The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1897-12-24
THEIR PARTICULAR OBJECT

THEIR PARTICULAR OBJECT
The Democrats of the house in eau
Gus few days since are reported TO
.have decided to oppose any attempt
at currency reform. There is nothing
at all strange in this move. lt Is
characteristic of Democracy, as 1T mas
opposed every move forward that has
been made since the war ana mas
caught on to all the wild ideas or n
nance that have ever been promul-
gated There is one surprising feature
in the report, however, and that Is
the statement that most of the gold
D, mucrats will join in this opposition.
We say it is surprising, and so IL Is,
and Yet not strange, for the leading
gold Democratic papers have been
ptr>Istently giving the silVerites all
thu comfort they could by declaring,
ever ,lnce the election of '96, that the
r publcans have had no intention or
evau attempting to reform the cur
reucy. They have as persistently de-
clined to entertain any proposition
thai cid not have for It's basis the full
and complete reform of our currency
ard banking laws, entirely ignoring
TIL TACT that as the senate is now
constituted such a move is lmpos-
sine They have scoffed at any sug-
pr>ti0n that would be but a step
t,ward the reform desired, and which
by united action might be secured,
aur so it is not strange that they are
reported to have joined in opposing
any attempt al currency reform this
winter. But when the matter comes
III il the house, we hope. this report
will prove unfounded.
ST. far as the Silverites are concern
ed their move is Just what might be
exp cLed. They are at all times ready
to oppose anything that will lead to
stability in financial matters. 1t is
their evident purpose to keep affairs
in IS much of turmoil as possible,
10, ing thereby to gain some partisan
advantage Hence their persistent
claim that times have not in the least
improved. Their object in this is
easily to be OWNED. They hope in
this way to make some substantial
ga1us in the congressional elections
rext year, by which they can poin t
as moving a change in the sentiment
of the people, and so claim their cause
Is growing. 1t would be exceedingly
strange if the Republicans should be
fortunate enough to maintain their
D., sent large majority in the next
house. There are other matters that
will enter into the congressional cleo
TORS next year, besides the financial
question. and in some of the close dis
trlc's they, will doubtless prove de-
term ming factor, and cause a loss to
thesRepublicans On the other hand,
on ii straight, square financial issue,
the Republicans will doubtless capture
som of the close districts that went
PopOcratic last year.
The present house has an unusually
large number of Republicans from
the south. 1t will be strange indeed,
if the party succeeds in retain ng all
Of them in the next house. Condi
tions are peculiar there, and conse-
auently it is hard to predict the out
crme. But in the north, though there
may be some changes made in the
political representation of some dis
trictS from one party to the other,
the REPUBLICANS ought to more than
hold their own and so rob the silver
ties Of any material comfort they
hope to obtain 10 the gain of few
districts.
The prosperity that was predicted by
the maintaining of the gold standard
aud the return to the Republican
policy of protection, is everywhere
becoming more and nore manifest,
an no one should be blinded by
the siiver-Populist-Dem cry. that
times have not improved and
that matters are as bad as they were
year ago. That aggregation can
only thrive and succeed by stirring
10 and keeping alive general discon-
tent, and that is the object they have
in view, in the hope that they may
gain partisan advantages in the cleo
tiuns Of 1898.