Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-08-09
Believes Illinois to Be Safely
Democratic.
MANY REASONS GIVEN
MIDDLE CLASS ANXIOUS FOR
CHANGE IN POWER.
Trusts an Issue-Opportunities OF
Young Men Preempted - Other
Knotty Problems to Solve.

Representative Martin Enrich of Chicago
arrived in the city today. having spent a
mcnth at Atlantic City. Mr.. Enrich has
not been in close touch with political affairs
In his state during the past month. but he
has kept himself informed as to the course
of events there. and he is quite confident
of democratic success in the coming cleo
ton.
Mr. Enrich accounts for his hopeful view
of the Illinois situation from democratic
standpoint because of the drift of senti-
ment in that state and especially in Chi
cago. He believes there has been gradual
change going on among the people there
which he expects to mat eriaize in the
form of democratic landslide
Il expect to see Illinois go democratic
Eext November by a larger majority than
that by which the state was carried IN
1892" said Mr.. Enrich Then we carried
November will be considerably larger than
that"
What are the influences that are work
ing in favor of Parker in Illinois, he was
asked.
Among what may be termed the middle
class of people there Is n feeling that
Change in the administration and In Con.
gress would be beneficial to the country,
he replied. The feeling that young men
lack any fair chance in entering business
and that small dealers are at the mercy of
the big corporations and trusts is, think,
responsible for much of the desire to have
a change in the administration of affairs.
The Money Question.
Prior to a year and a half ago man
in business in Chicago with capital of
$4,000 could go to the banks and secure
as much more credit by offering commercial
paper as security. The banks were always
ready 10 cultivate that class of customers.
They were of the greatest assistance to
business men of limited means. There were
al that time about thirty prosperous indi-
vidual banks in this business. Gradually
these banks were taken in by larger con-
Germs or consolidated. until today they have
disappeared except to the extent that they
survive in the laIg ger concerns. But the Old
practice of loaning money to that class or
people commercial paper has disappear
ed. Those men now go to the banks only
to be told that they can have money on
securities collateral. If they offer
mortgage note they are told the bank can
not take that They are required to de-
posit stocks and bonds as collateral
Now. if these men had stocks and
bonds they would simply sell them, and
in that way get the capital they need;
They do not care to carry STOCKS ana
bonds paying four and five per cent and
put them up to get money from the banks
at six per cent. The entire proposition is
one that simply puts them out of bus
IF the banks had shut down on all
their customers these people of smaller
means would have less objection to the
proceeding. But they know that while
their own credit has been discontinued
the big corporations and trusts of the
state have money at their command prac-
tically without limit on the same terms
that were formerly offered to every one.
In that way they the business of the
state and the country being gradually
absorbed. Not only is the business alb
sorbed by the trusts, but the opportuni-
ties to do business are disappearing.
Right here comes in the worst of the
situation in Illinois. The young men
coming up with no capital or with limited
capital can see no way in which they
may become business men. A man who is
able to give his son $4,000 to start him
in business cannot see any chance for
him to enter business. Go into the gro
Gerry store or in any supply house and
look along the shelves, and practically
everything you see there Is monopolized
by a trust Competition is thing of the
past. Every opportunity in the business
world is pre-empted
Opportunities Pre-empted
This presumption of opportunities goes
farther than that. 1t has invaded the pro-
fesSional world. There 1000 lawyers
in Chicago and not one-fifth of them are
making enough money to pay their rent.
Why? Simply because the lawyers OPP
atoms. Fewer of them have any chance
to secure lucrative practice and that email
number Is, to be sure. highly paid But
there is the great majority who have the
avenues of opportunity closed to them.
These are the knotty problems that the
people of Illinois have before them and
they are asking whether the best thing to
do Is not TO secure a change in the national
administration of affairs in order to see
whether something may not be done to
open Up the avenues of competition and
opportunity to the young man of the coun-
Try. They want an opportunity to enlist
In the ranks of the business men who make
country great and provide employment
Tor the masses Of the people. They pro-
test against seeing the good things of the
world and the opportunities monopolzed
by men who maintain their monopoly not
by better service but by closing the ave-
nues of competition to ill who would com
pete with them.
In figuring upon the probabilities of an
election In Illinois you must take into con-
slderatlon the class of people who make
up the army of voters. There is an enorm-
Gus population in Illinois of foreign birth.
AS a rule these men have been made re-
publicans by being told that the tariff
would keep up their incomes and that IL the
democrats should get in power they would
get 80 cent dollar Now they are begin
ming TO suspect that the high protective tar
III Is of more service 70 those great monopo-
izing corporations that are depressing them
than to any one else. They no longer fear
the - cent dollar. That is a matter of the
ll'S are IOOhlilp at the pOntCdl Sit
uatlon In way entirely different from that
of the past
Then, too. II must be remembered that
the republicans of Illinois are not of that
class to be found In Pennsylvania where
the traditions of several generations enter
into political life. The voters of Illinois
have no such feeling. There is no state in
the Union in which political feeling can
change over night so rapidly as in illinois,
1 think that change is coming and we will
see great landslide toward the democratic
ticket next November"