The National tribune., 1908-10-22
NEW YORK A
& q BATTLE-GROUND.
Does She Hold the Key to the Situation?
Fierce, Hard Work on All Sides.

ton. That Is why the forces are clash
ing so powerfully here and why this
week and next week. right up to cleo
ton day, will find the managers match
ing brain power in strategy and tao
tics, showing no quarter, fighting from
ambush or in the open. OF course, it
Is not entirely true that New York Is
the key, for the signs are stronger of
a Western landslide than of an East
ern landslide, and if there should come
Western landslide it might swing.
enough votes to Bryan to elect him.
But in so far as New York holds the
key the outcome depends upon q re-
duction of the great Republican ma
jorities UP State to point where New
York City can handle them. And again
the reduction of majorities in Repub-
lican strongholds up the State depends
upon what the labor vote will do. For
there is a string of big cities all the
way from Albany across New York
State to Buffalo, all engaged in large
manufacturing enterprises and all hav-
ing large laboring population. Then,
up and down the length and breadth of
the State there are factory towns.
Many of them have been running on
short time or have been closed. There
has been much hardship and suffering
among the employees.
The Upstate Majorities.
A tour across the State in the last
few days shows that the Republicans
are claiming big majoritieS, majorities
so large that they would make a total
for Taft down to the Harlem River of
100000, if the confidential Republican
predictions hold true. But the Repub-
lican feudal lords who hold sway over
the big voting communities up the
State are doing a lot of bluffing this
year, and when one comes to think
about it even 100000 Is not an invinci-
BILE figure, if the laboring masses of
New York City are going to follow
been larger Republican majorities than
that above the Harlem several times,
which indicates that Taft. even if he
carries New York and gets its cleo
toral vote, is not expected to make
any phenomenal run. The figure of
$50, 900 above the Harlem, which is the
figure to which Vice Presidential Can
didate Sherman subscribes, does not
demonstrate any great Republican con-
fidence, provided New York City should
turn out great big Bryan vote.
But there is the Industrial vote, and
the battle of this week and next week
is going to be chiefly over that The
been filling the minds of the laboring
classes full of the argument that
Bryan's incoming would mean dire dis
aster industrially, that a revision of
the tariff by a Democratic Congress
would mean depression and trouble for
many Of the industries in which these
workers are engaged. For some of
these New York State industries are
among the. Infant industries" that
have been built up under the high
schedules of the Dingley law. AS the
employees have been having hard time
of it for the last year or so, they are
very timorous about any talk of an
Administration + at Washington that
would make the future any more
gloomy. There is also a very large
population In upstate cities of railroad
men, both those who work upon the
railroads and run the trains and those
who are employed in large railroad
shops.
The Railroad Vote.
This railroad vote has been given
very special attention by the railroad
officials, speaking simply as private
citizens" on civic occasions. AS an
example, Vice President w. c. Brown,
of the New York Central lines. has been
addressing audiences of railroad men,
saying that he intended to vote for MIR.
Taft, because he believes that Tafts
election will bring back to this coun-
try the fullest measure of prosperity"
He has been enforcing that with much
more talk in like vein to the effect that
after his election the great rolling
mills and factories will be running to
their full capacity, and employment
will seek labor, instead of labor walk
ing the streets looking in vain for en-
ployment." s.,rs +-ss
This kind of advice has set the rail-
road men to thinking more than ever,
and the Republicans think that vote
will not stray away from them. They
are not certain, however. and that is
why some very heavy campaigning is
being planned for this week and next.
Mr.. Bryan sees how things are running
and how much may be at stake for him
in what the industrial vote in the up
State region as well as in New York
decides to do.
For that reason he is not only plan
ming a tour into New York at an early
day, but he surprised all the politicians
here few days ago by arranging to go
right into the heart of the upstate
industrial country and speak at Syra-
cuse on Thursday night of next week,
the same night that Taft is going to
be there. Mr.. Bryan intends to make
a brilliant dash, to storm the very cita-
del of Republican representations
against his administration, should he
be elected, and to do this by a spec
tacular movement of Rooseveltian bold
ness when Mr.. Taft is himself in town
Perhaps Mr.. Bryan can dissuade the
workingmen in the factories and mills
of upper New York from following the
Republicans. That is what he is going
to try to do. 1t will probably be the
most spirited speech of all his canvas,
for he will do his utmost to overshadow
Mr.. Taft, and also to convince the peo-
pie that he. as President, would not
bring depression and hard times, that
a revision of the tariff by a Democratic
House would not be to the detriment
Of legitimate industries. Very, very
much depends upon the success of that
speech and also upon the speeches he
will make as he approaches Syracuse.
Coming Of the Candidates.
All the country up that way is tin
Cling from rim to center in expectation
of the coming of the candidates. 1t
will be a gala night, and it is estimated
that 100000 people will be in Syra-
cuse to see the honorable candidates,
and also, il possible, to hear them.
There Mr.. Bryan will speak his final
word in the East, making a hurry trip
on to Ohio for the following days cam
paign. He and Mr.. Taft have been
fighting for the very last word in Ohio,
so uncertain does the result appear to
be in that State. Undoubtedly the
Bryan doctrines nave taken firmer root
in the West than in the East from all
one can judge as he travels to and fro
in both sections and 1t also seems that
Republicans are finding it harder to
down Bryan in Ohio than in almost any
other of the large Northern Common
wealths. - 81
One of the most capable of upstate
editors, an. independent, who Is sup