Show LETTER FROM BAHTINE HE DECXrAItnS TRAP DIrLLSTS AOIB XOT DISCOUHIAGED > Reason Tnt Contributed to tIle Success of McKinlcy The Vote of Workingmen Controlled by Fear of Factories Helnsr Closed Don Hon R C Chambers has received i the following interesting letter from Hon H F Bartine editor of the National I Na-tional Bimetallist I Chicago I Nov S 1S96 My Dear Mr Chambers Our calculations failed and McKinley McKin-ley is elected I is not though in any sense a landslide Thirty thousand more votes our way in Indiana Kentucky Ken-tucky California Oregon and the Dakotas Da-kotas would have elected Mr Bryan In fact McKinley had a close call I attach no importance to his large vote in New York Massachusetts Pennsylvania Pennsyl-vania and Illinois which accounts for his immense majority in the popular vntl Tn th t niH n c + hnrn r the wageworkers l were voted in O solid blocks by their employers They were told in so many words that If McKinley McKin-ley were elected they would have 1 work if not it was altogether uncertain I uncer-tain Few men working for wages have the strength and independence to resist 1 re-sist such an argument as that In I Ohio Michigan and Minnesota i will I be found that i was the employees of the great industrial plants mainly in the large cities who turned the scale against us The vote of the farmers while not what we had reason to expect ex-pect was at least healthy and honest When we consider the odds against us while disappointed of course we still have reason to be proud of the contest which we made With the great money power solid for McKinley McKin-ley controlling as I did the press the manufacturing and commercial classes II and through them millions of votes the fact that McKinley so narrowly I escaped defeat is nothing less than marvellous The defection of the gold Democrats insignificant 33 it appeared I was alone enough to defeat us In some of the close states their votes would have changed the result and in all the moral effect of their revolt was very great I entirely accounts for the abnormal majorities in some of the states for the most of them or at least many of them were large employers em-ployers of labor Their money and their personal influence were withdrawn with-drawn from our side and thrown to the other But notwithstanding the defeat I have yet to see the silver man who is discouraged Here they are more determined de-termined than ever They know that in the last analysis i was lack of education edu-cation among the wageworkers and farmers that defeated them To educate edu-cate 72000000 of people upon such a question is no small undertaking Practically all that was done so far as the masses are concerned was accomplished accom-plished within the last six or eight months There had been a scattering fire kept UP for years and a organ I ized systematic effort at this point for about 1 months but it was only after I political lines were squarely drawn upon the issue that the work could be made really effective I The desire here is very strong to I continue the work S S a The danger is in letting the people i I forget the silver issue and two years I I and four months hence having to begin i be-gin again with the ABC Of the financial finan-cial question Permanent prosperity I under the gold standard is impossible There may be a little spurt probably I there will be based upon artificially revived confidence but i cannot last and when the reaction comes I we should be in a position to offer I genuine bimetallism as a sure road to permanent relief But if we entirely I abandon the field now this will be difficult for the most of people have short memories a a a g a I congratulate you most heartily upon your success I With kindest regardsI remain most sincerely yours I H F BARTINE i |