Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-09-19
IN THE MIDDLE WEST
Political Managers Sounding
Alarm About Apathy.
TREND OF SENTIMENT
PRO-REPUBLICAN TENDENCIES
APPARENTLY UNCHANGED.
Democrats Disappointed in Parker
Waiting for an Inspiriting Word
From Bryan-Illinois Outlook.


the political managers have been sending
out alarm cries about apathy, but think
they are wrong. From observations made
in three or four states l should say that
the alarm relates chiefly to local conditions
In some localities the rank and file of the
party workers want waking up. but both
the state and the county committees are in
good shape.
The broad fact, as l have noted 1T, is
that the people are pretty well determined
in their own minds about the issues of the
campaign They realize that the circum-
stances are not similar to those in either
1896 or 1900. The foundation for this years
canvass was laid long ago The campaign
will hardly be one of education. In the
sense that it was understood in 1896 with
reference to the money question or in 1900
with regard to expansion.
Three months ago neither democrat nor
republican was disposed to question that
the trend of the middle west was strongly
republican. The only question l have been
trying to settle for myself is whether in the
interval there has been a change and
whether the intangible thing which the poll
ticians call the drift" and which they
feel sometimes when they can't see 1t, Is
now away from the republicans. The pro-
republican tendencies were so pronounced
in June that a shifting of public sentiment
ought to be easily discerned.
Sentiment Apparently Unchanged.
Speaking generally, there appears to be
no shifting. President Roosevelt's admin
istration and republican policies are as
firmly rooted as ever 1t would not be well
to take the word of the political managers
when they talk for public information, be-
cause some of them would want to stir up
the voters by picturing the uncertainties
of all elections, while others would prefer
to create the impression that it Is all one
way and thereby catch the floating element,
which goes with the prospective winner.
The talk out among the voters Is a surer
index, and 1t is a good many of these talks
that have led me to believe President Roose-
welt and the policies with which his adminis-
tration is identified in the public mind are
stronger than they were when the Chicago
convention was held.
Some of this feeling unquestionably Is due
to the President himself. l do not mean his
personality, but rather his treatment of the
questions which will be the issues in the
campaign. The republican canvass is being
pitched to the key of the letter of accept
ance. Before the letter was made public L
had made some inquiries and found that the
republicans generally were in a waiting at
titude. They We're pretty well pleased with
the speech of acceptance, but they were
looking forward to the letter as forming the
real basis of the electoral struggle. During
the week l have talked with, say, forty indl-
viduals, none Of them party managers or
leaders. with a view to determining how the
letter had been received. Among the re-
publicans there was no mistaking that IT
gave satisfaction. Among the democrats
the feeling apparent that it increased
their difficulties in securing rallying cry.
The Campaign Work.
These are the general conditions then as
relates to the republican campaign. 1t
should not be understood that they do away
with the necessity for campaigning. While
committees cannot always lose a struggle
when the minds of the people are made up
as to political issues, no one would think
of justifying the committee, which would
say six or eight weeks in advance that the
election won, and that they could close
up shop.
In the present situation, the complaint of
the political managers is that they have not
had enough to do and some of them have
BODIED ill from this phenomenon. But in the
meantime they have been perfecting their
organization until now two facts are quite
plain: One is that the middle west Is still
strongly republican, both as to the Presi-
dent and the party policies. The other is
that the party organization is fully equip
ped to see that the mass of voters who
favor President ROOsevelt'S reelection are
got to the polls.
One politician of prominence gave me
curious insight in the feeling of some of
those who are really fearful of apathy. He
newspapers, which were printing so little
political news. In reality the newspapers
are printing all the political intelligence
that is vital The salient features of both
the republican and democratic situation are
given, and have noted that any utterance
from a public man of consequence receives
full publication as well as editorial COM
ment But there is a great deal of what
might be called minor political news, which
usually is found in presidential year, but
which is lacking this year. 1t only serves
to illustrate that the interest in this cam
paign is not in details, but in the broad,
overshadowing questions.
Disappointed in Parker.
Concerning the democratic national cam
paign, most of the news will be in New
York. There are many good democrats In
the west who feel better after making a
somi-publie confession. A dozen of this
class have confessed to me that they have
got so used to being disappointed in Judge
Parker that they look for nothing else from
that source except disappointment In other
words the judge has not succeeded in vital
izing his candidacy in the west. He may do
something in mis- letter of acceptance but
he can hardly regain what has been lost
since the St Louis convention. The demo-
cratic plant is that they We're told to walt
and that they have been waiting too long
They have made some effort and have an
organization, but as one of them said party
organization needs leader to utilize it.
The same democrat spoke admiringly of
President Roosevelt and wished that the
candidates were changed. This expression
was revelation of the feelings of many
democrats, who want TO keep within their
party, but who secretly would like to SUM-
port Roosevelt
Waiting for Bryan.
do not think that Judge Parker is en-
trely responsible for the lukewarmness in
the democratic campaign in the middle
west. Bryan is an element in it. Nobdy vet
knows just what Mr.. Bryan means to do.
He has made some perfunctory speeches in
support of Parker, but how far he means
TO exert himself to carry Indiana and other
states for the democratic national ticket is
sun in doubt. His personal following which
looks on him as fearless leader and which
IL imbued with populstic theories abso-
luteIy has refused to warm up to Parker
l have heard this stated everywhere Ar a
later stage of the campaign Mr. BRYAN NAV
thlnk 1t worth while to put some vim into
ms Following, but the cue has not yet been
given eii
1he campaign management in Chicago
ana the middle west was put in the hands
OF the old Cleveland forces including some
gold democrats Its position was illustrated
py john p Hopkins, who got control of
the illlnols democratic machine and who
at ST. Louis advocated going for BRYAN
with meat AK. This faction has made
good 10 the extent of providing campaIcn
nd hut Il,