Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1900-08-17
DEMOCRATS HUsTLING.
Chairman Hoffman Is Rusily Engaged
In Raising Large Cnm-
pnign Fund.

cratic state central committee is evil
IDENTIFY preparing for one of the liveliest
campaigns that the opposition to re-
publicanism has ever waged in Iowa.
Chairman Hoffman has for several
months past had a corps of canvassers
at work throughout the state solicit
ing funds to be used for campaign work
of the committee. In their solicitation
these canvassers are instructed to re-
fuse no contribution, no matter how
small the amount may be. Even rs
cents is not considered too small an
Offering to accept. These canvassers
have been active and energetic and the
months money has been flowing into
the treasury of the democratic commit
tee at Des Moines in considerable
amounts. 1t is also reported that in
some sections of the state plan has
been perfected for the formation of
semi-secret societies or clubs, whose
members pledge themselves to COLI
tribute some fixed amount weekly or
monthly, as they desire, for the pur-
! pose of aiding in securing democratic
success, especially in the congressional
election of the First, Second and Sixth
districts. It seems that the committee
believes that these districts are fight
ing grounds for the democrats. They
claim to feel sanguine of carrying the
Second district and almost equally GER
tain of carrying the First district, and
as to the Sixth they are determined to
give Lacey the fight of his life. How
ever, the distinguished congressman of
that district is quite fighter and has
won several battles that were fiercely
contested by the opposition, and there
is no doubt but that he will be equally
successful this year. AS to the First
district, none but the most deluded
Bryanites believe there is any show of
defeating Congressman Hedge for re-
election. He has made splendid record
man in every way, and the people of
that district will doubtless return him
with larger ma ority than ever before.
The only hope the democrats seem to
have in the First district is based upon
what they believe will be the democrat
izing effect of the death of Senator
Gear. They say the lamented senator
exerted a cohesive power upon the re-
publicans of that district, holding them
together for their ticket, and also upon
a large number of the class of people
known politically as Gear demo
crats," who were certain to vote for
the republican ticket when Gear took
the stump. The republicans of that
district will see to it that their lines
are firmly held and that none who are
accustomed to vote with them shall be
drawn to the enemy at this critical
time in the history of the country.
There is no political bombast in this
statement, for the election this fall is
certainly one of the most important,
and the country at this time is in one of
the most critical campaigns which has
confronted it for many years. The
Bryanites do not expect to elect their
presidential candidate, but they do ex-
pect that they have chance to elect
a ma ority of the members of the
house. To this end they are using every
effort in every district they consider at
all doubtful, and of course their cam
paign in Iowa is no exception to the
general rule. While they will give
perfunctory support to the national
and state democratic tickets in the
state at large, their greatest efforts
will be developed in these three con-
gressional districts, with the hope that
they may elect at least one congress
man from Iowa to assist in the general
assault upon the present republican
majority in the house. If the repub-
icans of Iowa do their duty this hope
will be vain. Neither of these districts
is democratic. Each of them has sub
stantial republican majority if the vote
is fully polled, and it now depends upon
the republicans of these districts to
decide whether or not they are to be
represented in congress by republic
ans. There is no danger in the Second !
district with anything like full poll
of the republican vote. The democrats
are reckoning on a large number of
German votes in that district, but they
will figure without their host, for the !
Germans of Scott, Clinton, Muscatine
and other counties of the Second are |
just as strongly in favor of sound
money to-day as they were in 1896,
when they gave such an overwhel lining
majority for Mckinley and the repub-
lican congressional ticket. They are
not alarmed at the cry of imperialism,
for they realize that imperialism with
the democratic party is simply cloak
whereby they may conceal their real
purpose, the forcing upon the country
of debased currency. What is neces-
sary then for republican success in
these districts and in the state at large |
is thorough and complete organiza-
ton, and that is what the state central
committee is striving to secure. With |
an organization such as has been
planned by Chairman Weaver and the
members of the committee, there can
be no question as to the ultimate and
grand success of the republicans OF
Iowa.
Chairman Weaver has arranged to
hold number of meetings for consul
sA1 I 1