The Norfolk weekly news., 1900-11-01
WILL HELP M'KINLEY
st. Louis Is Very Friendly to His
Reelection.
Indication. That the city VIII In
Hucpce All of the Territory
That Its Merchants
Trade with.

Trade Win.
ST. Louis may be taken as the repre-
sentative city Of the central southwest
Just now Il political revolution is in
progress in the city which is bound to
have its influence over the residents of
the many states who do IA business in
that place.
1t is significant to know that four
years ago the real estate agents Of the
city-mcn whose business compcls
them 10 be up to date, were on the
sound money side, with but few cxcep-
tions, and about equally divided be
tween the republican and gold demo
crat nominees. This time Mckii ley
can count on the support of all but per-
haps dozen OF the 300 and more real
estate agents in st. Louis--including
republicans, democrats of all descrip-
tions, socialists and middlc-ofthe-rond
populists. The ratio also stands good
for the voting employees OF real estate
agencies. II is about twice l6 to in
favor of Mckinley.
Samuel Bowman, one of the repre-
sentative real estate operators whose
business extends wcll into the south
west says:
81 always voted the democratic ticket
until four years ago, and ] expect to
vote for Mckinley again this year. 1t
may interest st. Louisians, Brynnites
as well as Mckinleyitcs, to learn that
the question of the erection of a $780,
600 building in this city depends on the
result of the presidential election. If
Mckinley is elected, the building will
be put up and the work started this
winter. If Bryan is elected, the enter
prise will be indie tinitely postponed.
The location is a downtown business
corner, and the structure will be one
of the finest store buildings in St.
Louis. 1t is to be erected for big
mercantile establishment. The owner
of the ground .is brewer and a demo
crat. While both parties to the CON
tract are confident that Bryan will be
defeated, they think il best to be on the
absolutely safe side, and will, there
fore, not complete arrangements until
the result Of the election is known"
Mr.. Bowman also knows of n con
tract signed recently, in which another
large mercantile house agreed to lease
property adjoining its present building
on Washington avenue.
Robert BreCk, who represents
plate glass and several fire insurance
companies at st. Louis. was for Nc
Kinley and sound money four years
ago. and is going to vote that way
r
the Mckinley administration would
be much better for the business of the
country than a trial of Organism.
w. II. Lee, the head of the firm of
w. II. Lee & Co., who was also for
merly director of the Merchants'
Laclede bank of ST. Louis, is equally
positive in his preference for Mr.. Nc
Kinley. Mr.. Lee was formerly dem
ocrat, as his father was before him.
He voted the democratic ticket for
many years, and up to 1896, when he
bolted Bryan, marched in the sound
money parade and voted for Mckinley.
II believe in letting well enough
alone" said Louis Landau, the St.
Louis wholesale grocer. "Why change
y v
and disturb business, when we are get
ting along splendidly now? Why
should we take back step, and par
ticularly at time when our foreign
trade is exp nGing as it never did be-
fore?"
Charles w. Rutledge, the attorney,
of ST. Louis, voted the democratic
ticket until 'our years ago. He thinks
he did a wise thing in voting for
Mckinley and Hobart, and expects to
vote for Mckinley and Roosevelt He
cannot understand why any man that
voted for Pa 'mer and Buc,lner in 1896
will vote for Bryan and Stevenson this
year. He h"ils from southern Illinois.
Thomas Stoddart, manager of the
st. Louis clearing house, never voted
the republican ticket until 1896. He
thought the best interests of The
country demanded the defeat of Mr..
Bryan, and has not changed his mind
since.
George II. Smith, who was United
States assistant treasurer in St. Louis
under President Cleveland, and who is
now in the real estate business says
that he has not met single sound
money democrat who, so far as he has
heard, is going to vote for Bryan, but
that, on the other hand, he has talked
with several democrats that support
ed Bryan in 1896 who are now for Nc
kinley. Four years ago only one of
the ten democrats living in his block,
counting both sides of the street,
voted for Bryan, and Mr.. Smith thinks
it will be about the same way this
time, except that Mckinley will re-
ceive the support Of more of the nine
than he did before.