The San Francisco call., 1896-07-01
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
OUR POLITICAL PROBLEMS.
SOLUTIONS PROPOSED BY LEcKY AND THE RE-
PUBLICAN PARTY.

SOLUTIONS PROPOSED BY LECKY AND THE RE-
PUBLICAN PARTY.
To the Editor of the San Francisco Cdll-SIR:
Mr.. John McNsught is fairly entitled TO the
thanks of all thoughtful readers of THE CALL
numbered as / believe by tens of thousands
for his contribution in Sundays issue on
Lecky's Democracy and LIBERTY" history
OF our own time. Mr.. Lecky has no living
superior in historical work except John Clarke
Ridpath. Both are masters, but Ridpath
moves with his age and interprets it with his
face to the future, while Lecky-with equal
ability and attainments, with as good a con-
science and es fair mind, noting and placing
all recordable facts which engage alike the
alert attention of acknowledgements the age
out of sympathy with it and regrets the trend
and spirit of it.
Mr.. Mcknight gives us a brief but search
ing and full-grasping judicial review OF this
mportant book. and while many were at
church this morning seeking inspiration for
better and higher life. as was my own assidu-
GUS custom until recent years, sat reading
the review Of this timely book and meditating
on the problems which IL states with so much
ability, and for which, as the reviewer tells us,
he finds partial solution at least ''in a
limited form of the referendum even for
society at large in order to save society from
the representatives OF its lower clements"
according to our reviewer, who regards such q
the Hamiltoninn theory OF "a strong govern
ment' OF moDarchical type, and not the gov
ernment of pure democracy, as held by Jeffer-
son, and SO ably and zealously defended by
Rtdpath. Indeed, Mr.. Lecky pronounces
Hamilton "the greatest political thinker
America has produced and claims that
"he never concealed his preferences for mon
archical institutions" and "believed that
democratic government would end in des-
potism," a view which many think is shared
by President Cleveland since his conceded
alliance with the preda tory gold barons,
known as the money power, who are at pres
ent in control of the Government, and who to
resain that control now dominate the great
newspapers, the telegraphic news apencies
the commercial bodies, the churches, the re-
ligious press, the farmers journals, the maga-
zines, the universities and colleges.
While meditating on these things and try
ing to realize what is certain TO befall cur
country unless great change comes soon my
mind reverted TO powerful plea made by
Benjamin q. Wright, five columns long, in the
San Francisco Bulletin of Saturday, June 20,
IN behalf of the policy set forth in the Repub-
lican platform recently adopted at ST. Louis
for the management OF our Government and
the promotion of the general welfare. Mr.
Wright merits the compliment pay him in
saying that he has made the ablest plea have
seen in favor OF the gold standard of values
and l will add that my copy of il is covered
with blue pencil marks for convenient refer
ence. Perhaps may claim that l am a some
what competent judge of his plea, since / am
q close reader OF a score OF daily newspapers,
besides weeklies and magazines, most of which
advocate the views so forcibly presented by
Mr.. Wright; but the one declaration to which
my mind reverted with much solcitude will
be found at the close OF his paper. ''the con-
clusion of the whole matter" which is stated
in these plain terms:
"The triumph OF the Republican party next
November will inaugurate new era of the
most prolonged and the highest type of pros
perity which this country has ever witnessed.
The triumph of sound money will unlock
European vaults of the idle gold now there to
the general revival Of industries throughout
the United States. Foreign capitalists will
g 1-In
ton with anxious hope.
"If the result Of the election proclaims that