The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1896-07-17
The Prospect.

What the Reformer has long predict
cd wopd be the queerest campaign in
the history of American politics is
now upon us, and no man ls wise
nough to predict the outcome. Ii
the election were to be held today,
no doubt Mckinley would be elected
by AN overwhelming majority. his
may be the result in November, but
1t is not by any means among the i'm
possibilities that the country may go
AS overwhelmingly the other way.
The response to the Chicago nomi-
nations is 40 exodus from the party
that is simply without parallel.
The Mugwump revolt against Blaine
in 1884 assumed but fraction of its
proportions. The business interests"
of the country, in the farthest west
and south MS we'll as in the older sec.
tions of the country, appear 10 he
practically unanimous against free
silver. The reason is easy 10 see.
There is no doubt that il free silver
prevails, the immediate effect will
he a financial CONFUSION of greater
or less magnitude. Even candid silver
men admit this, only claiming that
the after effects will be beneficent
enough to more than compensate. Our
own belief is that while there will be
a convulsion, II will not be so serious
as many even Of the best judges pre-
diet. But business men, after the
strain and suffering of the past three
years, have mortal drea d of any further |
disturbance and they cannot he made |
TO consider anything beyond it. |
4 large part of the Democratic bust
ness men for this reason are going
plump over to Mckinley. The re
mainder, which may be rot ghly esti-
mated at two third= of the whole. will
support boiling Democratic ticket
if one is put up, as in all probability
It Will be. What the effect of such a
ticket would be. whether it would hurt
Mckinney or Bryan most, is matter Of
much doubt. 1t would stop large
numbers of voters that otherwise
would go to both.
The question that can only be deter r..
mined at the polls is whether there
vail be enough detection of free silver
united with the Populists
o make up for the Democratic
evolt from Bryan and in states
nough to give a majority of the
electoral college. The Democratic
'olters are men of prominence and :.
re hear of their action. The boilers :
he other way are chiefly from the
masses of the common people, largely ;,
armers. and we can form no idea of
he extent of the movement anon G
hem. We know that it is large
nough so that it has swept many !,
'estern states that were once securely
republican into the free silver column. :,
he general idea is that it has made :,
ne great middle west Minnesota :.
Michigan, Indiana, Illinois.
owa and Missouri doubtful, and that :;
iere will be the battle ground of the =,
ampaign. All these states have -,
ig business centres and CORES .,
Dnding Democratic bolt. But Mr.. ~.
ryan's policy is not only to fight for a,
lem but to carry the war into n,
frica' by contesting every one of p,
e Eastern and Middle States, and rc
, predicted in his speech at Chicago its
st week that he would carry every ce
e of them. He proposes to take the tn
imp himself in the east, "a dan re
rous thing for candidate to do, l6
hose every word will be unsparingly 30
iticised, but he is as likely TO make tn
success of ii as any man living fri
nd il may as well be recognized tai
the beginning that the sound tn,
,ney' forces may have their hands tin
II to take care of the east There is thj
reason why the free silver argument DO
Duld not take with the eastern as well RIG
with the western farmer. His stuff be
bg. while not so sudden. is fully as lea
ere as the western mans, and il me
5 been of SO much longer continu inv
ce as to incliLe him to desperation. pre-
len the silver argument is presented tiol
him in its winning form, showing tho
n how The price of mis- farm ito,
all farm products have deprecated 81