Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-09-04
The Trusts and Natural Gas.


There is peculiar condition in Indiana in
regard to manufacturing industries In the
palmy days of natural gas, large number
Of manufacturing plants were established
in the state. These were in time absorbed
by the trusts. This did not cause much agi-
tation, as the plants continued in operation
and employed large numbers of men. The
natural gas supply has failed in many To-
calities quite recently, and these plants
have either been closed down, or else are
being moved into Pennsylvania, nearer to a
fuel supply. This has not caused the best
of feeling in certain localities, and the dem
| ocIats are quick to take advantage thereof
anu ascribe the closing down of the plants
to the operations of the trusts
In the agricultural communities the dem
ocratic committee is supplying the voters
with much antitrust literature bearing
chiefly upon the purchasing power of a
bushel of wheat with those articles con-
sumed by the farmers and manufactured
by the great industrial combinations For
instance it Is shown that in 1896 according
| to the democrats, a bushel of wheat bought
twenty-five pounds of sugar, and in 1900 it
buys but eleven. The same comparison is
made IN regard to products of the steel in
dustry. These things will unquestionabIy
appeal to the agricultural population and
the people of those communities which have
suffered through the removal of factories.
III this damage done is charged to the ac-
count of the republicans, 1t will affect the
vote, but ii is difficult to say whether the
democrats will be given credit for entire
sincerity in their war upon industrial COM
bination
The present apathy is believed by the
democratic managers to be to their advan-
tage. Chairman Johnson of the national
democratic committee points to the apathy
which preceded the election of 1892, which
was followed by a democratic victory He
says that the democrats always vote, while
there are a large number of republicans
who require some excitement or special In
| terest to bring them to the polls. He says
| the money question furnished this interest
| in 1896 and resulted in a large republican
| vote everywhere. He believes that the lack
| paign is due to Indifference on the part of
| the republicans, and that the latter will not
| turn out and vote
General Apathy Exists.
This apathy unquestionably exists through
| out the country and has been a source of
! great anxiety to republican managers. II
| has interfered seriously with the raising of
| money for campaign purposes, and the re-
| publican campaign Of 1900 will be distin-
| guished by a much smaller fund than was
available in 1896. At republican headquar-
| tiers word of cheer Is given out The
| most pessimistic view of Indiana and all
| other states where there is any contest is
expressed by the republican managers
| They say that the republicans throughout
| the country look upon the outcome Of the
| election as sure thing and believe that
| unusual effort or large sums of money are
unnecessary for the carrying out of the
! work. These managers realize, so they say
| that this confidence is misplaced and un-
| less the republicans awake to the danger
| that the democrats, with the unusual effor,
| they are making, are liable to score where
| least expected
Indiana Furnishes Money
Some success has been met with lately In
| Indiana in arousing interest and securing
money for the campaign. The great ma
chine controlled by that party in the state
needs certain amount of expenditure tc
keep the wheels in motion. month age
| the money needed for this expenditure was
| lacking, but within the past few days il
has been raised, and the first result of this
success Will be the poll of the state, to pt
| taken September g. The democrats are
very hard up. In 1896 the national demo
cratic committee received 100000 from the
free silver source alone. Men like Stratton