Evening star., 1900-09-24
BOTH SIDES HOPEFUL
Democrats Expect a Landslide in
Their Favor.
REPUBLICANS REASON LOGICALLY
Great Effort Being Made to Garry
New York.
TO THE STRIK E

OFFSET TO THE STRIK e
One of the peculiarities of the pending
campaign is the hopefulness, even expec-
fancy, with which the democrats cast their
eyes upon states where, reasoning from the
past, democratic success would seem i'm
possible. All figures which would give
Bryan a majority of the electoral college
must include states which gave Mckinley
overwhelming majorities in '96 and which
in '9s showed steady and seemingly secure
republican majorities. Both parties are
placing in the doubtful column states
whose record gives no warrant for their
being regarded as doubtful, but those which
the republicans claim to be doubtful are
not needed by them il the states which are
ordinarily republican remain so. The dem
ocratic doubtful column is however. made
up of such states as New York, Illinois,
Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin, states
which are naturally counted by republicans
as certain for Mckinley; and Indiana,
Maryland, Kentucky and West Virginia,
all of which pronounced emphatcally
against Bryan in '96.
The Democratic Hope.
based upon the theory of political land
slide, since any condition of affairs which
would give to them New York and Illinois
might as safely be counted to sweep
Ohio and Iowa. or even Pennsylvania, and
any number of other states no one now
thinks of putting in the doubtful column.
What the democrats seem to be calculating
on Is what they do not know-by assuming
that all the political forces they know
nothing about, and which all their efforts
fail to discover, are favorable to themselves
they. are able to figure out marvellous posi-
bilities. The three distinct things upon
which they are calculating are the labor
vote an increase In their share OF
the German and other foreign vote
and the votes OF the unusual proper
tfon of the population who are saying moth
ing and showing no special interest In the
campaign. Contrary to general experience
that the convert is very active and demon
strative, the democrats construe silence and
inactivity on the part of a voter to signify
that he has undergone a change of heart
and that Bryan has caught him, while the
republicans. more logically, reason that in
activity is due to contentment with present
conditions
Voters Phenomenal Reserve.
1t Is agreed on both sides that the amount
of reserve shown by voters all over the
country is phenomenal. Canvasses are rem
dered unsatisfactory by the unwillingness
of many voters to commit themselves.
their evastve answers to questions leaving
the conclusion to their course largely to
inference. Another thing reported by cam
paigners of both parties who have been on
the stump Is the absence of large crowds
at political meetings Bryan, Roosevelt and
Hanna can, of course, draw large crowds
on account of their personality; but all the
lesser lights find themselves sighted to
great extent, and even the small audiences
they address show but little enthusiasm.
This is construed in various ways by va
rious people, the democrats, with charac-
teriStic hopefulness, constituting 1t to their
own advantage. But the most reasonable
explanation of it appears to be that the
campaign of education which has been
In progress for a number of years, particu-
larly since the spring of '96. has brought
most Of the voters up to point where they
can think for themseN es and feel that they
do not need to drop their work and listen
to campaign orators in order to form their
conclusions. Two classes Of people make
up the large campaign meetings-those who
in unreasoning enthusiasm like to hear ora
tors in fine rhetoric say things which they
themselves thoroughly agree with, and
those who are in doubt and want to learn
something. Long practice in reading and
thinking on public questions destroys inter-
est and enthusiasm in campaign speeches
but does not create Indifference in the re-
suits. There is abundant evidence from
men who have been out looking the field
over that the absence of excitement does
not signify lack of interest in the cam
pafgn and its result. and that reason and
material consideration will influence the
voters.
Public Questions UnderstOod.
During the session Of Congress, when
many difficult questions were under con-
sideration. some of them threatening d.
visions In parties members of the Senate
and of the House who try to keep In close
touch with their constituents visited their
homes or had correspondence with re-
sponsible men in various parts of their
respective states, and without exception
their reports showed that the public uues-
tions Of the hour were about as well un-
derstood, not only in every city and town,
but In the rural districts. as they were in
Congress. Politicians who have been
among the people since then say that the
same intelligence and information is shown.
This state of facts contradicts the assump-
tfon that the lack of enthusiasm at polit-
ical meetings is due to Indifference, and in
dicates campaign Of COOL practical COM
mon sense on the part of the voters
throughout the country who are not mere
politicians.
seton to the Coal Strike.
The agreement between the iron and
steel manufacturers in Ohio and the work.
men. by which fires will be lighted in the
iron and steel plants and 10000 men be
given employment Is regarded as likely to
have decided influence upon the labor
IS counted as a very considerable offset to
the Pennsylvania coal strike. Recent in
formation shows decided improvement in
the situation in Indiana for the republi-
cans. That state is acknowledged by
publicans to be very doubtful and much
anxiety has been expressed lest 1t should
be lost to Mckinley, but recent advices
show that the work that is being done there
by the republicans is having an influence
and the situation Is reported much more
satisfactory. 1t is said that the Debs vote.
which promises to be quite large, will
count seriously against the democrats in
Indiana and elsewhere. An element which
might otherwise be counted on to support
Bryan will vote for Debs. In Indiana, Hi
nois and in Washington this vote, 1t is
said, will be considerable.
New York Favorable to Republicans.
1t Is regarded probable that In New
York city, where Tammany has control Of
the government, the democrats will have
large vote, but republicans do not believe
that Hill can cut down their majority up in
the state, however earnestly he may try. A
newspaper man. who has recently been In
Rochester, Buffalo and a number of lesser
places in the state talking politics with
business men, democrats as well as repub-
licans saws that every indication points to