The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-08-22
STALE POP THUNDER.

and filched tenet largely Republican
with the dose OF Cleveland's admins
tration the Democratic party would
have ceased to be.
Struggling under the adverse condi
tions enforced by Cleyeland's terrific
Object lessons. object lessons which
! have done their work so thoroughly as
to discourage every enterprise of the
country, and to disgust nine men out
Of every ten, 1t is not to be wondered
at that Mr.. Bryan has dropped his old
! hobby Of free trade and has nothing
TO say Of its beauties and advantages
in his present campaign. Still the
tariff -protection-is of more di-
rect and far-reaching Importance than
any other question, not excepting that
Of silver and money, for protection
means money. The New York world
| finds but one thing to criticize IL Dry-
ans speech of acceptance, and that is
his studied silence on the tariff plank
of the Chicago platform. The World
win find no opportunity TO withdraw
prised. however. at such a criticism
from such q source 1t is safe to say
that there is not a sane Democrat in
the United States today who believes
that Bryan or the Democratic party
can make any campaign capital by a
discussion of the tariff question.
Eevrybody knows Cleveland's ideas
are wrong, and that the Wilson-Gor-
rian bill is a failure. In fact Cleve-
land himself, later, in his letter of July
2, 1894, wherein ne referred to the act
as party pertidy and dtshonor'' and
said: "How can we face the people
after indolging in such outrageous dis
ordinations and violations of princi-
ple:"
Bryan realizing that himself and
party are defeated in advance on the
tariff issue hopes TO win for his party
as ne won for himself in Chicago, by
al appeal for silver. He knows as
we'll as Cleveland or Hill, as German
or Altgeld, that after all the howl of
the goldbug and the protests of the
boilers from the Chicago convention
that the only hope Of the Democratic
party was in some Dew issue, and 80
they tok up free silver, not that it is
a Democratic principle. but because
the west and south largely, without re
gard to party had been protesting |
against the crime OF '73.. The World
says now that its only objection TO /
Bryan is his silence on the tariff issue. /
Hill says he would support Bryan
heartily but for the plank in the plat
form which indorseS an income tax. |
German would take the stump for him
only he can't get over the fact that his
platform criticises the supreme court
Of the United States. In The end, or
before 4 month, they and even Grover
Cleveland himself viii be found doing
all in their power to elect the young
man from Nebraska Free trade be
ing dead beyond resurrection during
rhe life Of the present generation and
some new issue had to be caught on
to, or otherwise there was only the
grave of oblivion for the party Of Jack
SUE, Calhoun and Cleveland. Having
no doctrine of their own that could
onger be defended they stole the tenets
Of the Pop party, to which they added
free silver, upon which they are indus
triously endeavori TO sail in.
And so Mr.. Bryan Is not talking free
trade" He declares that the tariff is
not an issue. The truth is, right down
1T bottom. it is the most important
political issue, for and to every con-
,eivable interest Of the American peo-
pie, that can be brought up for their
lction and decision. No CLEAN of false
light, no glitter1ng silver picture can
blind the people to the essential i'm
,ortance Of projected labor and pro-
ected products of field, mine and fac
DRY. The man who can comprehend
he dfsintegrating policy of the past
our years or grasp the cause of pres
mt existing conditions will fail to IN
ierstand that despite all this attempt ,
ID deception the one vital interest and /
ssue of the present campaign is the
ariff. They know that all of the dis
'redit syndieateIbond disgTaces and .
commercial and financial troubles and
disasters of the Cleveland administra-
ion are directly or indirectly connect
d with the Democratic policy on the
question Of the tariff. SO Mr.. Bryan
5 silent on that question, and he will |
oman silent ON that question. as win i
Cleveland and Carlisle, Hill and Cor {
nan, and all the rest OF the Democrats :
Who will be found supporting Bryan
'efore November rolls around But
heir silence will fool nobody, certainly &
10 Republican protectionist