Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1899-07-12
The Issues Next Year.

guished in the last congress as the
leader of the democratic minority of
the committee on military affairs,
was last week interviewed by a re-
porter of the Richmond Times, and
in regard to the political issues of
next year he is reported as saying:
"In the first place." he said, Il
hope the people and the newspapers
will drop Mr.. W. j. Bryan's military
title and that he will be looked upon
and regarded as a citizen and not as
a soldier. 1t is not wise for his
friends to undertake to magnify his
army services.
"Now, as to the issues. You know
| was In 1896 sixteen to one free
silver man, and | am still of that way
of thinking. am not ready to drop
that issue. But there are other great
questions the people must deal with.
The extravaganza of the present adj
ministration is most appalling. 1t
seems to me that the time has come
when we should pause aud soberly
and thoughtfully consider whittier
we are drifting. This thing cannot
keep up at the pace the republican
administration has started. The
gait set, if kept up, will eventually
drain the last drop of the nations
life blood. This is great and
momentous question. 1t must and
it will be an issue the republicans
will have TO face.
Territorial expansion or imperi-
slism must necessarily be an issue.
Our country is passing through a
critical period of its history. The
administration has blundered badly.
We paid Spain $2O,OOO,0OO for the
privilege Of engaging in a war in the
Philippines. We cannot retire I'M
der fire, but must put down the re-
bellion first. After that, what?
The administration has no fixed pol
icy that it has expressed. The dem
ocrats should in their national con-
vention have the best men.
"Now as to trusts. am most
heartily in favor of passing all laws,
State or national, that will tend to
keep corporations within their legiti-
mate bounds. | favor an antitrust
plank In the platform. But, it is
we'll for us all to understand that
this is a question for the States to
deal with and not for Congress.
What can Congress do while States
can 90 on and continue to confer
corporate power upon trusts and COM
bines? l believe, however, that it
will have a healthful influence to
make this question a national issue,
for by so doing it will be made an is
sue in every State.
"In conclusion, | will say that the
democratic party has witnessed the
death of most of its rivals. / am
firmly of the opinion that democracy
will be triumphant next year. We
certainly have a splendid opportuni-
ty. If conservatism prevails and we
are bold enough to meet the living
issues and fight for them, victory
will be ours"
While admitting that he was not
ready to drop the Sixteen to one"
silver issue, yet Mr.. Hay says there
are "other great questions the people
must deal with" And he cites the
extravaganza of the republican ad-
ministration as something appalling,
and beyond the nations ability to
stand. We do not understand how
it is that members of Congress, with
such an enormous aggregate of mon
ey to vote every year for current ex-
penses, do not order rigid investiga-
tons for the purpose of discovering
where they can be curtailed. If the
mood should seize Congressman to
find out how many persons the pub
lie service could dispense with in
stead of inyenting a way to work
some friend into position, our gov
eminent would not prove to be the
costly thing it is. We have often
thought the pension expenditures a
more serious question than the l6 to
l silver issue. $15O,OO0,OOO a year
grows to the enormous sum of one
billion five hundred million in ten
years. Can people, after paying four
hundred million dollars additional
per year for other purposes, without
counting State and county taxes, sup
port such burthens of taxation and
be prosperous?
Mr.. Hay agrees with the views ex-
pressed several months ago by the
COURIER, when it said the States
were responsible for the trusts, be-
cause it was not the general govern
ment but the States that granted the
charters under which they operated
But if Congress can pass laws to
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