The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-03-21

despaired practically of preventing the
silver issue being paramount next year;
realizing it IS to have probably first
Mace III tn platform, the most recently
| announced purpose of the anti-Bryan
Democrats is discredited to defeat the
denomination of Bryan and to accom-
piShing the naming of a compromise
candidate whom Democrats generally
can be brought to support, or, failing in
that to force the silver element in the.
| convention to such Il revolutionary step
as will justify the anti-silver and anti
/ Bryan Democrats in Withdrawing from
the candidate and platforms their sup
port, and assuming the attitude they
took in 1906
| Here is the confession that the first
plan-to declare for Imperialism and eX-
pansion and thus be rid Of Bryan-has
utterly failed The other plan to dodge
| the money question will fail as signally.
| he millions of men who followed Bryan
| in 1896 believed when the campaign
| opened that the Chicago platform was
right They grew stronger in that faith
as the days passed by, and their faith
was confirmed when they saw all the
trusts and those who enjoyed special
privilege pouring out their money ike
water to defeat it. They became more
than satisfied when they saw the cor
rupt methods employed to defeat Bryan.
But they rejoiced that in the teeth of i
campaign of bribery and intimidation a
large majority of the white voters of the
country stood superior to bulldoTing ami
purchase.
The events that have followed the in
auguraton of Mckinley have renewed
their faith in the essential principles OF
Democracy as declared first at Month
cello, enforced at the Hermitage and ra
asserted at Chicago. For months after
Mckinley was inaugurated the country
was in the throes of panic, banks
breaking and business suspending until
the bottom seemed to have dropped out.
There has come no change for the better
by reason of any policy or measure Of
the Mckinley administration. There
have been two things that have made
business conditions better than they were
after Mckinley had been at the helm
nearly year. The first was the failure
of the wheat crop throughout almost all
the world except in the United States.
The famine abroad brought about such
a demand for American wheat as made
the farmers realize good price for it. the
first time in years. The other thing
that changed the tide to better times
was the war with Spain. 1t made places
where an hundred thousand idle men
could get employment, for every man who
gave up Il good job to enlist in the army
made an opening for an unemployed man
at home. Besides it gave plenty of work
along almost every line of industry, for
the army must have ammunition and the
men must be clothed and fed. This nee
essity put five hundred million dollars i'll
circulation, and loosened the money mar
ket. Following the war with Spain. as
follows all wars, has come period of
booms and speculative enterprises that
in magnitude of their capital and water
ed stock have almost taken away the
breath of the conservative and successful
business man. Trusts are all tie rage
Capitalized at many timeS the value Of
the plants embraced, they have fairly
dazzled the world. II they can throt-
tie competition and defy the law. they
may for years pay dividends by
robbing the producer and consumer, or
both But this is not substantial prosper
ity. 1t is robbing Peter to pay Paul, 1t
cannot prosper long without such extor
later tell in further increasing the gap
between the multi-millionaire and his
vassaI The war and the high price of
wheat has brought prosperity TO many
lines of industry not effected by trusts
and this is healthy prosperity that viii
abide as in all periods of our history eX-
cept such panics as befell MS in 1873 aud
1S94-1S97.
The very men who to-day are silent
when they see the small manufacturers
being swallowed UP will soon rise up
when they with their neghbors are
crushed by the juggernaut of monopoly,
which is fostered and protected by this
st-rdden and money dominated adj
ministration.
The evils that have befallen us under
Mckinley's rule has converted many
who were blind in 1896 to the necessity
of the bold policy inaugurated at Chicac
go. If the next Democratic Convention
should but echo the meaningless plati-
tudes which the worshippers of Cleve-
land desire, these millions would lose
hope in the. struggle against the oppres-
sion of the Almighty Dollar So long
as money is placed above manhood, just
so long will the rank and file of Democ-
racy demand that the party of equal
rights TO all shall denounce the rule of
the dollar and the banks as did Jefferson
/ in his day and Jackson in his time. If