Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1908-09-11
BRYAN IN THE WEST,

cratic Journals There is no claim that
these are ga Democratic lie" but are too
true to satisfy Republicans. We would
like our readers to go over these reports
carefully, and in them they will see
what would be smOthered by the press
if it was able, they will see the election
of Mr.. Bryan looming above the hori-
Zon.
VIM. J. Bryan's second tour of the
West, which he completed Thursday
of last week, has confirmed his belief
that he will be elected by veritable
landslide. His last trip took him
through the Republican strongholds
of Minnesota, North Dakota and Iowa.
None of these States has ever given
its electoral vote to a Democrat, though
each has elected Democratic Governors.
The Executives of Minnesota and
North Dakota are now Democrats. Not
since Horace Boise beat the Republi
cans ON local issues has Iowa had a
Democratic Governor. That was in
1894, but this fact does not, apparently,
weaken Mr.. Bryan's growing conf
dence in the superior strength of his
cause in the Hawkeye State.
He made his first set speech of the
campaign at Des Moines August q on
tariff reform, He chose the location
and theme because of representations
by some Democrats that the signs in
their State indicated Enthusiastically a
ground-swell against the Republicans
on the tariff question. Wednesday of
last week he made another speech in
Iowa, this time at Sioux City, in which
he repeated his assaults on Dingleyism.
HE WAS LISTENED TO AND APPLAUD
ED BY WHAT THE NEWSPAPERS, ALL
| REPUBLICAN, DECLARED WAS THE
Largest CROWD EVER ASSEMBLED AT
A POLITICAL MEETING THERE.
While at Des Moines Mr.. Bryan was
promised that if he would speak in the
State again before starting on his tour
of the Middle West and East he would
be provided with the result of a careful
poll, which would show him that he
stood better than fair chance of car
rying Iowa. This was given to him at
Sioux City Wednesday night by Off
GERS of the Democratic State Commit
tee. 1t purported to cover every one
of the $500 voting precincts of the
State. The figures showed that there
has been an average change to Mr..
Bryan of votes to the precinct. If the
figures are correct, they mean shift
to the Democratic ticket this year of
800 Republican voters. The normal
Republican majority in Iowa is about
$4,000. The Democratic State Com
mittee has represented to Mr.. Bryan
that with so large change this early
in the campaign they can look for it
to be increased from to Is to the pre-
cinct by election day.
Mr.. Bryan found in Minnesota and
North Dakota situations every whit as
lOuSOuletSut5 do W lllllloCll clS tllOoO III
Indiana, Illinois and Kansas, when he
visited those States ten days ago. Even
Republican leaders in both Minnesota
and North Dakota admit that their
party is in bad shape to enter nation
al campaign. Factionalism has rent
their party as it has never done before.
This accounts for the election of Dem
ocratic Governors in both States. The
factions, it is commended, are irreconcil-
able. In each State the Democrats are
better organized and more harmonious
than they have been since the Bryan
candidacy on the free silver issue in
1896 divided them into warning camps.
On his swing around the circle there
this week Mr.. Bryan was greeted by
immense throngs that cheered him
wildly. While in st. Paul he and
Governor Johnson reached a perfect
working agreement. The basis of the
agreement is that should the North
west, where the Scandinavian vote is
the determining factor, swing into the
Democratic column this year, Governor
johnson will logically be Mr.. Bryan's
successor in 1912.
| Nobody doubts the hold Governor
Johnson has upon the Scandinavian
vote. 1t requires only a trip through
the Northwest to prove this. Swedes
and Norwegians regard him as one of
themselves. Governor johnson is to
give as much time to the campaign in
the Dakotas, Montana, Utah and other
| States, where the Scandinavian vote is
heavy, as he can safely spare from his
fight at home.
Governor Burke seems to be as strong
in North Dakota as Governor johnson
is in Minnesota. He assured Mr.. Bry-
an of North Dakota's vote. So did
Michael Murphy, of Grand Forks, one
of the biggest bankers in the State, and
who, until 1900, was an influential
member of the Republican State Com
mittee. Mr.. Murphy has a string of
banks across the State. He also rep
resents large Eastern insurance COM
pany, which, through his agency, has
loaned $S,OOO,OOO or 10000 on North
Dakota farms within the last few
years.
Mr.. Murphy has more than 100
agents in the State. With these he
keeps constantly in touch. Through
them and his own eXertions, he told
Mr.. Bryan, he had ascertained that the
drift from the Republican ticket was
so heavy that even he is afraid of his
own conclusions. He also informed
Mr.. Bryan that recently at meeting
of the State Bankers Association a
resolution indorsing the guarantee of
bank deposits plank in the Denver
platform was defeated only by having