Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-07-22
". ]. Bryan Notices the Change and
Tries to Explain.
SIGNIFICANCE OF HIS LATE TRIP
California Republicans Undisturbed
by His Presence There.
POLITICS OF PROSPERITY
Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star.

Special Correspondence OF The Evening Star.
SAN FRANCISCO, Cal. July 10. 1897
The Pacific coast and the Rocky noun
tain region are already talking presidential
politics Of 1900. There is a reason for It,
Though no campaign OF Importance Is pend
ing in any Of these states, William j. Bry-
an has been whirling through them. max
ing rear-end speeches from moving trains
breaking the records of railroad travel,
and doing other wonderful things, just as
he was doing a year ago. After presiding
over the transmissssippi congress at Salt
Lake City, Mr.. Bryan is going to lose him.
self for a few weeks in the Yellowstone
Park. Then he will emerge to take part
in the campaign in Iowa, Ohio and Massa-
chusetts
i happened to follow in the wake of the
free silver leader from Utah coming to the
to see the demonstrations with which he
was greeted. His trip. beginning in Wy
oming. took him through Utah. Nevada, as
far south in California as Los Angeles, and
then away up north in Oregon and back
to Salt Lake. Whatever other opinions
Mr.. Bryan has lost none Of his qualities as
popular magnet. He still attracts the
multitude. Even allowing for a fair oe-
gree Of curiosity, it shows the position he
the exception Of President Mckinley.
would draw together SO many people.
While the enthusiasm did not reach the
white heat of the presidential campaign,
there was warmth and glow unusual in a
period when politics is dead. Here in San
Francisco 1t took several big meetings to
satisfy the demand. Mr.. Bryans drive
through the public streets. lifting his soft
telt nat every second. the crush of men and
boys around his carriage, and the mid
night serenade at his hotel, were all DEM
constructions intense enough to satisfy his
love OF popular applause. They were a
vivid reminder Of similar scenes a year
ago.
Not So Intense as Inst Year.
The journey from beginning to end was
perhaps a maid whirlwind compared with
Mr.. Bryan's cyclonic canvass of last year.
hut 1t had the same characteristics Mr.
Bryan's physical strength does not seem
what II once was. On several occasions he
delivered his speeches sitting. Yet he still
oLtlasts the physical endurance of the or
dlnarv man, and the wonder grows how
long his constitution will stand the strain
which he chooses to put upon it. As to
the reason for making a speaking trio of
the Kind Mr.. Bryan did, opinions seem to
differ. 1 have been told that the silver
cause, as represented by 10 to 1, was los
ing ground in its stronghold; that the old
political lines were being reformed apai, :.
tnat the personal appeals of the leader
were Leeded tc give life to a waning couse
ana that the restoration of prosperity was
coming SO rapidly 1t left no basis for keen
ing up :he free silver agit ation. On the
other hand, Mr.. Bryan's visit vas expIain-
ed as merely fulfilling a deferred promise
ne was unable to visit the Pacific coast in
as many of his friends believed lost CaN'
lorna and Oregon. Nevertheless thew
say, he took the first opportunity IN ,,isi,
ME ME Slope ana get acquainted with its peo-
All these causes probably combined 60
orlhg Mr. Bryan across the mountains He
seems to be keenly alive to the imnortance
3 els, fusion. In Nebraska he perfected a
Ius,on OF tne democrats silver republicans
ana populfsts. On the coast the share tba
SILVER republicans took in the recenttonS
was made prominent, and Mr.. Rryan had
many, many KIND words for them. In some of the
tnings ne said note of doubt whether the
elements which supported him last Yea
could be held together indefinitely was oh
served He everywhere declared that hi
,elaiilSm was the leading ISSUE that the
plmetallic mission of President McKinley's
ENJOYS In Europe would fan. and that The
united states would have to establish its
own financial system Independent of anv
otner nation on earth" The "teeter board,
used so freely in his speeches during the
presidential campaign were also resorted
TO with frequency. The substance of the
speech everywhere was of the cross of
Shlcago convention. Notwithstanding his
devotion to bimetallism Mr. BRYAN recog-
nized public interest in other questions
He went more fully into the discussion of
trusts and nionopolies than on previous &C.
casions.
Notices Good Times Returning.
While he was in California the most sig
nificant part of Mr.. Bryan's speeches was
the shortest one. 1t was wherein he recog-
nlzed condition nearer approaching good
times" than is to be found anywhere in the
east. On several occasions he felt impelled
to speak Of this and to attribute ii to local
causes He told the people who are enjoy
ing prosperity that they must not let il
cause them to forget their brethren in other
parts of the land who would continue to
suffer keen distress until vicious financial
system was remedied- In other ways he
sought to impress that their good times
were local and temporary.
Whether the good times are temporary
Is question which the future must settle.
That they are beginning to come in a big
section of the far western country is clear.
In Denver 1 saw fewer stores and houses
with Ito rent signs In the windows, and
more new buildings going up than can be
seen In any city Of the same population
east of the Mississippi Colorado suffered
fearfully when the coinage of silver bullion
was stopped. but her people, with genuine
American pluck and adaptability, turned
again to gold mining, and they are now
reaping the benefit. Though the boom
days are gone, a fair measure of activity
exists in all branches Of trade and indus
try. 1t is noticeable in the smaller towns,
as well as in Denver and the cities. This
activity should not be Interpreted as an
encouragement to anti-silver legislation.
1t is not possible to make anybody engaged
in mining In the western country believe
that a discrimination should be made by
the government in coming the yellow and
the white metals which they dig out Of the
earth. But with gold mining active and
profitable, there Is less disposition to seek
for further wealth by legislation for in
creasing the value of silver. In other
words. free silver politics is less aggressive
and the majority Of the people are better
contented.
Applies Also to San Francisco.
+ What is true OF Denver Is true in a
broader sense Of San Francisco. Here the
channels Of trade and commerce now
steadily and smoothly. II there has
been depression It has left few signs. The
contrast with eastern cities which are still
under the shadow Is remarkable. Flush
times disappeared long ago, but good times
abide with San Francisco. Measured by
other cities of the country, the present con-
ditions would be called a boom. The re-