St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1900-10-27
i0IES FROM WASHINGTON
Items of Information Concerning
Political Affairs at the
Capital.
THE REPUBLICAN CAMPAIGN LAGGlHG
Present State of the Philippine Cam
pafgn - The Coal Miners Strike
and the InstrumentaIityo of Hanna
-Demoeratic Outlook in the East
bryan Gaining.
[special correspondence.l l

President Mckinley has gone hom,
to Canton to give his personal atten
tion to his campaign in SO far a!
Hanna will permit. The republican
campaign needs something to give i
life and energy President Mckinley
and his advisers are not likely tc
change the adverse drift of popular
sentiment. They have several cam
paign lies to be sprung the last mo
ment.
One will be that the Philippine in,
surrection is over and that civil gov
ernment has been established.
This might do if it hadn't beer
worn thredbare so many times be-
fore. 1t is even limited that the an.
nouncement will be made that Agui.
naldo and the other insurgent leaders
have surrendered. Well, that also has
been used before.
No announcement of the termina-
tfon of the Philippine campaign will
be believed unless accompanied by an
order for the return of at least $4,000
troops. This is the test. 1t will be
found that the republicans cannot
meet it. Talk is cheap, but the
troops are not going to return until
the insurrection is over. Those whose
term of enlistment is out will be
replaced by others, If the next ad-
ministration is republican.
Hanna and the Coal Trust.
The coal miners strike becomes a
matter of national Importance. The
coal operators are responsible for the
strike itself and for any consequences
which grow out of it.
The men put up with starvation
wages until body and soul could no
aonger be held together. Think of
supporting a family on 90 cents day
and having four days work week.
1t is q crime against civilization that
combine should have the power to
dictate such terms to workingmen.
The men offered to arbitrate and the
operators scorned their pitiful appeal.
The sympathy of the country will go
out to these starving miners in their
struggle for living wages.
It is to be hoped that the men will
be patient even under the proyocation
that is sure to be offered by the
operators. They are accustomed to
starving, as one of the mine workers
executive board said recently: eve
might as well starve iole as working.
It is starvation anyway"
What becomes of the republican
assumption of prosperity and the
"full dinner pail" in the face of this
strike of 143,oG0 men Efor wages to
support bare existenhs? 1t is many
a month since the min, ,srs have had
full dinner pail, and they never ex-
pect to have prosperity as long as
trust controls the output Of the
worlds supply of anthracite coal
The public is directly interested in
this strike The coal barons are
lar ton for coal. Not because there
is any scarcity, but because cold
weather is coming and they have the
power to squeeze the consumer as
well as the workman.
Never was there greater output
y
never have the operators enjoyed
more prosperity, yet they begrudge
their men decent wages out of the
millions made from the industry.
Hanna would have been glad to
avert, or at least postpone, the strike,
but the operators let him know that
he is their servant, not their master. |
When they want antitrust legislation
killed it is Hanna's business to see
that it Is done. When Hanna wants |
the operators to concede the demands
of the miners because a strike will |
have bad effect on the republican |
the operators tell him to |
attend to his business of managing
the campaign and they will attend
TO theirs. Hanna is chagrined, but |
he is like the man in the Arabian |
Nights who let the genii out of the
box and couldn't get them back.
Bryan Gaining.
Chairman Jones, of the democratic
national committee, has been spend
ing few days in the east. He is
very much pleased over the demo-
cratic outlook. New York state is
putting up a splendid campaign and
the republicans are much disorgan-
lied there. The democratic state
committees have good active organi-
cations in the middle western states.
The precinct organizations and demo-
cratic clubs are making great head
way. The democrats propose to see
TO it this year that every man who
wants to vote for Bryan has the OPP
oortunity and that every vote cast for
lin is counted. There is no objection
% Hanna getting out as big repub-
lean vote as he can, but the republic
ms will not be permitted to count
my votes except those actually cast
or their candidate.
Every week brings new accession
10 Bryan from the republican ranks
Ind every week shows plainly that
here is going to be a big stay-at-
lome republican vote this year. The
administration In decidedly unpopular
With it's own party. Il
Bryan by his own speeches is MAX
ng thousands of votes. He speaks E
IS the plain man of the people. He
las the compassion and understand
ng for humanity in his heart. He In