Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 20, Number 102, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 September 1899 — Page 3

Figures of Presidential Election of 1896, and Congressional Election Following, with Reference to Next Year’s Campaign,

Map Showing Election Results of 1896, Republican States Shaded. Republican Vote, 7,104,779; Representing 271 Electoral Votes. Democratic Vote, 6,502,925: Representing 176 Electoral Votes.

HE active work of the presidential jU campaign of 1900 began recently in v» Chicago, where the Democratic national committee met and indorsed the Chicago platform of 1896 and Mr. Bryan, who was present. Mr. Bryan at pres•ent has control of the machinery of the party, and there sterns little doubt of his renomination. Some of the leading gold Democrats of 1896 are announcing their -opposition to the platform and candidate once more, but the exact amount of opposition within the party cannot be determined for some time. Mr. Bryan’s friends lay claim to suc•cesa on the following grounds: 1. Most gold Democrats will vote for Bryan either because they do not like the treatment they have received from Republicans or because they are opposed to imperialism. 2. Many former Republicans will vote for Bryan because they are opposed to trusts and imperialism and because they think free silver would help the situation. 8. A reaction against an administration always sets in, and in normal times it is virtually impossible to re-elect any President. '4. Bryan is better known than, in 1896, fear of a panic no longer exists and this -country is able to establish free silver on Its own account and maintain it.

AUTOCARS FOR THE MAILS.

Postoffice Department Experiments With Them in buffalo. For some time past the Chicago postal authorities have been experimenting with autocars for use in the postal service. Heretofore collection wagons have been hauled by weary horses. In the big down-town district where collections are of hourly happening men on foot do‘the work. But In the outer districts the contract wagon with its despondent nag is the

real thing. Bat the Government has had its attention called to the fact that It is possible to collect the mails by means of horseless carriages. Experiments so sap seem to demonstrate the practicability of the idea. In Buffalo N. Y., the use of such cars has been successful, but it should be borne in mind that Buffalo is a city of asphalt streets and lack of grades. Chicago postal authorities do not believe that they will prove successful in the outlying districts of Chicago, -although swifter' service is a thing much to be desired. So long as the project is wholly in the experimental stage no special type of mall car to be operated automatically can be fixed upon as the style of greatest utility. But in the cases where cars have been used a general type has been used. Capacity for the storage of bundles of letters is a prerequisite. The express wagons used have great storage capacity. They are electric cars with storage batteries as motors. In the man cars the same general plan has so far been carried out. The wagons are much like those now hi use. They have a covered seat, where the operator can sit and manege the machine. They He lew on stnrdy trucks of iron, bat light In cons Ur uction. They have the covered body with a door In the rear, which con be locked after the collector has deposited the content* of a mafl box. They have thirty-inch wheels with pneumatic

THE OLD MAIL WAGONS AND THE NEW.

The Republican view is quite different. They prophesy McKinley’s re-election on the following grounds: 1. McKinley’s successful administration of civil and military affairs. 2. The prosperity that has come from tbe Dingley tariff and the gold standard. 3. Gold Democrats will not support Bryan and the Democratic party cannot be made to unite on any one. The study of election figures of 1897 and 1898 is interesting at this time. No one will claim that they necessarily foretell the result in 1900, but they do give a pretty correct idea of what the Democrats must overcome in order to win. The two diagrams given herewith show the results of the elections in 1896 and 1898, the Republican States being shaded. It will be noted that McKinley carried a compact body of States covering the northeast section of the country and Oregon and California in addition. These States represented a total of 271 electoral votes, Bryan capturing one in California and one in Kentucky. The vote for the two leading candidates was: McKinley ....7,104,779 Bryan 6,502,925 being the largest vote ever cast in a presidential election. These totals vary slightly from some other estimates, as some persons count the votes of the highest electors and some the lowest, while

carry nearly all of the carrying capacity. The gearing will, be rigged much like a four-wheeled hose reel of light steel, with a space back of the forward trucks for the placing of the battery or whatever kind of motor is to be used. The vehicle back of this will hang low as the ordinary mall wagon does, thus providing a receptacle for the collections. The machine can be operated by one man, as is the case at present He will sit in the box seat in front, where the motor and steering gear will come close to the

hand. When the vehicle Is stopped for any purpose be can dismount and take on or discharge his collections as readily if not more so than he does now while hie nag Is browsing on the grass plats near the curb. Strength and lightness are tbe two essentials In the construction. Recent experiments seem to demonstrate that the automobile can be used on country roads with as much success as the bicycle can.

The Fear at fear.

