Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1896-09-03
POLITICAL ARMIES SURVEYED.
silver Men Know What They Want, Their
Opponents Hesemble a Rabble.

the advocates Of bimctalliSm contains
something definite. The Democratic
platform, with the platforms of the
other parties which favor placing silver
on Il level with gold, tells plainly what
it means, There is not Il school child in
the land but can understand what Mr..
Bryan and his party propose to do if
they are given the power. There is no
evasion OF any description. Their plans
and intentions are given to the public
without ifs or 'buts, and the candi-
date docs not have to apologize for any
plank upon which he stands.
This giyes the voter Il chance to know
what he is voting for in this campaign.
He can learn to what extent Bryan and
Il free silver congress would go, what
means they would take to accomplish
their reforms and what results they
positively believe would follow. If the
programme suits the voter he may Join
with the followers of Bryan, and he at
once becomes one of them. Those in
the ranks with him and those whom he
follows believe as he believes. This
makes the free silver people a solid, com
pact body. composed of men who, for
the present. have one object in view and
are working tremendously, unitedly and
confidently for its success.
Opposed to Bryan and his followers is
u body of men who, while they do not
exactly constitute disorganized rabblc.
have all the elements of such among
them, and if it were not that each fac
ton feels that it can control Mckinley,
or that his election will advance its par
Ocular hobby, they would split at once
into a dozen clashing parts. They hold
together now because each element can
find something in his platform or his
speeches to give them hope. We will
mention few of those to Illustrate why
Bryau's opponents, as party, may be
ihened to Il rabble.
Behind Mckinley are those who wish
The United States to give silver its
proper position as money. They
believe implicitly in all that Bryan pro-
poses to do and feel confident in their
| ltNul - tAiNL 10 N'Nllh w VI lIlNNllIildblN
benefit to Americans, as nation aud as
individuals. Party pride and personal
| interests, however deter them from
/ doing their duty now. They believe the
Republican party, in four or eight years,
OF possibly next year if Mckinley should
be elected, will do precisely what Bryan
| intends to do. and the credit of saving
the country will then be given to the
Republicans. Party prejudice is too
strong with these voters, and they would
rather suffer existing evils than aid any
bHt their own leaders to remedy them.
Next we see the international bimctaI-
lists. the dreamers of the country.
| They lack faith in Americas ability to
carry out Il financial policy Of its own.
| They predict dire disaster to the nation
if we revert to the money laws that
| existed here before 1873, but, through
some mental juggling, they see pros
pcrity ahead if the countries of Europe
agree to let the United States have free
coinage Of silver. These citizens are
the "conscryatiye' men. and say we
must not act alone. They refuse to
/ believe that England will not consent to
change system which has made her
great at our expense, Notwithstanding
/ lhat nineteen years have been spent in
| pleading for this international agree
mnnt. Counterparts of these craven
! hearted creatures existed in the colonies
| during the revolution, and begged mercy
/ from the English government rather
than take up arms and fight for liberty.
They follow Mckinley because they
think he can coax England to give
| Americans permission to use silver as
money.
The third element, and undoubtedly
the most aggressive that is working for
McNinlcy's success. is that which com
priscs the out-and-out gold monomrtal-
lists. They have no use whatever for
silver as money. They believe in dis
crcdjtug it at every opportunity, and
are no way backward in stating Ia,
Editor Singeriy did the day after Me
Kiulcy's letter Of acceptance was given
0uU that free silver and information
III bimetallism are both radically wrong
Ofrom his point Of vicw) The former
they say, would disturb business anC
place us on a level with Mexico and
China it would drive gold out of the
country. would dcpreciate values anC
perform the impossible feat Of making
53-ccnt dollars out Of coins which woulC
contain 100 cents worth of silver. They
brush the talk of an international agree
mont aside as a sop thrown out to pacify
the unsophisticated. In this faction
will be found nearly all the bankers
brokers, stock ganblers and their safe
litcs throughout the country. They are
aggressive because their personal inter
csts may not receive so much considcra
tiOn from the government under a new
monetary system, and to them theiI
personal interests are above all thing
on earth and must be maintained re
4ardiess of the cost or hardship whicl