The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-10-14
Why BRYAN WILL BE BEATEN.
Estimate of the Situation by n For
mer Cleveland Organ.
Springfield Rennnlican-

Notwithstanding the amazing victories
for the Republicans in Vermont and Maine
sas to make material gains, there are. nat
Crally, many people who regard the result
OF the November election with deep con
Germ and fear. While oV~erconfidence is to
be deplored, to be panic-stricken is folly.
-Four. years ago We confidently expected the
election of Mr.. Cleveland, and to-day We
are, If not SO confident, then nearly SO,
that Mr.. Bryan will be beaten. Now, why?
Consider, first, the obstacles that the
succeed. Since the early municipal cleo
tons OF 1893 down to the Maine election
last week the people in all parts of this
country, save IN some portions of the
South, whenever they have gone to the
polls, have shown an overwhelming aver
sion to Democracy i'll every form or guise.
The Republican victories of 1894 were phe-
n~oInenal, and again they were in 1926. and
were a dabbler in physics you would say
that those constant victories showed a very
powerful uniform ~rectilinear motion. which
We will simply call momentum. The mo-
mentum acquired by the Republican party
during the past four years is tremendous.
it has not shown diminishing energy. For
Bryan to win it must be wholly overcome
within the brief space of four or five
months.
TIL attempt to destroy that momentum
and to set the political forces of the coun-
try in motion in the opposite direction has
been attempted and is now being pursued
with an audacity and q desperation unpar-
alleled. But 1t is bound. in our opinion. to
fail, for the reason that the age of miracles
is past. Let us analyZe the case more
closely. The Republican party has not been
iE. power. bit in opposition, during the past
four years, and therefore, under the natu-
raj o r OF thingS, it would bear no meas
ing that period. Had the parties gone
again before the country on the tariff issue
this campaign would have been a very
tame affair, and Republican success would
have been a foregone conclusion. in view
of the hard times and the disasters which
have come upon the Cleveland admiristra-
ti6n A. the r 4 tho nBllncjfinn- fhe
Republicans, under the conditions prevail
ing, would have surely swept triumphantly
into power But what happened as the re-
suit of the st. Louis and Chicago conven-
tons? An extraordinary thing. The Re-
pubiicans ssumed the position of the ad-
ministration so far as it's financial policy
was concerned, and to that extent lost tie
character of the opposition. while the DEM
Ccratic party. by repudiating its own Pres
ident's financial policy, endeavored to as
sumo the attitude of an opposition that had
been wholly irresponsible for the financial
government of the Nation. Thus the Dem>
ocratic party tried to swap places with the
Republican, and to throw upon that party
itself. In q measure this remarkable coup
succeeded. bit dill it succeed enough?
ference OF party responsibiiity as is neces-
sary to elect Bryan seem too formidable to
be overcome. He would inevitably be
elected, as Mr.. Cleveland was four years
ago. had the Republicans actually been in
power. but the simple fact that they AVE
not been cannot be forgotten or ignored,
especially by Republican voters themselves.
Such voters. east of the Missouri river. if
by their belief in projections; at least. their
convictions as to the tariff must operate
powerfully to keep them in line. If they
have leanings toward the silver doctrine
those l~eanings must be stronger than their
protection leanings: and where does Mr..
whose support he will be Overwhelmingly
defeated? He expects to find them in States
that, in 1894 or 1895, went Republican by
Illinois. Iowa and Indiana
1t should be admitted freely that the hope
of Republican conversions in the middle
West is much better based than it could
have been in New England. if for no other
reason than that while in Maine and Yer
mont the silver propaganda was but three
weeks old. in those States of the Missis-
sippi valley it IS at least three years 9ld. 1t
will make inroads on the old Republican
vote Of that important region: yet Is it pos
overcome not only the protection sent
ment and everything we describe broadly
immediate past, but also this detection of
gold Democrats from the ranks of his own
party? This revolt is truly formidable If
it succeeds in doing no more than to de-
feet three votes from Bryan in every town
in Illinois, since the Democratic candidate.
in view of the other obstacles he must
overcome, needs every single vote he can
obtain. Ten thousand Democratic votes for
Palmer and Buckner in Illinois alone would
make a terrible handicap for Bryan. Nor
do we omit to consider the Populist vote
which will, doubtless, be cast solidly for
Tie ASH CdIl4idGlC- 4II[lIdiilS tiItLl dAid
Republican OBJECTIONS. the odds still to be
overcome by the Democracy seem insur-
mountable. If we offset Republican 6efec-
lions by Democratic OBJECTIONS, as we have
a perfect right to do. it will require more
than the PopuliSt vote to carry Illinois for
Bryan. In 1894 In q State election, while tie
Populists cast about GO, 1000 votes the Re
publicans led the Democrats by 1885 600
votes.
In view. therefore, of the political his
tory of the country to date since 1892; of
the enormous difficulties in the way of
turning in its course a party momentum
which has attained the rush OF a mountain
torrent, and of the Democratic detection in
pivotal States, it now seems to be a ques-
ton only of how Mr.. Bryan will finish. If
he should win, it would be a victory un-
precedented and unparalleled in the whole
history of popular government, and would
conclusively demonstrate the fact that the
forces agitating the American people are
powerful beyond the conception of the or
binary mind.
1t is true, indeed. that our recent politics
since 1883 is a record of rapid and amazing
somersaults in public opinion, and that rec
ord may justify the belief Of some observ-
ers that another Somersault more amazing
than all previous ones is soon to be wit
messed. The American people are an amaZ-
ing people and NAV be capable of it; yet
we can see but slight reason for anticipat-
ing il. BY the time election day arrives the
majority will have decided that If we must
experiment Mt all during the next four
years, Mckinley is the safer man to ex-
pertinent with and the gold standard the
safer to experiment upon.
w
100000 for Buncombe Id. Gauze.