The river press., 1904-09-28
Election Of Parker 10 the Presi-
dency Would unsettls
Business.
PEOPLE PREFER Roosevelt /
Observations Of Travelling Salesman
ID. the Middle West-Attitude d
the Farmer and the First
Voter.

Following out the custom Of most large
business houses, one Of the big jobb;ng
concerns in Chicago instructed its travel
ing men on their return from extensive
trips to present Il report OH tile general
political conditions in the territory oyer
which they had gone.
I'VE do this" said one Of the members
of the firm, mot because we expect our
travelling men to interest themselves in
political matters or because We expect
them to intluencQany votes. Our motiyo
is entirely different. 1t concerns our iow,,
business wholly. 1t is not political
proposition to say that If the Democrats
win at the next election it means a drop
in prices. That is thing every busi-
ness man understands. As Judge Par
ker himself said, Il Repuvncan Senate
VIII IN any event stand in tile way Of
democratic attempts to break down the
protective tariff. Nevertheless, il they.
elect Judge Parker, they will stand
chance of elccting House OF Represent
atlves Of the same kind. That House
VIII certainly pass a new tariff bilh Even
IL TINS was beaten in the Senate, the,
ehect would be to unsettle business to,
an extraordinary degree. There would
always be the threat of lower tariff du-t
ties, and the same thing would happen
Ill 100 which happened in 1893. Prices
would 80 down, production would be cur-f
tailed, laborers would be thrown out Of
employment, the home market would DO
at least partially destroyed. and local
business conditions would Immediately
suffer. This was true before the Wilson
tarltt bill was passed ten years ago, and
it would be true next year il Parker were.
elected in November. What we want o.
our travelling men, therefore, is to post.
us as to political conditions, so that wo
may make our contracts and adjust our
prices to the conditions OF the business
world which are likely to obtain during
the next season.
This same far-seeing business man had
in his hand at that time, however,, 4 re-
port from travelling man just in, who
had covered large territory in the mid
die West.
The "Drum mer's" Letter.
II find" said tile drummer, in report
ing to his employer, that the conditions.
in the middle West seem to favor an ex-
traordinarily lurge vote for Roosevelt.
His popularity is growing rather than
diminishing, and the nomination Of Par
ker seems to arouse not only no enthu-
siasm, but actual suspicion. Mr.. Bryan
has officially declared that he will sup
port Parker, but everyone knows that
he is not sincere, and every time he
makes a speech for Parker he will keep
his fingers crossed. This attitude il not
peculiar to Mr.. Bryan, in any way. On
the contrary, it is common among the
Populistic element OF the Democratic
party, and thousands OF them are openly
declaring they will vote,.for Roosevelt in
November. The Presidents manly atti-
tude on the trust question has attracted
the farmers. They are perfectly well
aware of the fact that Mr.. Roosevelt
would never attack any legitimate cor
poration, and they recognize that he is
not in any way OPPOSED to the legitimate
use Of combined capital for any proper
commercial purpose. The farmers are all
capitalists in a small way. and they have
no sympathy with Popuistic attacks on
capital as such. They do believe, how
ever. that the President performed
great service in settling the coal strike,
and they think he showed his bravery
and his honesty i'll directing the prosecu-
tion Of the suits against the combination
Of railroads In the Northwest. On the
other hand, the idea has gained ground
among the farming classes that Judge
Parker's nomination wns largely brought
about aud in fact was directly promoted
by certain INSCRIPTIONS corporate intiu-
ences which were antagonistic to Presi-
dent Roosevelt because he had honestly
attempted to execute the laws rs ha
found them Added to these elements
are the first voters. and they are for
Roosevelt almost to man. His physical
prowcss. his consistent maniness, the
promptness with which he resigned M
important civil Office to endure the card
ships of military campaign, the hea I'll
ness and the frankness OF his manners,
the honesty and the directness OF his po-
ltical methods, and the intense Ameri-
canism Of the man. have captured the
hearts and affections Of the youug men.
These first voters will generally disrc-
gard the afiiliation OF their fathers and
their older brothers. aud they will vote
for Roosevelt as personal compliment
to the man, entirely outside Of party
considerations"