Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-10-22
NEBRASKA VERY DOUBTFUL
BOTH PARTIES WORKING HARD FOR
BRYAN's STATE.
Prospect That the Result VIII Be
Close-Eaeh Side Making
Confident Claims,
Special Correspondence Of Tue Evening Star.

OMAHA. Neb. October 20, 1900
The chances of republican success
in Nebraska are improving. Four
years ago Mr.. Bryan's plurality
was 1856 Two years ago Governor Will
liam A. Poynter's plurality was 2,721 Both
Bryan and Poynter are running this year.
Their partisans are making extravagant
claims. Both the democratic and popu-
hstic state committees are working with
great energy to hold the fusion compact
together Jointly they are making a much
harder fight than ever before POINTER is
confronted by his record as governor and
the enemies he has made. His path is a
thorny one. He is opposed by Charles H.
Dietrich. German banker of Hastings and
very popular man. Go into any German
settlement, of which there are many, and
ask for sentiment concerning Poynter and
Dietrich, and the invariable reply is, that
however the Germans may vote on presi-
Dental electors there Is no question of
their fealty to Mr.. Dietrich. 1t is enough
for them to know that the republican nomi-
nee is German.
Poynter Is a populist yet the populist
state committee seems to ignore him in
the canvass. He is managing his own cam
paign. He is said to believe that there
are traitors in his own camp. At any
rate he is not popular with his own party
HHdHdSeIS. Inc fusion state commute is
devoting its time very largely to the presi-
Dental electors. and the legislative tickets
and seem to be permitting the candidates
10; governor and other state offices to shift
for themselves. Mr.. Bryan is said to be
of the opinion that the republicans cannot
wrest the state from him. His friends are
urging the utmost efforts in behalf of
fusion candidates for the state legislature
for the reason that the legislature will
elect two United States senators. ]. H.
Edmisten, vice chairman of the national
populist committee and manager of the
state campaign, claims that Bryan will
carry the state by at least 10000 that the
fusionists will elect all of the six repre-
sentatives, eighty out Of the 100 members of
the lower house and twenty-six out of
thirty-three members of the senate He
says most of the gold democrats are with
Bryan this year, and that the issue of So
called imperialism has caused nine-tenths
of the foreign born voters to desert Nc
kInley. He denies that prevailing pros
perity will cut any figure in favor of the
republicans.
Dr. P. L. Hall, chairman of the demo-
cratic state committee. takes practically
the same view, although he claims the
state by only $1,000. He says a recent poll
made of the doubtful counties gives him
ample basis for such prediction.
Republicans never put up such fight as
they are waging this fail. The interest
manifested in the outcome here by the re-
publican national committee is signalized
by the visit of Senator Hanna this week
He spoke twentyeight times in Nebraska
The speakers bureau ct Chicago has as
signed scores Of the best campaign orators
in the country. Great, interest has been
manifested. Governor &Roosevelt.s tour,
during which he travelled 1000 miles, in
Nebraska was an Inspiration. Upon his
advent general apathy" took to the woods
and the boys have continued to make things
warm for the opposition. H. c. Lindsay,
chairman of the state committee, has just
completed a poll of the doubtful counties,
of which there are thirty-two. He speaks
with great positiveness when he says that
Nebraska will give a plurality for Mckin-
ley. The reports from his committeeman
throughout the state are corroborated by
the cattlemen from the ranges OF the west
ern counties and by the travelling men,
who are constantly gathering sentiment of
the country merchants, and by the grain
men who are reporting the sentiment among
the farmers, which runs to the effect that
times being good they hesitate to vote for
change.
Whatever may be the outcome the vote
will be pretty close. Neither side will have
a plurality anything like 1876 1t Is pos
sible that the republicans may win the
state by 5000, but it is not certain.