The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-10-21
FOR ENGLISH ENLIGHTENMENT.
British Writers Discourse Owlishly
ON American Politics.

New York Post.
The process of explaining it to the Eng
lish has been extremely arduous "a this
campaign. Ignorance for ignorance. Amer
lean innocence in egard to English poll
ties is doubtless able to hold its own with
anything that foreigners can produce, put
we do think that Americans are not quite
SO solemn as Englishmea, or quite SO cred
ulous, in seeking or accepting light in their
darkness. The rubbishy and misinformed
letters on the situation which the London
Times has published can be accounted for
Jesuit maintained that any opinion of a
Father must be valuable, the Times was
convinced that any writer signing him.
self An American" must be wise, accu-
rate and bursting with confidential infor-
nation. The Spectator has as usual led all
the other owls in sage thinking over Amer
lean politics. AT the beginning it saw i'll
Organism a new crusade, touched with
supernal light and discovered the pro-
foundest religious sentiment in the West
ern farmers who We're going to spend their
last cent in order to avoid paying their
debts. About Bryan himself it knew little,
but was sure from a study of his jaw and
shoulders that he was just the man to do
A~pocalyptic things. Later on it seemed to
discover that the crusade was petering out,
as it were, but still thought that Bryan
would be elected If he could carry New
York and Pennsylvania 1T admitted, in
all the American dispatches represented
New York as absolutely certain to go for
Mckinley. but that was before the New
York Democracy had Endorsed Bryan,
which, of course. changed the situation
entirely. The Vermont and Maine elections
meant nothing, for in November the
PEELED" to vote for General Palmer. and so
Bryan and Mckinley would be left face to
face which was an awful thing to con-
template.
All this has helped to relieve the tedium
OF the campaign, but Mr.. Francis H. Har-
dy, who whites in the October Fortnight
ii, easily surpasses all competing humor-
lists who have taken American politics for
their theme. He is one Of those dangerous
men who have inside information con-
cealed about their persons. A year ago he
had in New York a confidential talk with
of the Republic" Speaking as an old
friend, Mr.. Hardy asked this Democratic
unseen force how things were looking for
miles mil; of Mo money none. within Tbia was hundred ennlsd
to set a man like Mr.. Hardy to thinking.
To his surprise he found that the splendid
piece of electoral machinery owned by the
any force How could it be otherwise
when the "old and trained men" had nei-
Their money nor offices? They themselves
confessed that they would surrender at
either money or Offices could have them
Tor the asking. There was the opportunity
for the Silver Clique" This is "a sporting
$4,000 to win S250.0O0. So it stepped in and
bought the Democratic machine. But here
the plot thickens. The Silver Clique do not
er is international binaetaliism. They
fright, and threaten free silver in 1900 if
an International agreement was not forth
coming in 1897 or 1898. But, unluckily. they
made a mistake in tactics" got together
"a most unruly crowd at Chicago. and SUI
fered a defeat In Bryan's nomination from
which 1t will take them years to recover"
If Englishmen, after this patient explana-
ton, do not understand our presidential
campaign, we give them up.