Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-09-28
BRICKBATS IN THE AIR
Whirlwind Campaign From Now on
in Every State.
PERSONALITIES, NOT POLICIES
Read a Real Readable Review Of
Conditions in the Agitated But
Hopeful Middle West.

Special From a STAFF Correspondent
CHICAGO. September 2s.-Politicians in
this section are so busy standing by and
watching the heads of three political par
ties throwing brickbats and calling one
another names that they are almost for
getting to pay attention to their own az
fairs.
The remarkable spectacle which the
country is witnessing in the exchange OF
personalities and which is attracting nro-
found attention and constant comment
has served one purpose. however. In
arousing the voters from the state of
apathy of which the leaders were COM
planning and causing them to sit nm and
take notice of the fact that a campaign
is on.
Ihere can be hardly any question but
that the voters are now aware there Is
somefhing doing in politics With the
leaders the question is how much this
campaign of personalities and startling
revelations is going to affect party lines
and upset calculations. The whole middle
west is In a ferment. Men are stirred as
they never were stirred before but they
nave not made up their minds vet what
they ought to do about it all
You gather from the ordinary converse.
ton with the rank and file OF men of oil
classes that they are taking sides prettv
generally according to their party af
f1llations. Democrats think Mr. Rrvan is
burning up the President every time he
comes out with statement, and republi-
cans think Mr.. Roosevelt eats Mr.. Rryan
alive every time he answers. And there
you are. >e'e
Voters Are Real Stirred On.
So the best you can figure out is that
tne net result will probably be to en-
iiven interest OF the voters in both mar
ties' stir them to renewed activity and
keep the political pot boiling to the Ia ST
moment. 1t will be whfrlwind cam
paign from now on in every state. with
Things happening so rapidly in SO many
places at the same time that 1t makes
ones head swim II you are trying to
keep an eye on the performance It Is
worse than a three-ring circus
Taking the reports which come 70 -.
mere from all this middle west, eaugin1
them. sitting them, weighing them hal,
a,nclng one against the other: trying to
keep cool and to be neither nanickv No.
over-optimistic, 1T appears at this ttn,.
.naa the republicans are in better ease
In wisconsin. Iowa and Minnesota than
,y my were week ago. They are prob
apis an worse on In Ohio. and. as for In
uidha-Well. put IL in the BRYAN coll
emn for the present, and let il 60 ar
that. eo at
Ihat was good job Mr. Taft did In
IOWA. We did not know until we got out
mere tnat things were SO uncertain in
Iowa. Heretofore Gov. Cummings anH
i,a1e Young. representing the two fac
tlons, had been saving that Iowa would
go Tor Taft by $4,000 and 10000 resnect-
Nel!. since the death OF Senator Allison.
however. and the reopening of the fac
| tlonal fight over the senatorshin things
were beginning 10 look blue in Iowa Ey-
erybody got scared all of a sudden. and
the !att itinerary was hurriedly changed
to give him opportunity to go into the
| state and pacify the factions.
Big Bill Rugged EN- All.
He has done SO in fine shape. He lust
opened his arms and took them all into
| one big. friendly embrace. To be sure.
| while they snuggled close. they had their
knives behind them and looked daggers AT
each other. saying Just wait until I get
| you out alone But the main point is
| they do not intend to let their family
rows affect the national ticket
In Minnesota Mr.. Taft has brought the
republicans TO a calmer mood They
have been up i'm the air on account op
the mutterings of their own radical vote
| and Ii was feared that Gov johnson ana
Bryan Jointly would get into the repub-
lican sheepfold and drive off a few
choice flocks.
What was needed was that the admins
tration should come across with a strong
er declaration in favor of it's radical
policies and this Mr.. Taft did The
effect is expected to be that the republic
can extremist vote which was getting
restive will now be pacfied and with this
possible detection guarded against. the
leaders do not think the state will give
| its electoral vote to Bryan
There is possibility that johnson will
carry the governorship. That has been
admitted by all fair-minded observers
from the outset. and conditions have not
changed. 1t is well understood. OF
course. that his birth and race figure in
this prospect. and indeed dominate n.
But the foreign vote may be divided.
since the republican candidate is himself
foreigner. Norwegian, as against
Johnson the Swede
La Toilette Says He'll Behave.
wisconsin 1 have told you about. The
main question was whether the La Fol-
iette radicals would secretly cut the ticket
and he has given assurance amply that
they would not Now, on our second
trip through the state this time with the
ed the train said that too much con-
fidence could not be put in this assur-
ance. from the fact, that in their opinion,
judging from the expressions of their
neighbors. Senator La Toilette cannot
hold all his following: that he has been
teaching them their radical lessons, and
he cannot ''unlearn' them in one breath.
The republican leaders who are trying TO
get a line on the real situation are not
concerned over this claim. and will not
agree that il is a menace. They think
the La Toilette radicals will take Mr..
Taft's and the Presidents assurances ana
STAY with their party.
Reports from Ohio cannot be construed
to offer encouragement to the republi.
cans, although they do not show tnat
Taft will lose the state. They indicate
that Taft will carry 1T by greatly re-
du.ed republican plurality, but that tho
poyernorship is in doubt.
The ovation rendered Bryan in Cincin-
pati the other night caused great
anxiety to the republicans. That was
M Taft's home town. in the county
whjch contributes a large proportion OF
eyery republican plurality. and yet the
demonstration for Bryan was the most
rema rka a BILE the old timers had ever seen
He had been well received all down
through the state. moreover. and haA