New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-05-29
"THE ISSIE."

Talking about IAN issue every morning does
nos make it predominant In the minds or men.
Getting various persons to assert every ua!
with dogmatc certainty that ii is tine ISSUE
and there cannot be any other, does not ahect
the facts in the least degree. The exercise Oh II
little common-sense might save some people
lot Of selfrespect. for really the men VINO close
~ initiate Mr.. Platt In asserting daily what the!
know to be untrue cannot look themselves IN
the face with much pride After ALL an issue
means a definite choice In the minds or people,
which controls their action. and what the peo-
pie do In fact care about and vote about, per-
haps they can tell better than any political theo-
rists 1t Is an amusing circumstance that "lhe
New-YOrk Times sent with praiseworthy en-
terprise TO people in each Of the States 10 ma
out and tell what "the issue" was there and IN
their minds, and practically all reported that
people were thinking and acting and going 10
vote about the tariff question, but the next day
the same paper calmly repeated its familiar as
sertion that the money question was and must
be 1.-The issue"
Assuredly II cannot require any violent strain
Of the intellect 10 perceive that the people VINO
want a change of some kind. and fight Tor IL ana
vote for il, are those who make IL an issue, ana
NOT the people who care nothing about the pro-
poscd change and are content TO leave things as
they are. Unquestonably there are certain sill
yer men who want to secure free silver coinage
but they are not numerous enough to control In
all States having as many as third OF the elec-
toral votes. The rest of the people. having no
desire whatever for change on that subject. are
| deyoting attention TO matters Of more practical
consequence. What this large majority OF the
people wants about the money question is moth
ing Satisfied with the currency we have, thor
Oughly convinced that the influence OF the min
ingcamp and the softmcncy demagogucs is
rapidly waning, this large majority of the peo-
pie does not find ii more necessary to make an
issue about money than to make an issue about
the multiplication table
This Is melancholy and most disappointing TO
| Democratic Free Traders, who made the tariff
q cont oing issue by their warfare against Pro-
| lection but who now want to run away from
the issue they made and avoid the results OF
their own acts 1t is disappointing also TO GER
tain persons who imagined that they could
manufacture q President by manufacturing an
! issue TO suit themselves but found that the peo-
pie were of q different mind. The fact stands,
nevertheless that large majority OF the people
distinctly desire and are at work for a restora-
ton of Protective duties. while strong minor
ity Is to the extent of its power resisting that
change, so that more than threequartcrs OF the
voters are in actual fact divided about the tariff
question, and striving to get it settled this year,
and caring more about 1t than anything else.
What do the people want who are trying to
get up a fictitious excitement about the money
question? Nothing whatever That Is precisely
the object they desire; they want nothing done,
nothing changed, are satisfied with the gold
standard which exists, contented that existing
laws give sufficient power to maintain gold re-
demption, and perfectly aware that In any
House Of Representatives not Democratic there
will not be the slightest chance Of passing any
measure changing the monetary standard or
opening the minis to the coinage Of silver.
! knowing that nothing will be DONE wanting
nothing done, these people go up and down In
q fine frenzy TO have everybody declare that
nothing shall be done. And this they consider
making IAN issue" When the Free Trader
wants next to run away from the consequences
of his own acts he might as prOftably insist
that everybody shall solemnly resolve that the
laws of gravitation shall not be repealed.