The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-09-18
CIRCULATION Statement.
The shadow of November.

The shadow of November.
Tho nublic does not in the least need TO
be told that the Republican campaign man
ayers are seriously alarmed over the po-
litical situation it stands today Not
that they have abandoned hope. They VIII
never do that while there is chance 10
carry doubtful States by still more doubt
ful methods; but il is TO methods OF that
sort that they are looking now. rather thaa
10 any line of legitimate appeal to voters,
The latter does not hold out much eneour-
agement TO Mr. Hanna and his coadjutors
in view of the general bolt of the German
Americans in the Central West the re-
: turn of the Gold Democrats to their old
love. and the revolt of the farmers and
laboring class against the party of the
trusts.
Carefully manufactured stories are being
spread widecast from Republican headquar-
tiers alleging that the German Americans
are still for Mckinley. but the event Will
show that seventy or eighty per cent oil
them are against him. The tallest kind OF
= political lying will not convince anyone
who has been out among them to the con-
trary. Again. Mr.. Hanna pretends to re-
gard the antitrust movement as a bug
,silsear. but he knows better There is not
crossroads village. a factory, mill, or mine
anywhere in the country whose people do
not feel, understand, and bitterly resent
.sfhe pinch of the trusts. The farmer keen
IL realizes the truth that what he has to
sell brings no better prices than formerly,
while everything he must buy costs him
from tairty to fifty per cent more than il
did two years ago. The miner. artisan,
railway operative, and all workingmen are
perfectly aware that the trusts have raised
everything but wages, which are generally
at the old level, where, as in many in
IS stances they have been or are being cut
down. Wage workers know the mockery
OF the full dinner pail'' argument quite
ss well as those who use it appreciate its
humor.
In view of these considerations it is
not strange that it is still hunt that Mr..
Hanna is mostly engaged upon. He is
incessantly calling upon the trusts for
more money. He is using it prudently,
but upon schemes which eat up money
rs fire does a hay rick. Just what those
ing. do not care to say at present: but
those VINO had opportunities to watch the
campaign of 1886 critically may perhaps
feel justified in guessing.
There is one bit of good politics" in
operation under sound business methods"
which perhaps will partially illustrate
illustrate what is going on. We do lot
accuse Mr. Hanna or anybody else in par
ticuiar, of connection with it; but it is
going on Just the same. certain Re
publican who has the reputation of voting
a large number of District of Columbia
negroes at every State election in West
Virginia is reported to have personally
conducted very large number into that
Commonwealth within the past two weeks.
We will not say who he is. Even The
above description will identify him in the
minds of most Washington people familiar
with the corrupt politics of the day. What
is happening in West Virginia, where
'colonists" are aisv arriving in large
bodies from Virginia and North Carolina.
is also happening in Indiana where Ken
lucky negroes are rallying under their
peerless leader" Taylor. the fugitive
from justice, to swell the vote for the
= trust candidates. Republicans on the Dor
der line of Ohio and Indiana win cast
their ballots on both sides of it as they
did in 1886, and the boundaries of other
States will be similarly utilized.
OF course, there is always a question az
70 how far methods of this kind can be
pushed without detection and punishment
but, in the desperate situation in which
the Republican managers find themselves
st is fair to assume that they viii cake
all the chances necessary; believing that
an apparent success at the polls. no mat
ter how obtained. could be maintained by
force, and all crimes against the suffrage
in that event. covered up. The organized
Democracy should be sleeDless'y on the
watch for the frauds that are even now
IN active incubation, and which inevitably
viii be perpetrated on an enormous scale
ii means to prevent them are not adopted
and inteliigently applied where required
and in time.