The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-08-03
.PLAN#.AlL.BLU)FF,..
DEM.0|CRA1''!s| |: ! {: A J
High Protective Tariff People.
Ready to Supply Money to
Republicans. S.sl5
EDWARDS MUI CHI ENCOURAGED & \ \ E D
Democrats Appear to Be Wide
Awake and Ready for
Fight.
(Frora Our Regular Correspondent.


" (From our Regular CONSEQUENTLY Al
/ 3s55s WASHINGTON, p Gu August o.
/ There should be encouragement for the
s managers or tho Democratic congress
4 slonal campaign In tho amount of mail
4s9 that is coming 10 the headquarters IN
Il $t1is city,. Secretary Edwcl19s has TO
4 devote hours every morning to going over
\ slottcrs alone, to say nothing OF the time
Il which he devotes to replies. rho de-
l nlands for campaign literature are more
numerous than In years, and 1t is signi-
fIcant that this demand comes largely
4 from States where the Democrats lave
Il hopes of making substantial gnins--from
!! Pennsylvania, Massacliu setts, illinois,
4 Iowa, Missouri, and Wisconsin 81 Il i85
| a3 More significant than these REQUESTS
flor literature from voters In the States
where the Democrats are hoping to cap
1 tire members Of Congress- arc tho replies
Itwhlcli Secetary$ Edwards Is celving 70
letters OF inquiry recently addressed to
| officers OK the Democratic organization
lRin ali the States. Thoa nature Of these
I replies Is not made II public, but the
V proInptness with which the party Ofii-
co.'s responded to the request for In
4 formation lis alone evidence OF their
alertness and readiness to act for the
+ party benefit. l5 III ssj
Letter and Questions.
Tho following letter was sent out by
| Mr.. Edwards on July 2lst to state chair
men district chairnen and county chair:
men In every State 55s
INV Dear r,-You are an active DEM
I ocrnt and can assist our part In your;
H section By giving us Information concern
1 Ing conditions In your county and con-
| grcsslonal district we are poor and
i this commit tee cannot q ford TO chase
rainbows" but II there Is "a chance to
win Congressman iii your district
We cannot airord to overlook IL Will
you please answer the questions on tho
II enclosed blank and mall it to rus with
I3 any remarks or suggestions you care
L to make. Your early compliance with
this request will notHonly oblige us, but
help our party in this fight for the Six
tieth Congress. Sincerely yours. WIFI
e. ..cIIAs. a. EDWARDS Secretary,
The schedule OF questions Enclosed in
Il the latter were as follows:
t 4 Is the district normally Democratic or
Republican? l$5a
4 Democratic, is there any dIsafrec-
Arc We liable to loso tho district
S II Republican, Is there chance to
carry II 2
Is there disa frcction among the Repub--ss
4 licans? 81 III e "a i55$
s9e What has caused AT SSs55
What Is the proportion OF labor vote.
D In the district a 5t3 " 3
Is Presid ent roosevelt strong or weak
Sin your section? i, i # IA {, h
II strong ~ his st rengt i fined to the
y Repnblicans?
4 q What is the prevailing religious sentl-
ment in your district or section?
b What Is the trend Of the labor ele--s
ment? 3 ,5 81 Ia s
what is the trend q general sc 'rttl-3
men? 2 BY ~ sffS ls . 3S
The name OF the congressional :. candi.
date OF the state chairman, OF the District
Chairman. and OF the county chairman
is also asked. and a space u Is left for
general remarks on conditions political In
+ the district. sit * e53 q.
FL Secretary Edwards Is now engaged in
preparing n d lgest OF the replies for the
use OF the committee 1t Is possible
that some TEXTURES Of this digest may
be given to the press. He has not gone
far enough into this work to be able to
sayfthat the character OF the replies arc.
on the whole, encouraging, but the
tpromptness and readiness with which Ills
correspondents answered his inquiries he
REGARDS as OF itself an Indicate that
the party Is wide awake and ready, for
a fight.
Democrats Amused.
Democrats at headquarters were laugh
Ing to-day over the action OF President
Roosevelt sending contribution OF one
dollar to the Republican campaign fund.-
along with n letter " commanding the
scheme to raise money for the contest
IN this way. Democrats are no longer
In doubt MS to whether Chairman Sher-
man was bluffing when he put up tho
plea Of poverty a few weeks ago and
called on Republicans TO contribute
dollar apece to the fund to be used in
cectlng the Sixtiett Con sress. They know
1t was but a bluff t
While the 5nnti-railroad legislation OF
the last session OF Congress allenated
tho affections Of the railroad corpora
TONS SO far as the Republican party is
concerned. and the act OF the New York
Legislature last winter. prohibiting cor
Iporatlons contributing to political cam
palgn funds, may prevent corporate con-
tributions to the Republican fund in New
York. there are other sources of contri-
buttons In other States.
Tho Republican party has never yet
failed to fry the fat from the benefit
Charles Of the protective tariff. There Is
not the slightest reason to believe 1t will
fall this year. Had the Republican, de-
clared for revision of the tariff ana d
reduction of tariff schedules, there might
have been reason to doubt their ability
to raise money from the "tarifr barons,H
to use the term with which tho country
became so familiar during tho second
and third Cleveland campaigns. But the
REPUBLICANS arc standing pat. President
Roosevelt was believed to favo sending
to congess a message recommending the
pvehaullng of taft schedules, but he
neve sent It,, Many doubt whethe he
eaYly wanted to send 1t, and suspect that
a