Some one says the only thing to fear is fear, and that’s about right That doesn’t mean that one is to go about in a state of cheerful Idiocy, caressing every buzz saw he comes across In the absnrd Idea that nothing can do him harm. That would be invoking the foolkiller, who does sometimes catch up with such people. It means the practical application of the idea that there are two things one need not worry about—what he can help and what he «mnoot help. If a thing can be helped, it’s help and not worry that It needs, and if it cannot be helped, it la high time that the “incident be closed,” as the diplomats say.—Chicago Drovers’ Journal.

No Mustaches in Alaska.

Men exposed to the rigors at the Alaska winter never wear mustaches. They wear beards to protect the

(New York Herald.)

Map Slowing Election Results of 1898, Republican States Shaded. Republican Vote, 5,499,064; Representing 272 Electoral Votes. Democratic Vote, 5,427,224; Representing 175 Electoral Votes.

others give the average. McKinley’s total plurality was little more than his pluralities in New York and Pennsylvania combined. There were few State elections in 1897, and in none of them were the changes important except that New York and Kentucky went Democratic. In 1898 there were State elections in all but a few of the States and in all the congressional districts. The diagram above shows which States were carried by each party, those by Republicans being shaded. It will be noted that the Democrats gained over 1896 only two States—Kentucky . and Minnesota—and the latter only on the governorship, where fusion elected a popular Scandinavian by 20,000 plurality, though the Republicans carried every congressional district by pluralities aggregating over 32,000. On the other hand, the Republicans gained Washington, Wyoming, Kansas and South Dakota, which have twentyone electoral votes, the same as Kentucky and Minnesota. The total vote in 1898 in the various States foots up as follows: Republican, 5,499,065; Democratic, 5,427,224. The vote in the electoral college represented by these States are: Republican, 272; Democratic, 175, or within one vote of the result in 1896 ,the difference being

NATURE’S WAR PAINT.

Dark Backs and Liglit Breasts Make Birds Almost Invisible. Passing through the Natural History Museum a day or two ago, my eye wag arrested by a case which apparently contained a gray, duck-like bird facing its own ghost. Tbe “no passage” barrier precluded closer Inspection, and for five minutes I stood staring at the case, unable to make out what that wraith-llke, almost Invisible bird-form might be. I, had given it up, when the descriptive tablet, which bad been pushed aside, came to my assistance. The exhibit is designed by a clever American naturalist to show why Nature has colored most wild beahts and birds dark above and light below. The visible bird was a model clad In flannel of dingy-gray, and against a background of similar hue it showed up distinctly, thknks to tbe light on its back and its own sbade. Its ghost-like companion, clad in the same way, owed Its invisibility to the application of a little dark point on its back and a little white paint underneath after the fashion affected by scores of birds. ' It seems Incredible that such painting could make the difference, but so it is.

AN EXILED MONUMENT.

Germany Would Not Permit Its Erec-tion-New York Dedicates It. In Bronx borough, New York, has been unveiled a monument with a unique and romantic history. It is a sculptured exile driven from Germany because of the bitter feeling that still exists against the man whom It commemorates. The monument is a fountain, representing the Lorelei, famous in German song and legend, and commemorating Heine, the poet, whose verses of German legend—and particularly of the Lorelei—are familiar In every German ‘household, but whose advocacy of liberty made him detestable to German royalty. Heine has been dead years, but bis memory is as much an object

BOERS DISCUSSING THE SITUATION BESIDE THE HISTORICAL HEAP OF STONES.

wAg himself " c . 4?/ *

accounted for by the Bryan vote in California. What Mr. Bryan must have to win Is forty-nine more electoral votes than his party carried last fall. In all probability he must have fifty-eight votes, for Minnesota can scarcely be imagined as a sure Democratic State. As to where these votes would come from in Mr. Bryan’s election, those lnterested*in the subject may figure out few themselves with the aid of the above maps and the following table, which gives the electoral vote of each State:

Alabama ... 11 Arkansas 8 California 9 Colorado 4 Connecticut 6 Delaware 3 Florida 4 Georgia 13 idaho 3 Illinois ..,..24 Indiana 15 slowa 13 Kansas 10 Kentucky 13 Louisiana 8 Maine 6 Maryland 8 Massachusetts ....15 Michigan 14 Minnesota 9 Mississippi 9 Missouri 17 Montana 3 Total ...

tion in the whirlpool. The work was admired by all Germans, bat when its erection was attempted at Frankfort the authorities forbade the work to go on. Then it was taivn to Dnsseldorf, Hamburg and other cities, with similar results. Finally a number of wealthy New Yorkers agreed to buy it and put It up In New York. Hese again there

THE HEINE FOUNTAIN.

was an objection. It was said that Heine was not an American and had nothing to do with this country. After a long struggle the objection was overcome and now tbe memorial Is In place in the northern end of the city. The sculptured merman and mermaids at the fountain’s base will lead to a better knowledge of tbe delightful legends of the Rhine.

