The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1908-09-21
REPUBLICANS ARE
FILLED WITH DOUBT
Campaign Confidence Is Slowly
Oozing Away
CANNON Is MUCH ALARMED
The Speaker Is Trying Hard to Over
come the Opposition Aroused In
His Own District, and His
Speeches Indicate Panic.

Chicago, Septemb er ESPECIALLY
At the beginning of the campaign re-
publican leaders chuckled to themselves
in speaking of the present political
contest. They protested to believe that
the democrats did not have chance on
earth and that the holding of the cleo
tion would be a mere formality. The
only question with these self-appointed
wise people was the size of the Taft
majority. Republican papers. and es-
pecially those influenced by trust in
terests. gave frequent expression to this
| character of boasting. Some of the
metropolitan papers in their enthusi-
asm quoted fictitious betting odds of
10 to in favor of the republican nomi-
nees.
This situation is changed now. No
more is heard from these republican
leaders abuot a walk-over victory.
Publicly these republicans assert that
they have a hard fight ahead of them,
but in private conversation they admit
the situation is anything but encour-
aging. As matter of fact, well in
formed people who have Travelled about
the country admit that the trend of
sentiment, especially In the middle and
far western states is decidedly with
Mr.. Bryan. With reference to the
states east of the Allegh enies demo-
carts are more confident than they have
been since 1892. What gains will be
made by the democracy is nothing more
than guess work, but 1T is a well known
fact tha people who have travelled from
ocean to ocean and observed political
conditions, are of the opinion that Mr.
Bryan will receive much larger vote
in the states west of the Alleghenies
than he did in his two previous con-
tests. 1t is freely admitted that the
popularity of the nominees and the
Denver platform, with the well known
disorganization in the republican
states, has made debatable fully a
score of states that have been regarded
as republican. The democrats have fol-
lowed up this advantage and it is a
matter of knowledge that Chairman
Mack has extended his fight into states
which were regarded several months
ago as almost helplessly republican.
The feeling of alarm has taken pos
session of these heretofore sanguine
republicans in a number of states. as
well as In national way. Here in I'LL
nois 1t is openly proclaimed through
republican papers that Uncle Joe Can
non, the Legislative boss of the admin
istration, may go down to defeat. There
is open revolt against the speaker in
his own district The fight on Can
nonism, which is one of the issues fea-
tured in the democratic Text Book
seems to have made a deep impression
on the voters throughout the country.
The result is the signal of distress that
is coming from some of Uncle Joe's
congressional associates who have been
conspicuous in their efforts to stifle
legislation at Washington. The cry of
alarm started when Representative
Babcock of Wisconsin, chairman of the
House judiciary. was turned down by
his constituents. Bacbcock was Uncle
Joe's right bower in checking the
claims of labor in Congress. This re-
volt against Cannonism, which is one
of the acute issues of the campaign.
has spread from one end of the country
to the other. This evident drift of
sentiment among the voters toward
Bryan and democracy has very natural
ly made its first impression in congress
sional districts.
Republican papers here have already
begun to put out stories about the
jeopardy in which the boss of the
II
other republican leaders who help
Uncle Joe kill meritorious legislation
at Washington. 1t is declared that
these stories reflect the genuine alarm
that exists among republican leaders.
and that their circulation in the press
at this time is for the purpose of COM
municating this feeling of fear to those
his republican followers in Congress
have favored at the expense of the
people. The story told here is that
the republicans hope by this method to
shake down the benefciaries Of the
tariff and monopolstic and trust con-
Germs for enormous campaign contrbu-
lions, which will be used in those
states where the people are evidencing
a disposition to take a stand against
Cannonism and other evils of republi-
canism. That is the method the re-
publican party has employed in the
past to compel insurance, railroad and
other corporations to stand and deliver
the peoples money
The speeches that Speaker Cannon is
delivering indicate that he is in a
panicy condition. At the republican
state convention in Illinois this week,
Uncle Joe was very abusive of Mr..
Bryan, Mr.. Gompers and all those who
are working for the democratic cause.
His violence of speech and action
would indicate that he has lost his
head. Here is what the Tribune, the
leading republican paper here, said of
his appearance before the Illinois
republican state conventions:
"Mr. Cannon denied that Gompers
represented the sentiments of the labor
ing men in his attacks on the republl-
can ticket. The speaker took up half
the platform in the delivery of his
speech and several times seemed to be
on the point of launching himself out
over the heads of the delegates after
the fashion of an aeroplane. He poured
half a pitcher af ice water down the
back of his neck in periodical attempts
to reduce his temperature. He nearly
kicked the platform down in the
vehemence of his foot gestures and be-
fore he completed his remarks he had
stripped down to shirt, waistcoat and
trousers"
Maybe Uncle Joe will be able to cool
his temperature after the people return
their verdict in November. 1t certain
ly begins to look that he will have