Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-10-23
A Weak Man Against Him.

The opposition put up a weak man, who,
fortunately for the republicans, Is not
strong where Mercer Is said to be weak.
And the fusionists are all torn up into fac
lions quite as bitter as the Rosewater
boilers. There is no newspaper in Omaha
advocating republican policies The Bee is
regarded as a personal organ and has fur
nished a great deal of matter used by the
opposition press to the detriment Of the
republican party. One daily here is a flu
sionist organ, while the third is an even
ing paper processing independence in poll
tics. While republicans here feel keenly
the need of newspaper champion, and
that need seems to be growing, yet the re-
publicans Of the second district are in no
sense dismayed and are sanguine Of the
success of Mercer and the entire republican
ticket. Two years ago MERGERS plurality
was 40 votes. The district Is composed
of three counties-Douglas, of which Omaha
is the county seat; Washington county, on
the north and Sarpy county, on the south.
The latter is additionally democratic. Mer-
GERS plurality in Washington county will
offset the fusion majority in Sarpy. so that
MERGERS battle-ground is in the city Of
Omaha, where his opposing candidate, G.
NJ. Hitchcock, also resides.
The opposition to Mercer cannot possibly
deprive him of over 400 votes, and the most
conservative estimate, which men who have
polled the county and have studied the Sit
uation In all its phases. predict a majority
for Mercer of not less than 1000 votes.
letter from H. A. Taylor, assistant secre-
tary of the United States treasury. Wash
ington wherein Mr. Taylor said that the
keenest interest in the outcome of the
Mercer fight was felt in Washington. That
1t was regarded there as an unmitigated
outrage that Mercer had to be subjected to
an unfair fight from man processing to be
a republican. Mr.. Taylor congratulated
In the republican primaries and expressed
sincere hope for MERGERS reelection
A well-informed republican said today:
III Mr. Hearst has any surplus cash to
burn by all means let him put 1t into the
second district. for the more money con-
sumed here would lessen the Doodle fund
distributed in the four fusion districts"
Bryan is Campaigning.
Mr.. Bryan is campaigning the state in an
endeavor to reinstate the populist state
ticket and to gain the control of the state
executive offices. He has no paramount Is
sue this year. combining hts remarks very
largely to the mistakes Of the republican
party and to the bad legislation which he
fears the republicans will enact in the next
Congress. The action of President Roose-
Welt in inducing the parties of the anthra-
cite coal strike to agree spoiled the best
PEELED to compliment the President, but ex-
pressed a doubt that 1t would result in any
ultimate gain for the strikers. Bryan has
also raised the Fowler bill as DOGGY man.
anu ID Telling the people tHdt the republican
party contemplate its enactment the coming
winter and dares the republican nominees
for Congress to declare themselves on that
issue.
Congressman Burkett. in the first district
met this charge by saying that the repub-
lican caucus last winter laid the Fowler
bill forever to rest Mr.. Bryan has lost a
good deal Of that buoyant. hopeful, author
itative, forceful tone which characterized
his utterances in former campaigns before
he had been repudiated as a prophet. His
manner during the present campaign is
that Of a discOnsolate and the tone Of his
ened He devotes considerable time to the
trusts, throwing the entire responsibility
upon the republican party for the evil work
or intent on all stock jobbing monopolies or