BEFORE THE ALMIGHTY.

Boers Solemnly Swore to Defend Their Beloved Country. The accompanying Illustrations refer to the Boer meeting recently held at Paardekraal, South Africa, Ae scene of the declaration of independence in 1880. About 5,000 Boers were present and were addressed by Gen. Joubert and other speakers. The tone of the meeting was that not another hair would be conceded, and Gen. Joubert called on all present to remember tbe solemn oath taken by them in 1880,

when each Boer, bolding a stone la hi* hand, took, an oath befbre the Almighty that they would shed their last drop of blood, if seeds be, for their beloved country. These stones were j then cast into one great heap, over [dekraal raised.

Nebraska 8 Nevada 3 New Hampshire ... 4 New Jersey 10 New York 36 North Carolina ....11 North Dakota 3 Ohio ... 23 Oregon 4 Pennsylvania 32 Rhode Island 4 South Carolina .... 9 South Dakota 4 Tennessee 12 Texas 15 Utah 3 Vermont 4 Virginia ....12 Washington 4 West Virginia 6 Wisconsin 12 Wyoming 3

A FEW PLAIN FACTS.

fHE MALICIOUS AND IGNORANT NEWSPAPER CRITICS The Lack of f officiant Soldiers in the Philippines One Entirely to the Hostility of the Democrats Under Fuch Leaders as senator Gorman. If those papers which propose to deal fairly with the President In regard to the Philippine matter would take the time to possess themselves of a few facts, they could criticise more intelligently and justly. For instance, those papers assume that the apparent insufficiency of men in Luzon is due either to Gen. Otis or the President. If Gen. Otis has been reporting that 30,000 men are sufficient when they are not, one of those critics says, he is unfit for the position. If, on the other hand, this paper continues, he has reported that 30,000 men are sufficient because the President desires such a report, the President is more than responsible. The critic, it should be added, expresses tbe opinion that the latter assumption is very improbable. So it is, and being one of the assumptions of reckless and malignant papers it should not be repeated as a possibility. The grasp of a few facts would shift the responsibility of having a larger army in the Philippines. Agulnaldo opened hostilities Feb. 4. A,t that date the treaty with Spain had not been ratified, and by tbe conditions of the protocol, which secured a cessation of hostilities, the United States could not send a soldier to Manila. The treaty was not ratified by the Senate until Feb. 6. As soon as the treaty was signed by the Queen of Spain, March 17, the war was at an end. Not only did

UNRESTRICTED DOMESTIC COMPETITION.

H. O. Havemeyer (testimony before the U. S. Industrial Commission, Ju»*| 14, 1899)—The customs tariff is the mother of trusts. Madam Protection—ls yon insist upon being recognized as a member of family, you must be prepared to submit to its discipline and restraints. ’TXH restricted Domestic Competition” is the rule of this establishment.

every volunteer regiment have tbe right to muster out, but the regulars enlisted under the law calling out the volunteers had the right also to be mustered out. This meant that on March 17 the only disciplined soldiers of wbom the President could avail himself was the regular army of 27,000 men in service when tbe war began. Nearly a month passed after tbe attack of Agulnaldo before the Senate permitted the bill Increasing the army to become a law. The bill was fought by Democrats under tbe lead of Gorman on the ground that tbe army was large enough. Finally, after wasting more than a month, during which period it was doubtful if tbe hostile Senate would give the President a man whom he conld send to Manila, that body, March 2, passed the compromise army bill which authorized the President to increase the regular army to 65,000 men for two years and to enlist 35,000 volunteers for a like period. Until the passage of this bill, nearly a month after Agulnaldo began the war, the President did not have a soldier he could send to Manila—not one. After the adjournment of Congress orders were issued and recruiting for the regular army began. If the 33,000 or so of regulars bad been recruited in a week and hastened to Manila they could not have reached that point before the middle of May. But the 35,000 or any considerable portion of tbe number conld not be recruited in a week, and they could not have been shipped to Manila in such numbers because it would have been impossible to obtain ships to carry them. If these green troops had arrived at Manila the middle of May or June and had been put into the field unacclimated, half of them would have died of disease incident to exposure in the beginning of the rainy season. Therefore, if Gen. Otis had called for 20,000 more men when Agulnaldo began war, they conld not have been supplied until Congress had authorised the President to recruit them. When Congress did finally give the President the luthority it was too late to put that lumber of seasoned and disciplined hen In Manila. Tbe later responslbilly about calling for more men may lest with Gen. Otis as a matter of lodgment, but tbe fact that tbe Presileut had no men to send is due largely iO tfle Gormans and the Vests and those who prevented, the passage of the bill authorising the increase of the truiy.—lndianapolis Journal. Political Tide in the Went. No Mtaßiw portjl* u. »Wrt for sort tear. Its rouou&tioxi has 20110 to

