The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-11-10

nended for Mckinley double the amount
Il money ever used before In Presi-
lential campaign, will vaunt themselves
nd try to carry matters with a hlgh
land: ins0lence is inseparaOle from pow
.r.-and thrice as much so when mere
money is the basis of political power
rhe trusts and the privileged capitalists
IN whom the government has been squan-
lering franchises and exemptions VIII
all for more and more of the same sort
plott in New York, Quay in Pennsylya-
MIA. and the legislative corruptionlsts
,vervwhere will take advantage of the
air weather indications which they read
n tba election returns Whether they
succeed or fail (as they did III trying 10
,vercome the enthusiasm of the West Tor
dcTSinlev)-the result will be the same
4, great accession to the party of Bryan
me only way TO prevent this Will be Tor
Mckinley to make himself the spokes-
man Of the people against trusts; thus he
may POSSIBLY do, though nothing IN nus
ecord vet indicates it. But in auy case,
mo marty OF discomfort, which Bryan
3eads.-a perfectly natural and whole
some discontent.-will continue TO grow.
# grew under Cieyeland's first admins
ration. under Harrison's, and under this
administration immensely Nothing can
check Il except Il national prosperity Of
which | see few signs.
Never has the country witnessed SO
phenomenal a growth in political leader
shin as Mr.. Bryan's four months cam
paign has made Lincoln, who alone can
be compared with him in this respect, had
heen before the country much longer,
when in 1860 the Republicans, much
against the wish Of the Eastern States,
made him their leader. He was 30 years
old. and at SO Organs age), he was an
obscure Illinois attorney, who had been
defeated rs presidential elector the year
before He was nearly 80 when he took
his seat in Congress in December, 1S41,
and made no national reputation there.
Even as presidential candidate he did not
dictate his party's course, though his per
sonal qualities gave him the vote of
Illinois, and possibly of few other
States. But Bryan convinced the Chi
cage convention by his personal qualities
that he was the best candidate; and as
such he has dominated his party, held
its discordant elements together, con
verted a million voters to the heresy OF
free silver, and got more electoral votes
by so, at least, than any other Democrat
could have had in this year of party
deliquescence and party treachery. lie
has done it too with the newspapers gen
orally and impudently against him; with
the financial interests of the country
against him 10 to 1; with the whole force
of the national administration welded
against him, and with that specter of
British gold" which has been put on the
stage by the high tariff hypocrites in
almost every campaign for 30 years, ac-
tually incarnated and working against
him. To have succeeded as he has done,
under these circumstances; to have re-
tanned the respect of all his supporters,
and forced the most impudent Of his
newspaper maligners to treat him better
at the end of his contest than at the be-
ginning-this is personal triumph which
ought to console him for the failure of
his too enthusiastic hopes. Had he been
elected he would have been still more
disappointed in trying to carry out an
impossible financial policy; as it is, he
may rest on his laurels, preserve the good
temper and patience under abuse which
he has so constantly manifested, and look
for the presidency at an age even younger
than it fell to Grant (46 years. or to
Cleveland an Here is now the most
conspicuous political figure, next to Nc
Kinley, in the country; and unless the
new President is greater than his party
he may say, when he looks at his Ne
braska rival, "He must increase, but /
must decrease. Boston correspondent Of
Springfield Republican.