Daily Kennebec journal., 1896-08-21
PRESS COMMENTS.
Individual Campaign Work.
(New York Tribune.)


1t is a common saying that this is
the greatest national crisis since 1861.
The ante election struggle is to be more
than political campaign. 1t is to be
war for national honor. for the con-
servation of time-tried institutions. for
protection of the mass of citizens
against financial revolution which must
be disastrous to all except a few who
have speculative interest in the appre-
citation of silver and in driving gold to
q premium. On every side we hear of
citizens, regardless of party affiliations.
coming forward and announcing their
support of Mckinley and their willing
ness to labor for his success. This offer
from men who do not ordinarily trouble
themselves to engage in partisan war
fare. is at once testimony to the
seriousness of the issue and the most
encouraging sign of the contest.
Steps should be taken to make use of
every MON WIZ has this patriotic dis
position. More than organization, more
than enthusiasm education is needed
There is no use shutting eyes to the
fact that the Populist campaign is be-
ing carried on with skill, so far as
reaching the ignorant, appealing to
short sighted self-interest and stirring
up envy. malice and evil passions. is
concerned These forces must be met
at the point of their effective operation
1t is not enough to prove the fallacy
of PopulSt argument in a magazine of
political economy or in the newspapers.
The men who are taken by catchWordS.
deceived by fallacious reasoning and
fred by cupidity must also be reached.
The best way to reach them is by per-
sonal work The campaign speaker is
going to be more than usually useful
in this campaign. and the private citi-
zen who has the respect of his neigh
Eors has a great opportunity to do
effective individual work. Old-fash-
ioned spread-eagle oratory is at dis
count. In it's place calm, sensible and,
above all, simple presentation of the
primary laws of finance and political
economy is required. The people should
be gathered from time to time in every
school district and voting precinct and
told what must be the inevitable con-
sequences of Bryan's success. taught to
discern the fallacies in the silver argu-
ments, and brought to understand that
nc temporary personal advantage
which some think they see in free coin
age can compensate for the distress
which will come to them with the re-
action.
For this work the business man, the
lawyer and the intelligent farmer are
more valuable than the professional
spellbinder. The greatest influence will
be exercised by men over their neigh
bOrs who are accustomed to trust their
judgment on other matters. Many men
of this character have signified their
intention thus to supplement the efforts
of the orators sent out at the expense
of the political organizations. Others
will devote themselves with energy to
personal work with their acquaint-
ances. They should be encouraged
and their number should be increased
The campaign committees can help
them by furnishing simple documents
with arguments which can be brough:
home to the voter. Special pains
should be taken to furnish this assist
ance and prepare the way for political
meetings as individual enterprises in
every corner of the country. 1t is not
enough for every man who believes in
sound money to vote for it. He must
fight for it every day until election
The demagogues are hard at work
making the kind of campaign which is
most difficult to counteract, for it's very
absurdity and shallowness make those
affected by it at all most stubborn and
blind in their devotion. But if all
sound-money men are fired with zeal
equal to that of their opponents. and
each one labors to bring to his side one
deluded voter, the country's honor will
be preserved. The chief work of all the
sound-money organizations should be
to get intelligent voters to take their
cause in their own hands. And they
should do 1t at once.