Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-08-25
THE MIDDLE WEST
PoiticalP Pulse Not Beating at Chicago
Now.
ZOO MUCH BUSINESS ME CAUSE
Both Parties Prepared When Ac-
tivity Begins.
THE ILLINOIS SITUATION
pecial Correspondence Of The Evening Star.

chicago Probably that Is true Yet just
now hardly a Pulse beat can be detected.
Both the committees are doing the usual
amount of campaign work, but 1t Is of the
customary sort, and the people have not
become responsive to it. Everybody tells
of alhy, and the political managers talk
warniNgly of lukewarmness.
l do not think it is apathy so much as
prosperity that keeps campaign talk in the
background. Nine out of ten Of the men who
drift into Chicago from the western states
all have something to say of the big crops
and the industrial and commercial activity.
1t has become old story with them.
Business is booming, and in moving around
they do not think to talk politics. 1t is in
the dull seasons, when everybody has plenty
of leisure, that politics becomes the absorb
ing topic from midsummer till November.
While the universal talk Is OF prosperity
this does not mean that the people are in
different to the campaign issues Though
they do not have much to say, they know
that President Is to be elected after q
time, and they are getting ready for 1t.
But they cannot be hurried into Joining
political clubs and taking part in political
rallies. This is what worries the republican
leaders. While necessarily much Of their
talk Is for professional purposes and is
meant to stir up the masses, they are not
simply crying wolf" Said one of them
who has been over several states within
the last ten days: 1T would be a queer
thing. wouldn't it. II good times should be
the means of defeating President Mckin-
ley? Well, that is our greatest worry at
present"
Republican Organization In Good
Shape.
The republican organization Is III such
good shape that when the people do begin
to wake up to the fact that a campaign Is
on 1t will be ready to take advantage Of
whatever interest Is aroused. Everywhere
] have noticed that no detail Is lacking
The local committees throughout the west
are acting in harmony with the pans OF
the national committee. Possibly Chairman
Hanna does not expect to improve the Or
left little room for Improvement. At least
he may be sure that the machinery has not
grown rusty. 1t is working in every part
as smoothly as 1t did in 1893.
1t must be noted, also that the demo-
Gratis have something more than the shell
OF an organization Nobody seems to be
paying much attention to Senator Jones
and his colleagues of the national COM
mittee. What strength Mr.. Bryans sup
porterS have apparently comes from local
and state committees. These are going
ahead on their own account and the re-
ports which / have heard from democratic
sources are that they will be in much bet
ter shape than four years ago to capture
members of the legislature and congress-
men What becomes of their national
ticket Is secondary consideration.
No republican politician who watches the
signs carefully misleads himself into I'M
derrattng the western democrats this fall
They are getting together, though 1 have
seen nothing to indicate that there are
enough of them who can be got together
to override the republican majorities This
cohesive movement is with the idea Of
gaining local and state offices and being in
shape for the accidents of politics. Most
of the democrats who active politicians
In their private and confidential talk take
this view. They do not look for the defeat
that tie national administration is always
an object of attack, and they count on a
reaction after the victory which the re-
pubiicans are expected to win This talk
applies to the general situation. 1t does
not mean that the democrats have no
hopes of the middle west, for they are able
TO point to conditions which make several
OF the states fighting ground, and which
encourage them in their plans Of capturing
local and state offices. This Is especially
true of Indiana, which is doubtful. But
when 1t comes to figuring on electoral
votes no one out here sees hope for Bryan
In the east, and except the noisy enthu-
siasts. no one sees how Bryan can carry
the election without the votes Of New
York and New Jersey.
Belief at Democratic Headquarters.
At the democratic headquarters a notion
obtains that the committee itself is doing
some telling campaign work. This is q
delusion which 1t is not worth while to
combat. The democrats have distributed
an unusual amount Of campaign literature
but most Of this was sent out through the
congressional committee at Washington
Moreover, they have funds Treasurer
Dunlap, who is an old townsman of Mr.
Bryan's at Jacksonville. today probably
could discount Chairman Hanna's much
advertised bank balance / have been told
hat nf 10,
contributions, and that the collections be-
gan six months ago. Whatever the truth
the presence Of funds makes the demo-
cratic campaign managers cheerful and
even optimistic. They may not expect to
elect Mr.. Bryan. yet they are not going to
worry over the finances.
Another point to which my attention has
been called Is that the local atmosphere is
rot SO distnctiyely and-Bryan as 1t was
four years ago. This is said to be due to
the change in the newspaper conditions
Then there was no daily journal which was
supporting the democratic candidate. Now
the Chicago Chronicle. gold standard, Is for
him. Mr. Hearst has started a newspaper
which follows the lines OF his New York
and San Francisco journals. and which
claims to be the Bryan organ Of organs.
Mr.. Lawsons widely -circulated papers the
Daily News and the Record. also are said
to be giving Mr.. Bryan more consideration
them was extended TO him four years ago.
However, this Bryan newspaper atmosphere
During his first campaign. while the Chica-
go newspapers opposed him, they gave up
very large amount of space to Mr. Bryan
and his doings. This time the interest in
his personality Is less and the support he
receives is Of the perfunctory kind, given TO
! a party candidate by party organs.
Illinois Not q Pivotal State.
Illinois politicians of both parties like to
think of the state as pivotal one. 1t graf
| ities their vanity to have the idea spread
abroad that the whole west turns as 1t
turns. This ia not quite correct though Oc-
| cupying the position It does naturally ILL
nois exerts a strong influence on its neigh
/ bors. Outside of Chicago TO question can
| be raised that the state Is republican. Chi
! cago has so many local complications that
/ at this time no one can venture to guess
what It will do in November. The one
thing certain Is that relatively its infiu-
| ence on the State-at-large will not be so
great as in 1896 The census which shows
| population of !. 700, 900 where . 900 600 was
| claimed Is one reason. The labor troubles
| which caused many thousands to leave the
| city is only partial explanation of the
| census disappointment. But the local poll
| ticians of both parties of the same
mind in saying that the Chicago vote will
| rot equal that of four years ago. Four or
| five weeks hence, when the foreign ele-
| ments, which comprise a heavy proportion
Il ,l,.ft