The Cook County herald., 1896-07-18

GRAND MARAIs MINN.JULY is. 1896. s.
the Silver -Tonguee Silver Candidate.
THERE'S little doubt that the nominal
.tion of Mr.. Bryan for president, says
ithe Minneapolis Times, was the Wis
est choice that the Chicago convention
could have made from the. standpointsof 81
the free silver interest. He is not only
q staunch and consistent free silver man
snow, but he has been during his short
political careerone Of it's most eloquent
sand effective advocates. In 1894 he was
srenominated for congress by tho demo-
scrats and indorsed by the populists. His
tpopulist tendencies have always been
strong; that is, he has always been IN
sympathy with the econ omic and social
views advocated by that party. His pub
rlic record is without spot or blemish.
Even those who differ with him most
widely upon the financial and other ques-
lions recognize and freely concede not
only his unusual oratorical gifts, but
also his intellectual ability and integrity.
Some objections to him will undoubtedly
be suggested on account Of his age. He
as the youngest man ever nominated for
the presidency, being 36 years old, and
the constitutional limit for b presidential
nominee being 35. &. .:.5#.5:
But the wisdom Of Mr.. Bryan's nomina-
alton consists in thefact that he will un-
doubtedly be acceptable to the populist
wing OF the free silver crowd. This
should, and in all probability will, insure
shis Endorsement by the popul1st conven-
,tioD and a. solid and enthusiastic union
of all the silver forces: in the country.
This is situation which the republican
goldocrat party may: we'll "view with
alarm They have been sneering at the
ssilVer movement and treating it as q
mere temporary craze, and of late kaye
comforted themselves with the assurance
sthat it was already H'sdying out.n Now
they are rudely aroused to the fact that
'instead OF a subsiding freshet it is a
great, turbulent, swelling food that
threatens to sweep away the old order
of things and bring in the new.
{ At present it is useless for any man to
deny that the probabilities favor the
,election:of free silver president. It is
true there are men who refuse, and hon
estly enough, to believe in the possibility
i<of free silver triumph this year, but
they are mostly men with whom the wish
4 fs father to the thought, and who do not
keep themselves in touch with the cur
Tent popular thought and purpose. The
time has evidently come for the final set
element Of this disturbing silver. ques-
Fion. We haye had SO many compro-
snises and keshifts that our present
system Of currency is q crude patch
work, satisfactory to all parties and
discreditable to the country. Even the
most obstinate and extreme advocate Of
the gold standard must admit that it
would be better to have free and unlim-
ited silver coinage than to be forever
threatened with it. If the country has
decided upon making the experiment of
free silver. at the present ratio, the sooner
1T is undertaken the sooner we shall
know the worst or the best. If the ma
jority of the people do not intend to try
that policy, then let u.s. know that fact
as speedily as possible. Nothing could
possibly be worse for the country than
this perpetual agitation, uncertainty and
distrust. It is something to rejoice over
rather than to regret, or grow angry
oyer, that for once the issue is squarely
presented to the country, and the people
have the opportunity at last to make de-
liberate choice between the gold standard
and free silver policies. " d.
! The country may congratulate itself
that in the election of Mr.. Bryan W We
shall have for president one Of the most
brilliant and at the same time one Of the
most shonest and courageous men in the
land There is not a particle Of doubt Of
this. He believes thoroughly in himself
nndsin his cause. By this we mean that
Mr. Bryan believes in the integrity Of
his his own thought and the correctness Of
b his own conclusions. In this conviction
he will abide until he has found good
reason for change, and then he will not
lack the courage to put himself right.
This is very fare kind of man. There
are many men who will refuse to con-
cede the qualities Of honesty and sin
cerity to the advocates Of free silver; but,
for the most part, they are mon whose
training and environment and interests
have made it very difficult for them to
fairly consider and Judge between their
own view of this question and that Of
those who do not agree with them. They
undoubtedly believe with perfect honesty
that the oyerturning Of the system Of
4 which thout o. =