The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-11-21

.ir. Henry NdtlcisON $ name % ""'"'
as well known to the people Of the United
States ass that OF any other American
now living. and whenever ne speaks TO
the public h. receives attention, at any
rate. whether he commands appreciation
or not. lie does not usually command
un1Ialihed appreciation, for though he
is brilliant i'm the way OF scintillaton,
and although lie always POUNDS his Ut
terancos upon sound morality, his mind
is an orring one, and he almost always
mixes something crratic with his sound
est counscls. Mr.. Wattorson was in
Europe through an of our recent heated
political campaign, and he surveyed our
excited contests scrcncly from aiar. lie
is now i'm Paris, and an interview with
him has just been oahled to the news
papers OF this country. IN it Mr.. Wat
tcrson says.
"rThe election Of Mckinley is but the
borinniuc OF the end of the struggle
which. one way and another, has been
goiup on m the United States for twenty
wears. II began in the West and South
with a demand for fiat money. No
sooner was the grecnback party disposed
of than the freo-silvcr party took lis
place. other questions being at the
front. and few of our public men experts
in coinage. free silver was able TO COM
nit 10 the new monetary de-
fusion many men VINO except
for their ignorance OF this par
tic,,lar question. could never have been
reached. and who were sound to the
core as 10 the national credit and safe,
stable circulating medium. Among these
public men was Mr.. Mckinley himseh.
"Thc leaders Of the hat-money move
ment. reinforced by the silver mine-own-
ers. finally made AN incision into the Re
publican party. and got possession OF the
machinery of the Democratic party. This
eliminated in the nomination and de
feat of Mr. Bryan. With that defeat
ends the free-silvcr frenzy and the dam
ger Of 16-tO-l kind. But the elements
of disorder IL has called into being, and
the agrarian issues IT has set into mo-
ton. are left upon the scene, and we
may be sure that these Will continue
their assaults upon the life of the nation.
and the integrity of the people. until
they are swept out of existence in 1900
1t merely removes fat money and de-
prcciated silver dollars from among the
rocks ahead"
That We think, is a comprehensive and
a very just summary Of conditions. The
interview then proceeds thus:
"But. Mr.. Wattorson." said the inter
viewer. "has not the Republican victory
been so overwhelming as to carry all
before it,"
For the time being, yes" was the re-
ply. "Thc Republican party has had
I'm it's time great good fortune. 1t has
shown itself a clever opporunist. But
| it cannot rest its case upon the doctrine
| of protection. Neither as a policy nor
as 81 theory nor as a keynote. can pro-
tectionism hold its own or stand alone. IL
is at war with the genius of American
institutions 10 should he no longer nee
essary. if 10 ever was truly necessary, TO
the American manufacturer. 1t is the
father of paternalism and the godfather
! of P0pulism. 1t sets examples to those
| who imagine that wealth may be created
| by legislation. 1T imposes gricvous bur
dons upon the agricultural classes. Dur
inc periods of depression. it serves bot>
| as an iustieation and a pretcXt 10 the
DISCONTINUED elements. II Is the occa-
sion OF constant corruption i'm Congress.
The manufacturers themselves ought 10
lead the movement TO discard it, They
could IL they would have the question
settled hy statesmen. and save IL from
the hands of tine mob. on such line
an conservative mon could unite 60
rescue the people from anarchism. But,
with Mr.. Mckinley in the presidency.
tlls seems impossible, and ] confess j
dread 10 think of the attempt TO which
hc is committed. 10 bring back the No
Eiuley duties. under the mere protcNt of
supplying "a deficit which is not likely TO
csist AT the close OF the fiscal year"
II cannot be doubted that the evidences
accumulate that this is just forecast
of what Will be Republican policy. Blind
to all the teachings OF the past fifteen
years. they seem bent upon holding on
TO she idea that the way 10 make Amer
leans prosperous is TO fix matters SO
that some Americans can live upon
others. and so that millions and millions
Of them shall he cut on from all oppor-
tunity 10 market what they may have or
to iind fields Tor their enterprises. Truly.
IL seems astounding that after the com
try has passed through such an ordeal
as the one we have just witnessed. which
threatened TO loosen tic foundation
stones OF society these people should
nave learned nothing at all from the
lesson. They FULLY measure up 10 the
commonplace description OF the Bourbon.
who is said TO forget nothing and to
learn nothing. Their protective. trust
breeding tariff had wcll-nigh as much
TO do with the popular discomfort that
eliminated i'm the adoption of the Chi
cago platform as the agitation for free
silver. Yet we hear upon al hands
that all OF their energies are To be turn
ed towards trying 10 fasten another
high protection law upon the people of
this country. They surely shut their
eyes voluntarily to the lesson that events
long to teach.