The Saint Paul globe., 1904-09-11

CHICAGO, Sept. 10.--The campaign
issue of Imperialism has been brought
into overshadewing prominence in Hi.
nois in the last few days. At the Dem
ocratio and Republican headquarters
in this city no other political topic is
under discussion today. The Demo-
Gratis are confident they have the pop
ufar side of the question in the middle
West. The Republicans, while denying
this, point to the Vermont returns as
evidence of the popularity of the
presidents expansion and military and
naval policies in the East.
It is evident that no other issue cam,
in this section at least, SuperSede i'm
perialism, even though the party man:
ayers are later on constrained to make
q atehange. The rank and file of voters
is too deeply interested. There is
such vast difference in the claims of
the party managers as to the effect of
these discussions, and so much sin
cerity on both sides that no forecast
ing of results would be at this time
justifiable. The most that can be said
is that there is not now any sure in
dication of landslide in either direc-
tion in Illinois.
The Republicans who think that Mr..
ReoseveIt's plurality will be as large
as sMr. McKinley's in 1900, approxi-
Jately SO, 0e0. are oyereonfdent. The
O6lHOcFdtS VINO Inlnk lfdC Judge fdf-
kef's plurality will equal that of Mr..
Cleveland's in 1892 ought to remember
that the issue Of Imperialism, which
will certainly cut both ways, though
less to the disadvantage of their candi-
date than to that of Mr.. Roosevelt
was not an issue in 1892.
Some Democrats here expansion
Democrats, and no doubt other expan-
sion Democrats in the East, are shak
ing their heads doubtfully. Nearly all
the Illinois leaders, however, continue
to isbe satisfied that militarism will
wreck the Republican campaign in the
middle West.
Relies on Military Issue
Charles Beeschenstein, chairman of
the state executive committee, man
who possesses more detailed infor1na-
tion about political conditions in Illi-
nois than anybody else, concurs in the
view of Mayor Harrison and Mr.. Hop
kinS, that the issue of militariSm is
very strong in this state against the
president He attaches a great deal
of Importance to the trust issue, also,
but he thinks that the Illinois voters
generally, and particularly the voters
of foreign lineage, who constitute more
than one-fffth of the voting population,
will vote solidly for Judge Parker on
his stand for the constitution and a
future of peace and domestic prosper
1ly DIS against the flepuDlICdn pro-
gramme of Mr.. Roosevelt. Cook coun-
ty and all of the counties in the west
ern tier of the state along the Missis-
Sippi river, where there is a large
German-American population, will, he
thinks, show increased Democratic
pluralities, even to an excess over the
vote for Cleveland in 1892.
In 1892 the big Democratic plurali-
ties We're in Adams county, 1865; Cook,
33, S50 Effingham, 1,272; Green, LIS;
Lasalle, LAOS; Macoupin, 1,1S3; Sanga-
mon, 1856; Shelby, 1928, and Union,
1885. These counties contain import
ant cities and have a large foreign
born vote. In speaking of Democratic
prospects today. Mr.. Boesehenstein adj
vanced the idea that every one of these
counties will increase it's plurality over
the Cleveland vote of 1892 on the issue
of militarism. Here is Mr.. Boeschen-
STEMS statement:
II have been in direct communication
with the voters of nearly all of the
counties in the state during the last
three weeks. 1 have made intimate
inquiries to ascertain, first, the inten-
tion of the gold Democrats; second, the
intention of the silver Democrats. and
third, the trend of opinion among the
foreign born voters, with regard to the
approaching election. I have found
that all Democrats who have ever voted
their ticket intend to vote for Judge
Parker this year, and that so large a
percentage as to constitute practically
the entire foreign born votes, Repub-
lican and Democratic alike, is stead
fastly against Mr.. Roosevelt on ac-
count of his manifest intention to make
the United States war power in the
European sense.
Hard Times Big Factor
Here in Cook county we shall go to
the polls with an immense advantage
on this issue, as everybody knows.
Conservative business men do not like
the tendencies at Washington under
President Roosevelt, in relation either
to foreign or domestic affairs. and they
believe that Judge Parker represents,
on very much higher plane than Mr..
Roosevelt. the spirit of Americanism
With the information 1 have of the