Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1900-02-20
HIS FOES ARE WITHIN.
McKinley's Victory in the Coming
Election Is Not Forgone
Conclusion,

We quoted not long ago the remark
about the approaching presidential
campaign with which shrewd repub-
lican politician from a state in the CEN
trail west surprised an eastern acquaint-
ance. The New Yorker had said, almost
as matter of course, that he supposed
his visitor thought that Mckinley had
ga sure thing" in 1900. "I'm not so sure
about that" was the unexpected reply.
! II can foresee contingencies under
which it seems to me that Bryan will
have more than fighting chance of be-
ing elected"
Evidence accumulates each week that
this excellent party authority is by no
means alone in his apprehension of pos
sible republican defeat next November.
| The chairman of the Indiana republic
an state committee is quoted as saying
that the campaign of 1900 "is going to
| be the hardest campaign in many
years." and that ''the state can only be
carried by the most thorough organi-
cation" The Washington correspond
ent of that prominent republican or
gan, the Iowa State Register, reports
zone of the Oldest and ablest of the re-
publican senator's" as sounding a note
of alarm. Twelve states beyond the
Missouri are yet to elect United States
senators for the term beginning March
4, 1901. Eight of the men whose terms
expire are republicans. "There must
be great care taken in some of these
states" is the warning of this veteran
politician, COR we will lose strength, and
have either democrats or populists sent
to the senate. If we lose five of those
states, we will lose control of the SEN
ate. The republicans, who are now over
confident, may as well look the situa-
ton squarely in the face and prepare to
meet 1t. While I do not believe in alarm
list statements, do believe that the re-
publicans of the whole country should
be cognizant of these facts"
But there is still higher authority
than "a shrewd republican politician"
whose name cannot be published, or
zone of the oldest and ablest of the re-
publican senator's" whose identity is
not revealed, even If he seems to be
William B. Allison. The great Hanna
himself openly confesses that the re-
publicans must do the hardest kind of
work from this time on if they expect
to carry the country next fall. On re-
cent trip to Philadelphia he impressed
upon the republican mayor "the exceed
ing Importance" of the immediate fur
nishing" of at least a portion Of the
100000 for the republican campaign
fund which was promised from that
city when it made the successful bid for
the national convention. He added that
this fund sis needed at once" and de-
clared that zone dollar of campaign
funds to-day is worth five dollars three
months hence"
Senator Hanna's idea is that the i'm
mediate and energetic opening of work
by the republicansisn necessary, because
the coming campaign-which, in his
opinion, will turn upon the two o,.es=
tons of the prosperity of the working
people and the retention of the Philip
pines-"wilfb be anexceedingly vigorous
one;" because the democratic party has
already engaged numerous labor agi-
tators to foment among the working
people of the en- tire west as much dis
satisfaction with existing conditions as
lies in their power" and has supple
mented their work by the distribution
Of great quantities of campaign litera-
ture; and because the republican cam
paign management must meet these
agitators by the employment of men
and the distribution of republican lit
erature to counteract their influence.
Mr.. Hanna thinks that "our men are
the better in character and of higher
standing" and "our literature" too,
equally superior; but he holds, never
tbeiess, that "only by the utmost in
telligence and assiduity" can the efforts
of the wicked democrats be thwarted.
The fact must now be accepted that |
the Mckinley administration contem-
plates the possibility of defeat for the
republican party next November. Its
recognized spokesman admits that the
utmost efforts must be put forth to
ward eff this danger. The amazing fea-
ture of the situation is that nobody in
the inner circle sees either the real
cause of the danger, or the true policy
10 adopt that it may be averted.
Whence comes the chief ammunition
used by the democratic agitators? The
most effective weapons have been
forged by the familiar friends. the an
thoriZed representatives, the special
champions, of the president himself
n. Y. Post.