Omaha daily bee., 1899-10-19
PROSPERITY AND POLITICS.
The Former IL Question of Paramount
Importance.
San Francisco Call.

San Francisco Call.
President Mckinley has shown all OF that
noitical tact and sound common sense loF
which he is noted in making the prosperity
of the nation and the people the chlet tnene
of his addresses to the various audiences
that greet him on his tour through the
Mississippi valley. Prosperity is indeed the
issue of paramount interest in the politics
of the year, for after all is said and done
the question which the voters will ask them
selves in Ohio and Iowa and Nebraska when
they 60 to the polls will be whether they
shall vote for the party OF prosperity or the
party of calamity q.
The attempt of Bryan and his followers TO
revive popular interest in the silver question
has failed, and in not single state where
campaigns are going on does it hold prom
inent place in the discussions of the people
or the press. An effort to make vital issue
on the trust problem has also failed, and
Imperialism remains an affair of individuals
rather than of parties. In such condition
Of politics the only recourse of the demo-
cratic orators is to denounce the admins.
tration generally and ask for its condemna-
tion upon its record as whole and not upon
any particular feature of its policy.
So far, then, as the state campaigns affect
national questions at all the issue is that
Of supporting the administration or opposing
1t. That fact gives pertinence to the presi-
dents references to the abundant prosperity
which prevails under the operation of repub-
lican legislation. A protective tariff has re-
stored our industries, which were stricken
down by the democratic tariff adopted dur
ing the Cleveland administration, and the
maintenance of sound finance has given con
fidence to business of all kinds. From years
of panic and depression we have passed to
years OF activity in all lines Of effort and
every section of the country, and every class
of the people have been benefited
In his speeches the president has put the
issue fairly before the people. At Vincennes
he said: "We have been blessed with good
crops and fair prices. Wages and employ
ment have waited upon labor and, differing
from what 1t was few years ago, labor is
not waiting on the outside for wages. Our
financial condition was never better than
| now, We have good money and plenty OF II
circulating as our medium OF exchange
| Banks may fail, fluctuation in prices come
and CO. but the money of the country re-
mains always good, and when you have q
dollar of It you know that dollar is worth
100 cents, because back OF IL is the govern
ment of the United States"
At Danyille Ill, he treated the issue In
another way and illustrated the degree O,
our prosperity by pointing out how easil,
the people carry an amount of taxatloI
which TO any other people would be an op,
prtssive burden. I'VE are" he said 'col
ecting just now 81, 900, 900 for every workin,
day OF the month on our internal revenue
! taxes and you don't seem to be very mucl
oppressed here on that account. We ar,
collecting about s6500O0 every working da,
OF every month from the tariff that we pu
on foreign products that come into tn,
United States from other countries and tina
does not seem to give you any serious trouble
| here"
Against the party to whose legislation thI
prosperity is due, and against the admins
tratlon under which It has been attained
there is arrayed the party OF free trade
fiat money, class antagonisms and genera
discomfort. With such choice before then
the intelligent voters OF the states wher
elections are to be held will hardly hesitate
There may be local issues, or faction fights
or personal prejudices or old party tie
which will incline men 10 vote the demo
cratic ticket in those states this fall bu
upon national questions there is nothin
on which democracy can rightly expect tn
suffrage OF a single intelligent patriot.