The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1908-10-17

In his second story. written from
Gary. Raymond, the Chicago Tribune's
great correspondent. says in part:
I'm 1895. when Bryan first ran for
the presidency, Lake county, which is
one of the largest in Indiana terri
torially, cast a total of S,403 votes. In
1900 this was increased to 9,201. Even
in 1904 the total vote>of the county was
only 1O.O50.
Great Influx of Workers.
I'm eight years. therefore, the vot-
ing strength of the county was in
creased much less than 1000 At the
close of this period the extraordinary
development of the northwestern corner
of Indiana began, so that all previous
official statistics are at fault both as
to its population and it's voting in
fuence at the present time.
within the last four years vast
changes have taken place in this To-
cality. Whiting and Hammond were
developed earlier, but Indiana Harbor
and Gary have come into being since
Roosevelts election, because of the in
estment of corporate wealth by the
scores of millions. Here in Gary today
there are 5000 workmen employed on
construction work alone
"They are practically all voters be-
cause under the Indiana law first pa
! per- or declaration of intended citizen
ship, is a passport to the franchise In
| the independent steel mills at Indiana
| Harbor 5000 men were employed at
last accounts. At the least estimate
there are from $4,000 to $4,000 work
men in the corner of the county next
to the Chicago line who were not there
four years ago.
1000 Voters in Gary.
Il was told in Gary which had no
corporate existence four years ago.
that there would probably be a vote
| there this year of from 1000 to $500.
This is the result of an actual poll made
by the political managers. If the same
rule holds good in Indiana Harbor,
Hammond, and elsewhere there must
be concentrated here between 5000 and
10000 men who were voters in other
states or lived in Europe when Roose-
welt was elected in 1904. This esti-
mate is probably much below the mark
AN actual canvass of the resident
working class in Gary shows an over
| whelming republican sentiment. The
poll indicates vote for Taft in pro-
portion of to 1, but the political man
ayers in order to be conservative, fig
ure out that in a full poll of 2.20C
votes in this town alone, Taft will have
a majority of not less than 500.
Workers Fear Free Trade.
There has been no attempt by the
steel trust or any of the other great
corporations interested to control the
action of their men, and this has not
been necessary. The plant at Indiana
Harbor is making steel and the work
men there are naturally as much in
terested as those engaged in similar
employment in Pennsylvania, in pre-
venting any reduction of the tariff or
free trade lines.
I'm Gary steel making has not yei
begun, but the workmen are full o.
the idea that if Bryan should be elected
capital would take alarm, whether
rightly or wrongly, so that the trus
might cut down its expenditures to thu
lowest possible notch consistent will
the safety of the plant itself.
so large has been the influx o
workmen into this section of Indiana
and so completely are their own inter
J ests bound up in the great corpora
) tions which employ them, that in tn
, opinion Of competent managers the,
would of themselves swing Indiana int
the republican column if there wer
any danger of its going anywhere else
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