The times., 1898-12-17
The Issue in 1900.

The Issue in 1900.
Mr.. Bryan and other gentlemen more
or less politically Interested In the fu-
ture Of the country tell us that the none
tary issue will dominate the next as it
did the latest Presidential campaign We
are not prepared to deny the approximate
accuracy of their forecast. 1t is proba-
Bile that bimetallism will be a burning
question until settled by a definite retu n
to the money of the Constitution.
We think, however, that the country is
much nearer to that revolution than even
such extreme silver men as Mr.. Bryan
for instance, might imagine. The world
moves and the conditions of public ques-
tions change now and again. Since The
notable struggle of 1896 a great many
things have happened. 1t is interesting
to observe that they have all happened
In the direction of freer trade and an ex-
pansion of the currency. For that very
reason 1t is that men like Senator Hoar,
who are radical in their protectionism,
struggle and kick against the mantle st
destiny of the American nation. They do
not indulge any illusions. They. know
that the era of expansion upon wh,ca the
country has entered means the inevita-
Bile destruction of the Chinese tariff wall
and vastly increased necessity for 81 yer
coinage.
The Hoars and Hales may be provincial
and unpatriotic. They may be wi ling TO
subordinate national to foreign interests.
but they are rather apt to know wa,
they think and mean, and, unha- ply,
they are too intelligent not TO thoroughly
understand the trend of events.
Mr. Hoar, for example. completely an
preciates the fact that the spread of his
countrys dominion over the islands of
the Pacific means free trade, and he does
not like the prospect, because he sees in
its possibilities diminution of New Eng
lands protected influence in the country.
Mr.. Hale can see in the addition of about
twelve millions of new population fu-
ture market for many tons of silver. OF
course neither he nor his monometailic
Wall Street friends like that. Both Hale
and Hoar are logical in their views We
have no desire to carp at them. Wha;
worries US is that Democrats should be
found who, knowing that the present ex-
panson policy of the Administration will
produce exactly the political results the
party has been fighting for for a century.
should turn loose and antaeonize the
whole scheme for no conceivable reason
unless ii be that they are determined to
MAINTAIN a minority position
They know or, at least, ought to. that
the great majority of Americans believe
in the policy of expansion. and that most
ly they advocate it because 1t involves con-
sequences exactly in line with Democratic
assume to pose as Democratic leaders
who are senseless enough TO fight against
the very thing that would, if successfully
carried out. justify the course of their or
ganization and ultimately convince the
masses who handle the ballots that expan-
sive Democracy is the cult to adhere to.
For our part, we do not in the least OBJ
ject because Mr.. Mckinley has found HIM
self obliged TO plow with our heifer.
The ground he is cultivating is good
American ground. and the crop will be
good Democratic results. Unwillingly. but
none the less truly. the Administration is
working day and night in the interests of
free trade and bimetallism. Does any
Democrat desire anything better?