Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 22, Number 17, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 November 1900 — FEARED THE SILENT VOTER. [ARTICLE]

FEARED THE SILENT VOTER.

Campaign Managers Tried Hard to Learn His Political Preferences. Moreover, party workers whose function was to ascertain the sentiments of voters, to make canvasses and polls for the guidance of managers and in general obtain information that would be valuable in determining what the official count of the bullots would show met more difficulties and obstacles in the performance Of their work than ever before in the history of modern American politics. The one feature of the campaign which impressed every politician, every correspondent and every unprofessional observer who had occasion to travel much was the seeming tranquillity of the voters. Political activity, as it was understood in 1890 or in any of the stirring presidential campaigns previous to that year, seemed lacking to such au extent as to bewilder the experts, who were relying on surface events to furnish them with indications of what would happen on election day. The percentage of voters who declined to state who was their choice for President was so large this year as to establish a new record. There were almost countless thonsands of them in the middle West and Eastern States. Not only did they refuse to state how they were going to vote, but they refrained from all participation in the work pf the campaign. They eschewed the political paradfe, remained away from the political mass meeting, exhibited an unnatural indifference for distinguished »nd ignored the proximity of spellbinders They refused to express enthusiasm or sympathize with the artificial enthusiasm of politicians. The whole trend of the campaign managers in the States of the middle West during the last days was to arouse the farmer sufficiently to insure his going to the ballot box on election day. This did not mean that the farmer was neglected in the earlier stages of the campaign There was heavy voting in Michigan, Wisconsin, Miunesota, lowa and other States, where the campaign dragged in a most unaccountable manner. Therefore, the apathy which was the puzzle and despair of the bosses for weeks did not extend its influence to the ballot box. Patronise those wno advertise.

Inventor of Automobile Hies Poor. M. Lenoir, the inventor of the automobile, recently died in France in a state of poverty. Lenoir was a chemist. In 1860 he took out a patent for a motor driven by an explosive mixture of air and gas. He even used electric ignition, actuating a sparkling plug similar to that in vogue to-day. In 1862 he produced a car driven by one of his motors and accomplished some short trips in the streets of Paris, after which it made no further progress. He seemed to have no luck, his invention was premature and beyond the gratification of his hobby he had no appreciation.