New-York tribune., 1896-10-27
At THE SNAIL END OF THE HORN.


One week from to-day the election win take
place. A week remains for Popocratic talk ana
buster. but the campaign for free silver mas
ended. The ground has been shifted. ana a
campaign for Anarchy is under way The con-
certed attempt Of the POpOcrats In various
places TO break up sound-money meetings Is
confession of hOpcessness. No successful cause
ever needs to sti1e the voice OF It's opponents.
If Secretary Carlisle had rot been dangerous
adversary. whose arguments the Bryanltes
feared they would never have thrown eggs at
him. If Chairman Jones had really believed
that the workingmen were secretly with him
while paradng for Mckinley 10 fool their en-
ployers, he would have kept still and taken nd
vantage Of surprise upon the enemy but rs
he knew there was nothing In the story. ana
that there were no intimidated wOrkmen to be
hurt by his revealing their pretended Secre! ne
made a great Outcry 10 stir up. If possible. wage
earners who know that they are not n'imidnted
themselves, but who naturally sympathZe with
their fellows who may be.
The POpocratic campaign has been an evolu-
tion. and every succeeding stage has made IL
less influential Rolled up in the Chicago pat
form were a host Of evil doctrines. which were
brought forth one AT n time. The plan was 10
appeal to every variety OF discomfort ana when
1t was evident that enough of the discontented
had not yet been rallied some new appeal TO
some lower passion was made. At first II was
free silver. to give the business interests larger
currency and restore silver to its old value.
Then 1t was necessary to appeal to wider con
stituency than could be made to believe such
nonsense. and the farmer was told just the OPP
pOsite story. that free silver was wanted to give
a cheaper dollar. one that would not be equal TO
the gold dollar. more OF which he could get for
his wheat when 1t was exported and with which
he might pay his debts at 30 cents on the dollar.
Still more votes were needed and the argument
was turned again and presented to wage
earners But 1t was hard work to persuade
them to vote to lessen the value Of the dollars
they received in wages while for the provisions
which they had to buy the same old value would
he asked SO there was nothing left for Mr..
Bryan to do but tell the masses they We're
oppressed and ought To rise against the classes.
and when they did not rise. the last step natu-
rally was an attempt to make disorder and in
Chicago a threat to have a riot just before eec
ton in the hope that a fire once kindlcd would
spread. Those who were quite contened under
the wrongs which they We're told they suffered
~ y
saw others fighting This last scheme, too, has
failed and now there Is nothing left but the i'm
potent fury Of the witches around the caldrOn
c,lrSing the failure of their spells.
One result Of these successive appeals TO diff
ferent interests has been to ALLEVIATE the better
class OF those impressed by previous arguments.
and failure 10 recognize this fact accounts in
a measure for the exaggerated estimates Of Pop
ocratic strength made by the Bryan managers.
Not anywhere near all the believers in mod
crate or even extreme silver doctrines are going
to vote for Bryan. Perhaps they might have
month after the nomination. but the new issues
have driven them Off. The same Is true OF many
farmers who are deluded as TO the benefits OF
an expanded currency" They might like more
dollars but they do not want more bombs.
Wage-earners may not like manufacturer but
they would much rather earn his money than
tie up or burn down his factory. Every in
cendlary appeal which possibly gained a hun
drpd votes for Bryan alienafed thousand voters
who started ont in sympathy with previous
propositions. That Is the fate Of a campaign OF
demagogy. 1t must ever go lower and lower TO
win new favor. and AT every step lose those who
were only prepared for doing a little evil. Ap
peals to avarIce, envy. hate. came in n descend
Ing series There was nothing but violence left
After that nothingncss. There is no hole at the
end Of that horn.