Watauga Democrat. [volume] (Boone, Watauga County, N.C.) 1888-current, 1908-09-17
SOME STRAWS,
bristol Herald Courier J

OF straws which show that t h e
the drift Of public sentiment is to.
ward Bryan and democracy, de-
spite the claims Of republican
managers and the boasts of a
few republican newspapers
A few days ago the Minneapo-
lis Journal and several other pa
pers printed a cartoon in which
the solid south was represented
as a huge watermelon, with Mr.,
Taft standing at one end and
Mr.. Hitchcock at the other. Mr..
Taft, with a smile all wool and
at least a yard @ide, was prepar-
ing to carve the melon at a point
marked Georgia and below
appeared these words: "lhe SOL
id south in danger
About the same date the New
York World printed a special
from Atlanta, Ca, stating that
Thomas M. Blodgett has come
out for Bryan and Kern. Mr..
Blodgett is Chairman OF the Re-
publican State League OF Geor-
gia. In an open letter he delares
that the Republican party no
longer represents the principles
OF its founders, and that the in-
terests of the country demand
the election OF the democratic
ticket. Other dispatches coming
from Georgia indicate that the
republican detection in that and
adjoining states viii be consider
able. The same is true in North
Carolina aud Virginia, two more
southern states the republicans
have boasted that they will pro-
baby carry, but in which, in
fact, the republican vote will
very likely be reduced.
The Danville Register points
out another large straw in a dif
ferent section Of the country. Ac-
cording to the Register, a Dan
vile firm in ordering a bill ofsup
plies from a prominent Ohio
manufacturing company, in a
spirit ofpleasantry, added to the
order a postscript telling the Ohio
concern not to forget to vote for
Bryan. OF course the Danville
firm did not suppose that any
attention would be paid to the
postscript, and probablywere sur
prised when a reply doubtless
voiocing a feeling that is more or
less general in Ohio and the mid
die west was received. The Ohio
company, after disposing of the
business which was the subject Of
the correspondence with the Dan
vile merchant wrote as follows
"We note what you say about
not forgetting to vote for Bry-
an. Any business man who has
been through the delerium OF
four years of Rooseveltism, with
it's attendant panic, the worst
since 1873, does not have to be
told a second time not to forget
to vote for Bryan and the demo-
cratic ticket. Ohio will go for
Bryan; mark that down in your
hat. The commercial faiures from
Oct. /, 1907, when the panic com
menced, to the present time. am
cunt to almost $240, 900, 900,
and bid fair to be $260,000, 900
before the end Of the year. In SO
in twelve months there were but
1926, 100000, while in 1895 they
were only 173,00O,000, and in
1894, $4,000, 900, so that you
can see the effect of the present
panic. Neither Bryan nor any
body else could make it any
worse, but we firmly believe that
it will be much better when Mr..
Bryan is elected"
These Ohioans talk as if they
had been anxiously awaiting an
opportunity to say something.
And all this reminds US that he
Lis q hopeless, pessemistic demo-
crat who cannot find something
distinctively encouraging in each
days press dispatches.