Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-08-29
ACTIVITY DEMANDED
Republican Illinois Leaders
See Danger in Inaction.
DETECTION IS NOTED
MANY MISLED IN CALCULATIONS
ON FORMER YEARS VOTES.
Workingmen's Support Important
Factor in This Years Campaign
Farmers Reported All Right.
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.

Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.
CHICAGO, August %, 1904.
Many republicans leaders in Illinois are
just awakening to the fact that the SUI
preme confidence of triumph for their
cause in this state with which they have
all been more or less beguiled for the last
few weeks has lulled them into a perilous
sense of security, and they are now de-
handing that the spell of 1nactfon be
broken and that the party generals. state
and national. set their armies in motion
before some vital strategic points are seized
and fortified by the enemy.
A loud and alarming note of warning has
been sounded by certain energetic men
who have been quietly sounding the various
classes of voters, to the effect that there
is grave danger of serious detection In
republican ranks on the part of the work
ingmen and an 'nsistent cry has been sent
up that workers and speakers be sent out
at once to hold the toilers in line. Dis
satisfaction with existing conditions, 1t Is
claimed, is quite general among the work
ingmen and many have been found VINO
declare they will not vote the republican
ticket again. Still greater number, While
expressing discomfort refuse to say how
they will vote, and this is taken as an
omfnous sign.
There is too much reliance placed on
past triulnphs of the party, these appre-
hensive ones declare, while conditions are
vitality different to what they were IN W
and 1900, they say. They point out the
fact that man ythousand more men are
out of work now than then, and that the
cost of living has been greatly increased,
while wages have risen but little, as gem
eral thing. and in case or many employ.
quite general bitter feeling among the
working classes toward the trusts and the
disposition to hold the party in power re-
Ioxyn n IL
ready a striking tendency of workers to
favor the cause of socialism or popullsm
as a result.
In fact the only consolation they profess
to have is the belief that a great part OF
the disafrected ones will vote the populist
or socialist tickets instead of supporting
Parker. N
One of these men who urges that the re-
publcans open up the battle at once IL
they would hold the workingmen in line is
A. Handy jones, state pure food commits
sioner and a politician of no little shrewd-
ness and influence. He discussed the ques-
ton at'Iength at the republican state head
quarters yesterday.
THE sooner the republican national and
state committees get out their spellbinders
and get their organizers at work among The
laboring men in the manufacturing centers
the better will be the chances of republican
success this fall said Mr.. Jones'
Il am no calamity howier,' continued
Mr.. Jones, but I know enough of the con-
ditions among the workingmen to realize
something must be done to convince them
that change in politics is not needed from
their point Of view"
Base Calculations on Former Votes.
1.-THE trouble with some of our people is
that they base all their calculations on the
vote of Two, four and eight years ago.
The fallacy IN this is the conditions now
are not the same as they were then There
are too many men out of work. These men
will not reason out that their non-employ-
ment is not due to the republican party, or
that they would be worse off if the demo-
Gratis were in control Too many of them
have forgotten 1896
1.-The man who is idle or is working on
half time and who has to pay higher prices
than ever before for what he eats cannot
be caught by any academic argument about
prosperity. He knows that he is not well
off, and you can't convince him to the con-
trary against the weight of his own expert
ence. The strikes and Iock-outs will hurt
US. Every move is toward reduction In
wages, while every change in prices OF
necessarieS Is upward. l have read this lit
tie campaign text book the national COM
mittee has sent out. That will be no argu-
ment for the workingman who is idle lock-
ed out, ON strike against reduction in
wages, or who has had his pay cut, while
he has to pay more for meat fuel and
flour tell you we have got to meet these
men and tell them things or there will he
disappointment in the ballot boxes for us
next fall.
There is more dissatisfaction in the in
dustriai towns than is generally known.
and there is more idle men or men on half
time than some people think. TEXTBOOKS
won't satisfy them The farmers are all
right They will vote the republican ticket
almost soiidiy. They are prosperous and
satisfied with conditions But the men in
the factories and shops must be taken care
of. oN-0
Conditions in Indiana.
Then there is Indiana, for instance. 1
nave read a lot about how safe Indiana is
for the republicans. That assumption is
based on two, four and eight years ago.
but it does not apply now. We got a big
vote in the gas belt, where thousands of
men were employed and were PROSPEROUS
me Inoiana gas belt is playing out. There
are hundreos OF Industries that were run
ming few years ago that are closed or
are running on short time now
Inousano OF Workingmen have left the
gas belt. Republican votes to take their
place must be got. Because the demo
Gratis seem quiet now, is no reason that
they will not become active. This is hut
the lul! that follows their stormy conven-
tons. If we do not take advantage of the
democratic inactivity. to get a Iof Of dis
satisfied democrats attached to us If NAV
be too late l have no fear that the dem
oerats can carry Illinois. but no chances
should be taken. think the republican
campaign should be opened as soon as nos
sible. and as strongly as possible"
Joseph G. Cannon, Speaker of the ma tional
HouseIof REPRESENTATIVES, is entirely san
quine pf republican victory in this cam
paign. Gle arrived in Chicago Yesterday
from Vermont, where he has been making
speeches ia the state campaign. and. after
a visit sto the national Headquarters left
for his home IN Danville. Mr.. Cannon is in
excellent health having recovered from the
indisposition which worried his physician
after the deadlocked state conyention over
which fie presided. w.
Canpon's Estimate of Vermont.
81 have just come from Vermont and I'm
going hone,@' said Mr. Cannon. 81 sa,a
my piece three or four times, visited with
Senator Proctor, enjoyed the woods ana
hills ofthe good old state and had a pleas
ant tinad generally.
Vermont fs going to give 10000 ma iority
for theI republican ticket anyhow. and n
the fulh vote ms brought out $500. am
not going abroad. Instead OF the salt wafer
the doctors recommended took calomel
There Is no worrying about the situa-
ton. The republican party is in GOOD
shape. The republican fences are ali right.
The rails are up and the stakes are firm.
Well put two strings of barb wire along
the top That isn't necessary It's what
we call bond of fate Success ia ALI there
/ ktnx.-