New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-11-13
DTTJES STILL BEFORE Us.

The duty of the people did not end on Election
Day. when they indicated the honor and the
honesty of the Nation. 1t Is too much the haDle
of Americans to think that they can somehow
discount all political obligations by voting Oh
Election Day. TO think thus Is in fact almost
as bad MS not to vote at all: for it helps to undo
much of the good accomplished by voting. To-
day the honest and patriotic citizens OF the couh-
try are confronted with two grave duties, when
are really two aspects of the same duty. These
duties are. the enlightenment of the honest
minded well-meaning voters who have been
carried away by the financial and other hereses
OF the Chicago platform, and the promotion OF
n more kindly feeling between the poor and the
well-to-dO
Doubtless there were many men in the free
silver ranks who knew that the policy they were
advocating was dishonest and who advocated
it because 1t was dishonest. They are class by
themselves and need not he discussed here; but
there were others, great majority, we should
like to believe, who were entangled by the
specious sOphisries OF such books as Coins
Financial School, These men came honestly
to believe in what everybody else knows to he
dishonest and immoral Some Of them have had
no educational Advantages Of others it may be
said that they have that little learning" which
is "a dangerous thing; but all Of them are the
easy prey OF every sophlst, mountebank and
demagogue that comes along. Now those who
have the honor and welfare of the country at
heart ought to be as willing to do something for
these honest but misguided fellOw-citzens as the
political schemers who have just been defeated at
the polls The rise and growth Of free silver was
no accident 1t was the result Of the most skill
md fbo xvh
home to every good citizen to-day is that the
only way TO prevent such maletic movements In
the future Is to educate all citizens above the
point where they can be deceived. Then dema-
gogues and charlatans like Tillman. and All
geld. and Debs. and Bryan would he absolutely
harmless because there would be nobody whom
they could convert.
Closely connected with the duty of enllghten-
ing our mlsed fellow-citizcns is that Of gaining
their good will by cultivatng a feeling Of help
full sympathy for them. II was said Of
wealthy man who died some time ago that by
his upright life and his kindness to his less
fortunate fellow-oitizcns he had done more to
postpone social revolution than all the books
against revolution OF the present generation.
While there Is no such widespread hatred of the
rich by the poor as Mr.. Bryan said there was.
there always nave been, ana VIII DO Tor long
time to come a certain number Of people in the
community who are on the lookout for an excuse
To dcnounce the wcllto-do. Some OF them are
lawess and vicious men, whose hostility to social
order can always be taken for granted. Many
others have come honestly to believe that when
a man becomes rich 1t Is somehow or other at
their expense and their latent feeling Of hos
tllity 10 the rich Is famed into fierce flames by
every instance OF a rich man who makes an
improper use OF his wealth or shows himself in
different TO the condition OF his less fortunate
fellow citizens. In this world and especially in
this land OF ours. position and opportunity al
ways impose obligation. We say that the dcs-
tiny OF the Republic rests upon the intelligence
OF It's citizens and SO 1t does; but IL depends
quite ms much on the way In which its men Of
wealth use their wealth. II there should grow
up In this country class Of rich men and
women who should throw OF all obligations OF
brotherhood and make their wealth minister
simply 10 coarse and british pleasures. nothing
could save the country from dlsntegration But
IL. as we hope and believe. men Of wealth shall
show In the future. as they have shown in the
past. n spirit. not Of charity but Of genuine help
full brotherhood. no appeal TO class hatred will
ever find Judgement In the hearts Of the Ameri-
can people.