posits amounting to $21,000,000, tUthM dark days of the Cleveland failure ue the Bryan scare, the Nebraslc*,li§H deposits amounted to only tII.QOO.OIWH They have doubled under a Republican administration. Bryan, If fUmiM iuatel, will be pushed hard in MM braska. Though State pride is i llllgjß ed in behalf of a second trial, tfcrJH publican vote has grown since 1896. The fusion plurality last year was onl/l 2,781 for Governor, the RepnblicaiM carrying the Legislature and gatntojM a Senator. Bryan has no certainly fm Nebraska In 1900. In fact, the chancegfj are tbe other way. Some of the Wee#jl era States In his list before are sure t#| go against him next year. One of these Is Washington. Bryan’s antl-e ipum| sion views alone settle that. Washing! ton is for commercial development on the Pacific. Its Republican plurallty| last year was 8,028, quite a change! from Bryan’s 12,493 in 1896. Kansas has parted company with thd| silver party. Its Repoblican plurality last yt-ar was 15,870. Kansas asfl Washington combined take fourtecM electoral votes from the Bryan cohuwijjj A change of 1,600 votes last fall would J have given Nebraska and South De-| kota to the Republicans. The galas of ] Republican Congressmen in the tranu-J Mississippi States last November wet**? remarkable, and bad tbe high dlstisu»| tlon of saving the House. All of Ne/I braka’s neighboring States are as pros- ' perous as itself, and can match Its increase in deposits. Speaking In the light of mathematical facts, Bryan'e : prospects in the States west of tbtl Mississippi have generally faded. Fig- 1 ures of all kinds prove It. Nor can he, count on gains east of tbe unless In Kentucky, in which the Democratic party at present is more ously divided than in 1896- The facts • in the case suggest a change in that| Democratic candidate, but even that | might cost more votes than it would |

gain. Prosperity, expansion and soundll 1 money are a winning combination.—Stkij 3 Louis Globe-Democrat m Political Paragraphs. -H 1 What shall it profit tbe Democracy,J| to get on the wrong side of a new i#-JJ 1 sue?—Milwaukee Sentinel. m Mr. Gorman Is silent now. And tiNijH fj is always the time when Mr. Gormmn JJ Is most busy.—St. Paul Dispatch. M When the people ask the Democratism ‘i party the crucial question, “What did 1* you ever do to the trusts?" that neW#! fj aggregation will have to hang Its head J fj and say, “Nothin’.”—Rockford Repub- 1 Some of tbe free silver editors ax* 1 able to see an immense procession of 1 9 gold Democrats marching into tbedl fj Bryan ranks. These are the same [email protected] fj tlemen who had charge of the BryattJ predicting In 1896.— Washington Post. J M Neatly printed copies of the fj Gusrtus Van Wyck’s antitrust speech J are still being extensively in the South. Evidently the Van WwSj || boom Is making prodigious efforts work up a circulation.—New York Mafl i and Express. M Another little Moses was found hill 11 the rush grass at West Hempstead, j S N. Y., the other day. It was about 4’l| || weeks old and expensively clad, Jj was deserted and awaiting its Perhaps It is needed by the party as much as by any one.—Boston ■'ll lowa Democratic Platform. '{ 9 lowa Democrats are dominated Populists. Their State ticket is reaUy : defeated before it is printed.—EOgJaflli lowa Democrats indorse the Chicago ill platform “in the whole.” The spelling Ijj is faulty, but the whereabout of thO;|S platform Is correctly noted.—Kansas j City Journal. J|| The lowa platform does not mentioffi«|| silver, and the lowa voter who coil- j!l§ slders that question vital must in ancient history to ascertain what the party pretends to believe on that j subject to-day.—Rockford Republic. There are several things which the ; -yjjj lowa Democrats “view with alNWlj There are several things which the publicans of the land do not view witlgfl alarm, and one of them Is the catn4| $$ paign of 1900.—Milwaukee Evaifia§l Wisconsin. .. §§§ aside, jyrfr M In No v«mbe*v—B roofeijrm