New-York tribune., 1896-10-06
WHERE THE DANGER LIES.

Another month brings the election Never pe-
| fore has the contrast between the opposing par
| tics-as to condition. effectiveness of work. con
! fdrnce in themselves or the fn;urc-bccn greater
| so near the Presidential election. Even whch
| the Democratic party was broken into two war
ring organizations in 1850. each had highly
efficient organization in one section or the DINER
| while in the Southern States the Republicans had
| scarcely any When the North Carolina erection
occurred in 1S1., the end anticipated by lead
ing men, and Democrats began 10 rnn away from
the candidate they had nominated, but there was
more of effective organization and work. ana
except among political leaders more of confidence
| as to the result than can now he seen on the
| Democratic side. The attempt to fuse with '"p-
ulists has caused unSpeakable dscord. confusion
and Discrimination among both. and 1t wohih
be the most marvellous thing in political history
| II two factions in such circumstances should
| manage to concentrate their whole vote.
| Predictions sometimes serve a purpose when n
| broken force needs 10 he rallied Mr.. Bryan
( latest announcement over his own name of the
result he expects by STATES obviously has no
J other purpose than To arrest landslide. ana ID
| that aspect il is q confession that his force Is
broken and dSOrganiZcd. and stands sadly IN
need of the confidence which he tries to INSPIRE
| II does not appear that on any other account
| his statement is entitled 10 serious notice. Ihe
| distinguished alienists who have been solenhly
| debating about the precise name and extent ana
nature of Mr.. Bryan's mental disturbance would
| have much stronger reason for the ideas some or
Them exnrcss if il could be taken for granted that
he strictly believes all that he says. Neither can
Republican predictions at this stage he accounted
| in the highest degree valuable. for that force
| does not stand in need of greater confidence IT
must be acknowledged that all the signs are
most cheering but if a general impression should
now prevail that the fight is over four weeks be-
| fore the election there would probably he some
| votes lost.
The bottom fact is that an appeal 10 the neither
| forces of civilized society always involves dan
| gerous possibilities which cannot be accurately
| measured or safely ignored. Except for that
| fact the close study and comparison of indica-
| tions which almost invariably prove Trustworthy
would Justify the utmost confidence: bni every
man knows tha, il is utterly impossible Ia Judge
what a mob may do. When the attempt Is made
| to turn human society into a mob. to kindle all
| those mad passions which know for the time no
| reason and no restraint. To light the torch and
| fire the bomb which have worked such d"vas'a
| ton elsewhere ii Is the duty of every san" man
| to keep unfailing watch. even though II" ma!
| feel certain that American citizens cannot he
suddenly transformed into beasts.
For more than two months Mr.. Bryan ana MS
partv have been laboring with all the energy oi
despera ton 10 kindle powder barrels in the eel
lar. II does not matter in the least that ne adds
| the word peaceful when he admits that he Is
| irving 10 cause a revolution Every revolution
| of the sort Mr.. Bryan is proposing ends i'll de-
| strucion Revolution by the poor against the
| laws of money and laws Of property. because
| those laws have not made them rich. never ends
| in making the poor all rich, but invariably ends
| in destruction and suffering OF which the poor
have 10 bear by far the larger part. in the over
| throw Of civilized society and the reign OF
Anarchy for time. or else in the mercil"Ssiy
brief but therefore merciful extinction OF In" nioD
! by the armed force But because the world now
! knows. even the poor well as the rlch ana
| the farmers as we'll as the miners or mechanics,
what frlghtfu consequences grow from the sort
| of revolution Mr.. Bryan attempts. there is ground
| for strong faith that Americans Will make an
| end of il before it can begin For strong faith
but moi for plaxation Of energy or for ontting
| single honest effort 10 insure the triumph or
| tho RIGHT