Los Angeles herald., 1908-07-21
HUNDREDS SEND
LETTERS TO THE
NEXT PRESIDENT
PROFESSIONAL MEN PREDICT
GREAT VICTORY
LABoRINe CLASS FORWARDS
MANY MESSAGES
Straw Votes Taken on Trains Show
Decided Change In Strength
of Two Political
Parties
Special to The Herald.

Special to The Herald.
LINCOLN, Neb., July 20.-Every time
the clock ticks sixty times telegram
or letter reaches Fairview congratulate
ing William ]. Bryan and the Demo-
cratic party on the platform adopted
at Denver recently.
| Many of these messages give definite
information regarding straw votes
taken, with the object in view of as
certaining just how the political wind
is blowing" and from Maine to Ore
gon, from Florida to California. comes
the word that Democratic victory this
| fall is assured.
"Out of eighty-seven passengers on
Northwestern train, sxty-nine voted
for Bryan, five for Debs and the bal
ance for Taft" is the way one Demo-
crat wires from Chicago.
ION the Overland train this after
noon a straw vote gave Bryan forty
two votes, Taft twenty-eight and Debs
seven" wires a Democrat from Clin-
ton, Ia.
Almost every hour messages are re-
ceived of a similar nature, and the
great Commoner smiles a broad and
knowing smile as he reads the good
news
i Letters of considerable length arrive
with every mail, many Of them written
by business and professional men who
heretofore have voted against Bryan,
but who now hasten to confess that
tley believe absolutely in his loyalty
and honesty, as well as in his ability
to step into Roosevelt's shoes and give
the nation the most satisfactory admin
istration in its history.
Iowa Man Converted
A well known Lincoln Democrat mas
inst received a letter from friend
in Iowa stating that he is going to
vote the Democratic ticket for the first
4 time this fall. One paragraph of his
letter follows:
l IT am now convinced that there is
but one way to bring about change
that will work the greatest good Tor
the greatest number of people, and
that is by sending Bryan to the White
House and throwing the trust-ridden
Republicans out of office. 1t requires
considerable courage on my part, as
you will readily understand, to confess
| to you that / have forSaken the Re-
publican party. l will not say that
1 have forsaken it forever, but will
most certainly never vote the ticket
again until the human vampires in
Wall street and elsewhere who suck the
life blood of the masses are rebuked
more forcibly than they ever have
been by the G.. o. p. While I have
always admired Bryan, 1 have never
had the confidence in him that I now
in my
has furnished the only safe and sound
ideas advanced by Roosevelt during the
latter's two administrations, and 1t is
nothing more than his due that we
recognize, even at this late date, his
far-sightedness and loyalty, his de-
termination and absolute honesty, and
place him in the presidential chair for
the next four years. I have not lost
faith in Roosevelt, understand, but his
hands have been tied to great extent
and I am certain that even with
Teddy" serving another term he
would not be able to bring about the
sweeping reforms so badly needed and
which are insured if the great Com
moner takes the reins of government"
Letters from Wage Farmers
Laboring men, both union and nom
union, are becoming enthusiastic sup
porters of the pride of Lincoln. Let
ters pledging votes by the hundreds
and even thousands come from car
penterS, plumbers, printers, ironwork-
ers and factory employees of all kinds,
who, having talked the coming cam
paign over since the panic of 1907-190S
set in, have had time while waiting for
normal conditions to return to talk,
think and act.
MANY wage earners in various states,
some of whom have been compelled to
lose their homes because of lack of
employment since last fall, get to-
gether and hold political meetings on
small scale, and invariably self
appointed secretary takes the trouble
to write Bryan a personal letter as
suring him of their votes
Many Predict Victory
But the letters are not confined
either to business men or workingmen.
( Ministers of the gospel, lawyers, ply
Y scians and former Republicans in va
} rious walks of life have evidently been
converted to the new platform and
Bryan's candidacy for they are taking
the trouble to write personal letters to
the recognized leader of Democracy,
voicing their approval of what has
already been done towards bringing
), about a new order of things political.
) One of Bryan's closest friends said
) recently:
i 'Perhaps you are not aware OF tho
} fact that these same letters practically
4 guarantee victory in November; they
I, come from the voters, all classes IN
(, every state, and they show as nothing
else could show Just how strong and
which way the wind is blowing"
, AS rapidly as possible each of these
, letters is acknowledged, but the mail
} has been so heavy OF late that It has
been impossible to dictate answers as
soon as received. In talking with press
representatives Mr.. Bryan has asked
z the various newspapers to publicly
4 thank the hundreds OF thousands OF
n fuomtsnued nm Pnma Tvvo1