Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-08-25
The Congressional Situation.

The election which takes place in No
vember next will virtually be a trial OF
the Republican party before a jury
composed of the voters Of the entire
country. Congressman are to be elected
in every state, and the congressional
elections will be conducted upon ma
tional issues, or rather upon the com
mendation or condemnation of a Repub-
lican administration.
Into the campaign will enter three
principal items: The effects of a pro-
tective tariff, the conduct of the war,
and an effort will be made by the free
silverites to force the coinage question
to the front again. On the first propo-
sition the Democrats will endeavor to
show that under the Dingley tariff law
the people have been compelled to pay
more for the necessities of life, that the
benefits have been for the %monopolists
at the expense of the consumers, and
that as a revenue measure. the law has
been a failure. All the sophistries pos
sible of invention by the human mind
will be used to accomplish the objects
sought, and despite the wonderful
showing made by the manufacturers,
agriculture and business generally since
the enactment of the law, the free
traders will go upon the stump for the
express purpose of proving that white
is black, sometimes, and particularly
when protection is bringing prosperity
to the country. So far as a revenue
measure is concerned, the Democrats,
by a manipulation of the expenses of
the country while carrying on a war,
will endeavor to show that an enormous
deficit has resulted from the effects of
the law, but the voters are pretty well
informed upon the subject themselves,
and the effort will be anything but a
success.
On the money question there will be
a peculiar situation. In most of the
states where the Democrats have held
state conventions free silver has been
| Endorsed, it is true, but the enthusiasm
over free coinage has so far been very
mild. There is no question that the
silver sentiment outside of two or three
states, has very largely disappeared.
The success of the government in main
tanning its credit the past two years,
and at the same time maintaining the
parity of every kind of money used in
the country, regardless of the intrinsic
value of the metals, has satisfied the
great majority of the people that the
refusal of the United States to become
the dumping ground of the worlds out
put of silver two years ago was n of
the most sensible things ever done by
the nation. There is less disposition
now to make any change in the none
tary system than at any time previous
for a number of years.
So far as the Republican party's con
duct of the war is concerned, any effort
to cause dissatisfaction over that will
utterly fail. The Democrats have aided
in the prosecution of the struggle, have
laid aside politics, equally with the
Republicans, and while there may have
been differences of opinion regarding
details, the objects in view have been
the same to all political parties. There
will be an effort made to use the war as
a campaign issue in some sections of
the country, but the better element of
tho Democratic party will not lend its
influence in behalf OF such a move
ment.
From present Indications, the Demo-
Gratis can only hope to be successful in
electing congressman, outside of the
solidly Democratic states, in congress
sional districts where local issues may
overshadow national matters. Those
districts will be so few that if the pres
ent number of Democratic members in
the lower house of congress is kept in
tact, that party will consider itself for
tunate.