The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-10-01

ended up by saying that he had no chance
| to be elected.
| This stirred up one of the commercial
travellers. and the way he did 20 for that
| Chicago chap was worth the hearing. 1t
was not in an abusive way but with plain.
strong, logical points. He got Bigeiow so
! tangled up that he soon took refuge in
his seat in the rear of the sleeper and
| occupied himself the remainder Of his trip
| with a romantic novel,
Eight out of ten of the travelling men
| are for Bryan. Nearly all of them were
against Bryan four years ago. These men
tell me that since 1896 their force has
been cut down from 25 to so per cent. and
their wages correspondingly. They say
that four years more of Mckinley. Hanna
and trusts will compel nearly all of the
commercial travellers in the country to seek
other occupations, and as .one of them re-
marked: God knows what | will find to
do, as l have be"a engaged in this BUSH
ness all my life. and know nothing of any
other kind of business" They talk conf
IDENTIFY. though If the election of Bryan.
and many of them believe that he will
sweep the couLtry.
Some Individual Opinions.
In truth. this seems to be the feeling l
have heard expr 'sed from New York to
Indiana by political observers Take for
boat builder. of Jeffersonvile. He is. as
is well known, man Of splendid business
attachments. OF deep thinking and con-
sentative mind / do not believe he ever
got eDthused over anything in his life
but perhaps boat race. Four years ago
captain Howard opposed Mr.. Bryan. but in
talking with him Wednesday evening, he
told me that he intended to vote and do all
he could to elect Bryan. He then said.
Il am for Bryan because I am a Demo-
crat, and think the financial question Is
settled. From what | can see here. BRYAN
viii make large gains. The tide seems to
be strong in his favor, II one can judge
from what he hears. Somehow, I believe
mat Bryan viii sweep the country. 1t is
either everything for him or nothing
This seems to be the general we'll di-
gested opinion. Everything or nothing"
II the demonstrative vote and silent vote
is for Bryan. he will carry New York, In
diana, Illinois. the solid South and every
thing else in reach. II it is not, he will
not get 100 electoral votes out of the AL
If there is absolutely anything in indica-
tons in the many places | have visited in
the last six weeks, Bryan will win in
walk
In 1896 Mr.. Thomas Taggart, the able and |
well informed Indiana Democrat, told me |
that he thought Bryan would carry the |
State. In talking with MIN today | re- |
minded him of his error, and asked him to |
guess again, and to give ne his honest |
judgment. He said: (
when l told you four years ago that |
Bryan would carry The State. l thought !
he would, but I was not confident / /
am confident this time. While we have |
no money. still our party is determined |
and enthusiastic, and l absolutely know
that the Democratic party presents a
united front to the Republican party /
and that the latter are in many counties
in bad shape. Take this city for an
example. We will gain 5000 votes here.
l feel sure that Bryan has the State now
by 10000, and | 90 not believe that if
the Republicans were to spend 81 coo, eco
they would wrest it from him"
Parks Martin, the able Chairman of
the State Democratic Committee. tells
me that the information he daily re-
ceives from many points in the State is
of the most fatteriag and encouraging
nature.
Some of them are SO good that I can
hardly credit them he said. "All The
changes are from Mckinley to Bryan.
I don't believe there are fifty men in
SO that will vote for Mckinley this
year. The Silver Republicans who laft
Mckinley for Bryan are still with US.
have net shadow of doubt as to the
result. 1t looks TO me as a foregone
conclusion that Bryan will carry In
LLAMA. In my judgment. it is only now
4 question CT how large his majority
will be-
What Mr.. Taggart and Mr. Martin say
IS repeated to me by the Democratic
speakers and leaders general
y. | can only tell what / see and hear
md not .misrepresent the information
hat comes to me. o. o. STEALEY.