Evening star., 1900-04-27
GOSSIP FROM GOTHAM
Hills Support Of Bryan May Prove
a Detriment.
MIGHT DRIVE SOCIALISTS TO DEBS
This Element Will Not Fuse With
OId-Line Democracy.
THE ROOSEVELT BOOM
THE WELT BOOM

Sage of Wolfert's Roost" since the Chica-
go convention, are arranging for contest
ing delegation at Kansas City There Is
not the slightest chance that the Chicago
platform crowd will be admitted, indeed, If
the vote of New York state. under the
leadership of Hill, is cast for Bryan, as now
seems probable. the necessity for turning
down the regular organization in favor of
the radicals will not exist. AT the same
time the movement seems to indicate a
widespread dissatisfaction among Bryan's
friends in New York state at the leader
ship of men like Hill and Croker.
The one thing that Hill and Croker re-
gard with the most apprehension is the
Debs vote The middle of the road popu-
lists will undoubtedly poll large
vote in the agricultural regions of
ton Barker and Ignatius Donnelly have
scarcely been heard of. On the other
hand. in the cities the socialists are eX-
tremely aggressive and active. And the
socialists of New York city hate Bryan
more than they hate Mckinley. for the rea-
son that they figure that Mckinley will
only secure the conservative votes of the
country, while Bryan has kept the radical
votes out of the socialist party. There is
no doubt that thousands OF socialist votes
Will be cast in this city next fall.
HOtbeds of Socialism
The tenement house districts of this city,
with their swarming thousands, are hot
beds of socialism. The leaders of the Debs
movement many of them naturalized for
eigners. are telling these people of the
wonderful growth of the socialist move
ment in the old world, of the hundreds of
thousands of votes cast under adverse con-
dltlonS IN countries like Italy and Holland
and Belgium, of the two and a half million
votes for socialism in the German empire
DebS has already planned an aggressive
campaign, and with the halo of the mar
tyrdom of the Chicago strike still cling
ing around him, he is likely to attract large
crowds when he speaks in the tenement
house districts of New York city and the
manufacturing districts of New Jersey and
New England. The socialists are not obliged
to make nominations by petition under the
ballot laws of this and adjoining states as
in many instances the vote polled In years
past entities them to a place on the official
ballot. Hence it will be easy for them to
conduct an effective campaign almost with
out expense. And for every vote that Nc
kinley will lose to the socialists BRYAN is
sure to lose ten votes. Between the upper
millstone of the middle of the road pop
uliStS in the agricultural districts and the
socialist vote in the great cities of the east
the radical support Of Bryan is likely to be
ground to exceeding fineness. Certain it is
that all that Bryan will gain through the
return of Hill he will more than lose
through the disaffection of the radicals
Bryan's Friends Alarmed.
Friends Of Bryan in the east are greatly
alarmed over this loss of radical support
They are writing to the Nebraska man,
urging him to refuse to make terms with
Hill and Croker. They confess that they
cannot see how he can have Tammany Hall
and tine New York state delegation ex-
cluded from the democratic convention but
they have warned him that if he consents
TO a trimming of the Chicago platform in
response to the demands of the men in
control Of the party in New York city and
New York state he will be charged with
fnsincerity. with having made a deal"
and that the radicals will go to the mid
die of the road pOpulsts and the socialist
party in swarms and droves 1t is probable
that this is the real reason why Bryan has
stood so firmly by the Chicago platform
despite the protests of the gold men of the
party.
These followers Of Bryan have called his
attention to the fact that at the recent
election in the state of Rhode Island the
socialist party pOlled 3.O25 votes for gov
ernor out of d total of less than 50ODO. This
in itself would not be so startling But
when 1t is remembered that the socialist
vote in Rhode Island in 1896 for President
was only .tIS out Of a total OF *, ,00O II will
b. seen that the party has increased by
| leaps and bounds. In New York state the
socialists increased their vote over 1HD
during the two years from 1886 to 1898. In
New Jersey two years ago the socialist vote
was J.-D. And this. too. with no special
interest or excitement in the elections.
when a third party holds its own during
| the years intervening between presidential
| elections it is doing well indeed. Yet the
socialists have captured some of the large
| cities Of Massachusetts during the past two
years. And the campaigns of men like
| Seth Low in New York city two years ago.
! and the vote of Golden Rule" Jones for
governor OF Ohlo, though not strictly speak
! ing soclalistic. were nevertheless enthu-
| siaSttcally supported by socialists and were
! so"iaistic in tone and tenor.
Estimated Socialist Vote.
To say nothing of the popultst vote for
the Barker-Donnelly ticket 1t is now APP
| parent to the Bryanites here in New York
city that the socialists will cast a quarter
of million votes throughout the country
during the coming campaign as against
:Sf.s9 votes cast for the socialist presiden-
tial candidates in 1896. And the question
that is bOthering the friends OF the Ne
braska orator Is whether Bryan can spare
that many votes and win. Some of them
openly confess that the socialists and the
middle Of the roaders' hold the balance
Of nower in close states and that without
this radical vote the race of Mr.. Bryan is
hopeless. They say that for every vote
that Mr.. Hill can bring him. especially in
states likely to be close. Bryan Will lose a
hundred votes Of men who will be driven
out of the party if they are convinced that
fiili is to have anything to do with molding
i the destinies Of the democratic party in the
future.
IHtSe are the views advanced, not by
the enemies of Mr.. Bryan. but by men who
supported him four years ago men VINO
| openly announce that they will support
| hlm again this year, Many of these men
! claim that the Chicago convention was
! nothing more or less than a protest against
| the leadership of men like Hill and Cor
/ man. and that If these men are IN the sad
| die once again it will take all of the en-
| thus!Ism out OF Mr. Bryan's campaign and
| result in defectiens by the wholesale.
Interest in RooseveIt's Room.
| On the other side of the political fence
| interest centcrs in the question of whether
! Governor Roosevelt will or will not run on
| the ticket with Mckinley. AT the latest
| gathering of republican leaders at the Fifth
| Avenue Hotel Senator Plat personally
| gave cut a statement in which he intimate
| ed that RoaSey,Ir was a snI,Ifar bv train