The Portland daily press., 1897-08-03
KANSAS AND NEBRAsK a.

Curiously enough, the hardest blow
against Bryaa and Organism has been
struck in Bryan's own State. Nebraska.
and the neighboring State of Kansas,
both of which he carried in the Presiden-
tial election. And curiously enough, too,
the blow has been struck in the shape of
an absolute demonstration that pros
perity preached more assiduously
and free silver are not linked to-
gether, but that the former can exist in
large measure, while the latter has not
the ghost of a chance of realization. No
where was the dogma that free silver was
absolutely essential to the return of pros
perity than In these two States, and no.
where did 1t win more converts. Yet it
is agreed on all sides that prosperity has
come to both of these States in SO large
measure that Populist wailing cannot
obscure it from view. Indeed SO apparent
is it and so impossible to explain away
or account for without infiicting fatal
stab upon all the Populistic theories that
took the people captive last year that a
good many of the more sensible Populists
see that the free silver and prosperity
dogma must be abandoned, and some
other platform place beneath Bryan If
he is not to sink out of sight entirely. All
over Nebraska money is to be had in great
er quantities and at lower rates of inter
est than for years, factories that have long
been closed are opening, speculators are
buying large herds of cattle and sheep to
carry through the winter, farmers are en-
larging their fields by purchases, and i'm
proving the lands previously acquired,
and in the cities skilled labor is begin
ming tocommand a premium. A condition
almost as bright prevails in Kansas. OF
course the excellent crop prospects have
contributed much TO the revival, but the
restoration of confidence, which has come
largely from the defeat of the Populistic
scheme to debauch the currency has al
SO done much. But whatever the causes,
not a single one of the theories of Bryan
figures in them. The dollar has not been
cheapened, yet the farmers of both these
States are finding good demand for
their crops at remuneratiye prices. The
farmers debts have not been scaled down
to the deprecated silver standard, yet the
farmers are rapidly paying them and re-
joicing in the prospect of a good surplus.
Everything which Bryan predicted would
come with free and unlimited coinage
of silver, and which he declared could
not come without it, is here without free
coinage and with less prospect of it than
ever before. Everyone of Bryan's pet
theories has been demonstrated to be
false, and in communities too where the
tide of public opinion was running in
their favor. They have been demon
strated to be false in spite of desire on
the part of the majority of the people
that they should be demonstrated to be
true.
Such prosperity as Kansas and Ne
braska are now enjoying needs only to
spread over the Union to put the free sill.
yer agitation in the list with the green
back agitation as one of the ephemeral
crazes which periodically sweep over the
country and are soon forgotten, and to
consign Bryan to complete and utter OBJ
scurity. For the propagation of Bryan
ism hard times and general business
depression are essential. 1t cannot thrive
without it, Prosperity is as fetal to 1t
as sunshine to the pestilent microbe.