The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-10-26
DON'T UNDERSTAND IT.
American Politics Puzzles German
Newspapers.
REGARD 1T STRUGGLE FOR OFFICE
RATHER THAN PRINCIPLE.

Vossfche Zeiting sizes Up the Situation
Supporting McKiniey-Another Jour
nal Takes Sides With Bryan.
Berlin, October 25.-The progress of
the Presidential campaign In the United
States is W, tched with the keenest in
terest. more from financial point of
view than with any idea of contrasting
the social positions occupied by the can
didates. 1t is difficult to get as Yet. even
from the leading newspapers which de-
vote columns of space to the subject an
intelligent apprecia tion of the situation.
Voluminous letter are received by mail
conveying to Germans the developments
OF the struggle in which go many mil
lions Of theii countrymen are interested,
but few newspapers here follow an intel
ligent line OF argument In dlscussing
the questions which the campaign COM
prehends.
The Vossiohe Zeitung publishes an
article notable from among the others.
In which 1t embodies the general Ger
man notion of the situation. In tie
course of an editorial the paper says that
it is rale thing in the political history
Of the United States that the Democrats
of the old school stand solidlyetogether,
shoulder to shoulder with their old Re-
publican opponents, to fight against the
so-called candidate of the national DEM
onratic party, Mr.. Bryan, and 1t is still
more surprising to old observers of polit-
ioal campo igns to see the Democrats of
the Eastern States standing up for Nc
kinley, despite the fact he 10 an. apostle
of the doctrins of a high protective
tariff, which they have consistently COM
batted for years.
The VOssische Zeitung, quoting from
the New York Handel ZeituDg in regard
to the platform upon which Mr.. Bryan
is making his oam paign, proceeds to ar
que that neither the principle Of cur
rency nor of the tariff especially inspires
paper says, simply strive to carry them
selves long the old lines of the belief
that the spoils belong to the victors.
The article concludes by saying neither
the victory Of Mckinley nor the success
| of Bryan can ultimately affect the
| economic movement in the United States
| which depends upon causes far beyond
thesstruQgle which Is now taking place
BETWEEN the great political parties of
America.
The paper ridicules the rumors current
in the columns of the English newspa-
pers by the biased American correspond
| ents which have been reproduced here,
that the situation in the United States IL
such at the present time that a very mar
row issue would involve civil war, and
says that the Germans comprising a con-
siderable part of the American popula.s.
would ut all events, accept the result of
the election without the slightest dream
of revolt against the wish of the mn.
jority as expressed by the suffrages OF
the people.
The Kreuz Zeitung is rather inclined
| to support Bryan against the sound
money men. and denies that his speeches
can be construed as menace of yebel.
lion as his opponents alleRe. The paper,
however condemns the Bryanite sugges
tions, favorine the repeae of the civil ser
| vice reform enactments of Congress and
concludes by saying that the German
electors in the United States seem to bt
again desirious to distinguish them
selves as 'the friends of the enemies
for that IL what they do when they holi
the stirrup for the Republicans tt
mount"