Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1896-11-10
THE GREAT REPUBLICAN VICTORY.

1t is but natural that those of us who
believe in the principles of the republi-
can party should feel a sense of joy
over the outcome of the late election.
We do not mean by this that we should
indulge i'm loud CALCULATIONS about our
success, or hurl abusive epithets at those
who believe in the principles so ably
championed by Mr.. Bryan, their can
didate for president. There is sense
of gladness, in the first place, because
the cloud of suspense which hung over
the business of the country has to a
certain extent disappeared; and, in the
second place, because of the victory of
sound finance and protection, two
principles under which our nation has
grown in prosperity and power.
The campaign just closed has been
i'm many respects the most remarkable
one in the history of American politics.
1t certainly has been one of the hardest
fought. On one side were the forces of
sound money, led by the great Ameri-
can statesman and son of Ohio, Will
liam Mckinley. On the other side
were arrayed three parties which had
agreed in declaring the money issue
the most important one. These three
parties nominated William J. Bryan,
of Nebraska, for president, who con-
Quoted campaign the like of which
has never been carried on in this coun-
try. For time parties seemed to be
rent asunder. The young silver
champion from Nebraska was draw
ing to himself support from the forces
of republicanism. AT the same time
thousands of democrats who were op-
posed to bi-metallism were boiling the
democratic ticket. The peoples party
were fusing with the democrats on
electors in many of the states. The
situation was peculiar one and the
result was impossible to foretell.
But the day on which the battle of
ballots was to be fought came in its
wake. The contest which had been
waged for four months was to be settled
in the quiet calm and secrecy of the vo-
ting booth. The result is known to
all. The verdict of the people was
overwhelmingly against free silver.
The people said in unmistakable terms
that they wanted to continue our pres
ent safe system of currency. They did
not want TO try another experiment.
We had not recovered from the effects
of the experiment of 1892. So the AM
erican people concluded to dispense
with experimenting business for four
years at least. They concluded it was
better to have prosperity than business
depression; better to have work and pay
for it than idleness and starvation.
Republican success means great
deal at this time. 1t means that the
capacity for labor will increase. The
factories will open and those men who
have been anxious to earn money will
now have the chance to do so. 1t
means that the money which has been
tied up in bank vaults will be placed
out TO do business with. The fear
that there would be radical change
in our monetary system induced the
dealers in money to hoard the gold.
That fear is now dispelled. Men will
utilize their capital to move the pro-
ductive energies of the country. In
stead of the dark cloud which, like q
threatening demon, has hovered over
the financial world for four years we
can see the rays of sunlight. The thick
mist of gloom has begun to dispel.
Hope once more shows her smiling
face.
The republican party has always led
the nation in the paths of prosperity.
1t has always believed that American
industries should be given preference
over those of other countries. 1t has
also always believed in a sound curren-
cy--the soundest on earth. When it
has become necessary to issue paper
money, it has always provided that it
could be maintained at a parity with
gold. 1t has never issued any form
of money but what could be said of it
as Col. Ingersoll so happily expressed,
"a representative which can stand be-
fore the world and say without a blush,
Il know that my redeemer lives" 1t
is fortunate, indeed for the country
that the republican party triumphed.
Rosa BONHEUR leads the life of a
recluse i'm her chateau in the depth of
the Forest of Fontainebleau, near Paris.
She secludes herself from all, and it
was with the greatest difficulty that
the editors of the Ladies' Home Jour
nal succeeded in getting a proposition
before her that she write her auto
biography for that magazine. After
nearly years effort they were sue
cessful, and once started on her work
the great painter found so much inter-
est i'm it that she made over a dozen
special studies and pictures of animals
to accompany the text. The autObio-