The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-10-31
Hav8th6I88U08ChanQ0d?

Mr.. Mckinley to the presidency.
Amid all the political scenes of the
past year, including the Inauguration OF
the new State and national admin.stra-
tons: the excitement of session OF the
General Assembly of the State, marked
by 4 close contest over the election or
United States Senator, in which the dis
sensions among Populists, and the bitter
and apparently irreconcilable antago-
nisms between Republicans and Popu-
lists were manifested; the passage OF the
new D:ngley tariff law and the repeal
of the Wilson law; the agitation for
lower freight and passenger rallroad
rates and telegraph and telephone rates.
the susr ension Of the Railroad Commls,
sioners. and the investigation of the 80
wears lease of the North Carolina rail-
nod: toe Their with the numerous changes
in State and Federal offices, and other
changes suggested and contemplated,
there stands out one significant political
fact, that the same political issues are
before the jury of the American people
today a. in the great political contest of
1896.
The case is the same: The People of
the United States VS.. Monopoly.
Whatever new issues may arise within
the next twelve months, the old issues
remain.
This thought is not new, but is sug-
eested afresh by the interesting and inn
portant admission Of Secretary of the
Interior Bliss, of President McKinley's
cabinet, IN his letter to General Tracy,
the Republican, or Plat, candidate for
Mayor of Greater New York, as tele-
,graphed by the Associated Press.
Mr.. Biss says: "The contest Of 1896
has been renewed all over the country"
The have not been wanting certain
individuals in the Republican party, and
other advocates of the gold standard, to
suggest and cherish the vain hope, that
the political issues of 1896 were dead.
and that Mr.. Bryan and the principles
OF the Chicago platform were beyond the
hope of resurrection. The enemies or
Mr.. Bryan have not been slow to sug'
gest that his popularity IS on the wane,
and to ridicule and decry his continued
efforts for the cause of bimetallism and
Of the people. They have declared that
the Issues have changed.
But that they have utterly failed in
their attempts to eradicate from the
minds and the hearts of the people the
man and the cause he represents; and as
disproof of the claim that the issues have
changed. we find all over the country
the same loyalty to Mr.. Bryan and the
Chicago platform manifested in every
local election, and now in the great con-
test in New York, we find prominent
Republican admitting that the issues are
unchanged.
We have seen the Republican party
endeavor by means of monetary COM
mission to secure an international agree
ment Tor bimetallism, the same stringen-
cy Of money, the same low prices Of cot
ton, and Democratic conventions declar-
ing for the principles enunciated at
Chicago.
We have seen a mayor elected in In
dianapolis. the home and center Of the
gold standard so called National Dem
ocratic Party" movement, who stands
sQuarely npon the despised Chicago
platform. We have seen good men and
able men everywhere deploring the ten
dency of the Federal judiciary to gov
ern by injunction. We have seen the
same steady opposition to the growth of
trusts, monopoly and corporate power,
and we have heard the Virginia Democ-
racy, led by that great statesman, Sem
ator John w. Daniel, declaring in no
uncertain language:
we re7aftirm the platform Of the
Democratic national convention adopted
at Chicago in July, 1896, upon which
William J. Bryan was nominated for
the presidency of the United States, and
we extend our congratulations to our
noble champion upon the able and bril-
liant manner in which he discharged the
trusts reposed in him.
'The fact that he received more votes
than any Democratic candidate for the
presidency, and more than any candi-
date of any party, saving alone his sue
cessful opponent, is evidence that DEM
ocratic principles are still dear to the
vast mass of the American people, and
that Democracy is living IN the hope of
an early and complete triumph.
"We especially endorse the doctrines
of the national Democratic party upon
the four great issues, which are before
the people of this country, viz: The
tariff. the income tax, the regulating of
trusts r~a the currency"
Do these declarations of the Virginia
Democracy and the general trend of po-
Etical events indicate change of is
sues?
No. the great masses, as well as the
leader : the Democratic party, occupy
DO0ay the SaE1F DOSlIlO0S upon tHe lOui
great issues outlined in the Virginia
platform that they occupied in July and
November, 1896.
In speech made by the writer at
Raleigh in January last in nominating
Mr.. Bryan it was said. 81 am patriotic
enough to hope that the promised Nc
Kinley wave of prosperity will come to
the West and South, but if it does MOI
come, or if it continues to come in the
shape of failures and closing banks all
over the land, venture to make you
this prophecy, and | believe it will be
verified by history. The same forces and
Influences which. in 1896, dominated it's
platform. and nominated its candidate.
and united in one solid and unbroken
phahnx the voters Of three parties in OPP
position to the gold standard, in the next
national election Will again unite this
vast army Of American voters upon the
same platform and the same issues.
As Or. York wittily said at the meet
fuf. Of tha electoral college, "On our side