The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-11-10
BAY State Voters Were Fright
ened Into Opposition to BRYAN
THEY OPPOSED JEFFERSON
And Voted For AKRON Burr
Against the Great Commoner.
= glMsTALLtc CONGRESS
And Hard Road Ahead For the Sngle
Standard Advocates--What VIII
Mckinley Do About it,

or to fairness in its treatment OF bFyah
than either the Herald or the Trans
cript. is of opinion that ''the country
rose as one man" against the candidate
on the Chicago platform. So fas as this
mart of the country is concerned, Is would
be nearer the fact to say it rose as one
mouse. for more frightened people as
to the possible result OF Bryan's election
/ have never seen in any of the Presi-
Dental contests that remember. Proba-
biz our Calyinistic and federalist grand
fathers were more alarmed when Jeffer-
son was running in 1S00,-and they SIAN
dered aud voted against him. They could
not defeat him.-but they did their best
by voting steadily for that pink OF poiltl-
cal wisdom and social morality. Aaron
Burr. until wiser and calmer men further
South allowed Jefferson to be chosen
hv the House. Four years later, Mass
achusetts voted for Jefferson's re-elec-
ton. and John Quincy Adams was his
supporter in the Senate. The future
nrohably holds in it a victory OF the
same sort for the defeated Bryan, IT
he lives. The election Of Mckinley set
ties nothing except the breaking up OF
the old parties; the currency question
may be settled by international blmetal-
ism before 1a00-for Bryan's campaign
has brought that desirable event i've
Years nearer than it seemed before his
nomination. Bnt. in the interval, the
gold standard minority, who are now re-
ioicing. will find themselves in the condl-
ton foreshadowed by Scripture: lie
granted their prayer, but sent leanness
into their bones.'
1t does not require the gift of prophecy
to see that President Mckinley viii be,
what Cleveland and Harrison We're elect
ed to bean international bi-metalllst.
He has the reputation of being honest;
and his real opinions have always been
bi-metallic So far as the currency ques-
ton entered fairly into the campaign, 1t
was merely whether the United States
should decree bi-metallism by itself tBry-
ans injudicious SYSTEM, or by agree
ment with more or less of the European
powers. On the naked gold issue, the
sentiment Of the country is not unfairly
represented by the vote for Palmer the
only candidate whose friends dared to
put him on a gold platform There are
more gold standard men in the country
than voted for Palmer; but there is moth
ing to show that they threw 1.-THE Of
the whole vote. Their influence, such as
it is, comes form the wealth of those
who favor gold alone, and the newspa-
pers and lawyers controlled by the influ-
ences which flow from great wealth.
Against these influences, which have
elected him, Mckinley, If honest, as |
believe, and independent, as his intimate
friends believe, must declare himself
choosing his own time and way-but un-
mistakably. Indeed, the gold reserve,
bolstered up for so many months by New
York bankers, will compel him to a
course unlike Cleveland's in the matter.
He has declared against the further issue
of bonds, and the country is with him on
that question by tremendous majority.
But when he takes that position as Presi-
dent, he splits his party In all the great
cities that have given him their vote.
The later returns for President do not
bear out the brag of the gold standard
men, since Bryan is getting many more
electoral votes than the first guesses af-
ter election gave him. Still more will
the gold men be disappointed If they are
depending ON a Congress in agreement
with their minority views. The tables
of Congressman first published have had
much revision already, and will have
more as complete returns come in; and
if Mr.. Reed has changed his mind again,
and wants gold bonds issued to keep up
the reserve, as he did not last winter, he
must get the present Congress to vote
them-for the new one will not do it.
The bi-metallists will have a clear ma
jority, both in the House and Senate, as
things now look; so that the new Presi-
den can make his declaration for remone-
tizing silver with fair prospect OF sup
port by both branches. The chance OF
passing anything like the old Mckinley
tariff through the new Senate is not good,
and it is doubtful if even the House
would pass it; our revenue is likely to be
raised beyond the deficit point by some
more reasonable measure. An extra ses-
sion skill doubtless be called; it looks as
If our relations with Cuba and Spain will
compel it, if there were not this fearful
currency problem to wrestle with. What
Mr.. Cleveland viii say and do in the situa-
ton which he has brought his runaway
party into we shall soon know; s,ut the
word from Washington, that his friends
are expecting to take command Of the
party ship again, after doing their best
to scuttle her, does not speak loudly for
their good sense. The A state-legs Of the
right-about-face Democracy are in a
worse condition than those of DIR. Ian
kester's centipede:
The Centipede was happy, quite,
Until the Toad, in fun.
Said, "Pray which legs move after
which,
This raised her doubts to such pitch
She fell exhausted in the ditch
Not knowing how to run.
Mr.. Cleveland is a much better Presi-
dent than John Tyler, but his admin
istration will 90 out with almost as few
frineds as Tyler or J. Q. Adams left be
hind them.
In this political upset of parties, as il
the upset 40 years ago, when Buchanan
defeated Fremont, the stars in their
courses viii fight against the old parties
and the old dilapidated issues. Bryan
stands to-day where Fremont could MOI
stand in 1857, because Il. had no politica
quality,-at the head of great an(