confident Democratic claims that they
will make large gains in States like In
diana and Illinois. 1t is inconceiyable
that there is nothing. II there is some