The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-07-31
Large Gains for Bryan Prs
bvL. W. HabercOm, Con-
yative German JOurnalisN u. ,
ARE OPPOSED TO IMPERIALISM.
Mckinley Will Lose Thousands OF
Votes in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois
and Other Central States
on That One Issue.
The Republic Bureau.
18th 81. and Pennsylvania Ave.

lfth ST. anu ruH-tiNeihe SN'~'
Washington. July 30.-Mr. l.. w. Haber-
com. a prominent correspondent for German
newspapers, and. until recently. a jealous
worker for Republican politics and candi-
dates. being asked to-day for his opinion
CT the probable course Of the German voter
this fall. said:
What are the German-American voters
going to do In the coming election? That Is
a hard question to answer at this time.
because a great many German-Americans
have not fully decided what to do. being de-
sirous OF doing the right thing. / can only
speak from personal knowledge and fnfor-
nation gained in various ways and must not
be understood as speaking from reports to
Democratic committees. for 1 am not. as
some people think. attached to either OF
these committees in any capacity.
Let me say to you first that the German
Americans are in no wise banded together
for political purposes: that there is no con-
cert Of action among them They are d.
vided politically other elements of our
population are. each acting for himself on
his own judgment. But in great national
crises they have always shown a large de-
gree of unanimity. as, for instance in 1860
and in 1896. The same has been true to
lesser degree on some other occasions. and
especially In State elections.
such unanimity is spontaneous. The
German-American does not like to bear
heavy party yoke. and he Is not an abject
and willing slave of the party bosses He
is. at all times. disposed to be Independent
and arguing for himself and from common
grounds; all being devoted to liberty and the
Constitution and to stability In business and
financial matters. 1t is perfectly logical that
they should reason out questions pertaining
to either Of these fundamental beliefs with
about the same result.
AT the present time the German-Ameri-
can considers II liberty and the Constitution
or if business and financial and monetary
stability is IN the greatest danger II he
comes to the conclusion that the policy Of
the Republican party must lead to impe--
rialism and nlilitarism, he will vote for
Bryan; should he be Of the contrary opiD-
ion. but believe that our NOR etary system
is in danger. he will again support McKin-
ley.
This much is already absolutely certain.
Mckinley received in 1896 not less than 50
per cent Of the German-American vote. per-
haps So OF the more than 400 German
American newspapers perhaps less than
twenty supported Bryan. all the rest-Re-
publican. Democratic and independent-ad-
vocated the election of Mckinley. To-day
the more than 400 Democratic papers. with
the exception of less than about fifteen, sup
port Bryan, and Of these fifteen not more
=
the other ten will almost certainly be found
in the Democratic camp before the cam
paign closes. OF the Republican and inde-
pendent papers more than twenty already
support Bryan on account Of the imperial
fStic policy Of the administration. and at
least an equal number are decidedly antago-
nistio to the administration policy, but are
not yet supporting Bryan.
Private letters received by me recently
from many States indicate strong Opposition
among German-American voters to imperi-
allsm.
The Republican papers printed in Ger
man have mostly violently opposed the adj
ministration: and have accused President
engaged In trying to undo the work they
have DONE and hold up IS to as tho par
aniSn ia an ISSUE aeaa Ior thls cam
liking Of the editors, 1 imagine. but 1t Is
done by the order of the owners and busi-
ness managers. to whom politics is nothing
Il find that the rich German-Americans in
the cities regard the danger from 16 to
l. although II Is purely imaginary. as the
paramount question in this campaign. while
the great majority of all the German-Amer-
believe that the Republic is in danger fro-n
Imperialism and that miitarism is to be our
fate.
and desiring to be very careful and conserv-
ative. 1 think that the 50 or IS per cent Of
the German vote which was cast for Nc
Kinley in 1896 Will be reduced to at least 10
per cent; it may even go lower than 30 per
cent. but that depends on future events.
Bryan will get not less than 80 per cent
Of the German vote, and. In my Judgment.
that means that he will gain in Ohio from
10000 to 5000: in Indiana. 5000 to 1900; IN
Illinois. not less than 10000: in Wisconsin
$1,000: in Michigan, from 10000 to 5000; In
Minnesota. from 5000 to 14ooo. In Kansas
the gain will probably not amount to more
than 1.500 or eco. and In Nebraska II may
not even be so large. peculiar conditions pre-
vailing there.
in New York and New Jersey the gains
of GermanAmerican votes for Bryan are
less promising. but they may improve. In
1896. however. Bryan undoubtedly received 4
larger percentage of German-American votes
I'm New York State than elsewhere; they
seem to have reached about 80 per cent
which is considerably more than what he re-
ceived in Indiana. where comparatively more
such votes were cast for him than in any
other State now considered doubtful, except
Ing New York"