The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-10-05
THE COMMERCIAL
TRAVELLERS ARE
NOT FOR BRYAN
Talks With Several Travelling Sales
men, Who Are Strong for Nc
Kinley and Prosperity.
THEIR REASONS ADVANCED
And They Are Excellent ones-Busi-
ness Depression Would Follow
Bryan's Election.

8 D. g.. . s.
The Intelligencer yesterday run across
a gentleman who has been travelling i
great deal Of late, and who talked
rather entertainlngly on the ludcrous
claims of the Organizes that tho travel
/ ing men are going to give Mckinley the
"icy mltt" this fall. Said this gentle
man: lGS.. 4,
Where they get their authority for
this statement is more than I have been
enabled to find out. and I have taken
great trouble to find a travelling sales
man who favors the policies of the
Democratic party and wlllvote for Bry-
an this fall.
During my sojourn In West Virginia,
being only three days, have talked
with more than thirty travelling sales
men, some Of them representing the
largest wholesale houses In the country.
Out Of all these talks. ! have not found
one man who favors the election OF
Bryan, but on the other hand. they are
opposed to his election and favor Nc
kinley and present prosperity.
''Whilo talking to a prominent sales
man In Grafton yesterday, he said:
!" No. am opposed to the election OF
Bryan, because have Nil the business
now that can do, while under the
Cleveland administration could get no
orders and the merchants visited told
me they could sell nothing. have only
found one salesman during the last six
months of my travels who said he was
going to vote for Bryan, while on the
other hand l have met thousands OF
them who said travelling man must
be crazy to think Of voting the Demo-
cratic ticket. No, you can put 1t down
that the drummers are for Mckinley.
A prominent merchant of Cumberland,
Md. who has been u life long Demo-
crat, quietly told me q day or two ago
that he proposed to vote the Republican
ticket. as he had no desire to fail ur
lose his present large business. which
would undoubtedly follow Bryan's cleo
tion.'
AT the Mcclure hotel last night, l
talked with seven travelling men. They
were all warm Mckinley supporters,
and one of them had always been a
, Democrat heretofore. but proposed to
vote for Mckinley on account OF the
large and increased business In his line.
"One Of the statesmen, who Is well
known to the merchants OF West Vir-
ginit, stated his case In the following
tcrse language:
If Bryan Is elected I will be called
In by my house. and know hundreds
OF other drummers who will be out of
job In case of his election. This Is no
idle talk. but q downright and glaring
truth. The travelling salesman. as we'll
as all other business men. who votes for
Bryan and free silver. votes himself out
of position. Never In all my life have
l done as much business Us have In
the last two years. and / want to say
to you right here that am only one out
Of thousands OF business men I know
that will cast their vote for Mckinley
and continuance Of the present busi-
ness conditions. The statement that
the travelling men are in favor of Bry-
ans election are all stun
In brief conversation with the gen.
cral agent OF the Hammondsport Wine
Company yesterday, he said:
No, the travelling men are not in
favor OF Bryan and am at loss to
Know where that statement originated.
Since the nomination of Mckinley, !
have heard four men out OF thousands
have taxed with. say they would sup
port the Democratic ticket, one OF them
being Tennessee man, who stated that
IL he was ut home he would probably
vote for Bryan, but that he hoped Nc
kinley would be elected. There are 10
per cent more statesmen on the road now
than four years ago and believe they
will all vote for McKinley-at least they
say they will. When 1t comes to n
question of voting for or against n liv-
Ing. man Is pretty apt to vote for the
living, and everybody knows that by
voting for Mckinley man votes for
prosperity. happiness and n full dinner
pail. You can bank on the travelling
men supporting Mckinley
THE other statesmen | talked with,
told me about the same story. and were
all in favor OF Mckinley. prosperity and
n continuance OF the present business
conditions" So