The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-11-14
Bryan and Mckinley.

~ NE RESULT Of the recent cleo
~ tons that seem to be conceded
by everybody is that it insures
the denomination of both Mckinley and
Bryan for the presidential race of 1900.
Mckinley carried Ohio-in way. and
Bryan carried Nebraska by a majority
that leaves his victory open to no ques-
ton or criticism.
So far as Ohio is concerned, the first
disposition Of the eastern press seemed
to be to accept the republican claim OF
a glorious victory merely because
Nash had been elected But after the
first hurrah was over, the thought
dawned upon many that the carrying
OF plurality vote in gubernatorial
election gives no guaranty that the
same party can carry it in a presiden-
tial contest, when it Is altogether likely
that a clear majority will be required.
IT national issues had not entered
into the Ohio campaign, It might plaus-
IDLY be argued that there was little po-
litical significance in the division of the
vote-that the fight was made upon 10
cal questions or that mere personal
considerations influenced the voters.
| But it so happened that all three of
the candidates forced national issues
directly to the front, and while doing
| so the republicans coupled with their
arguments the most earnest and even
pathetic appeals on behalf of President
Mckinley in his home state And while
planting themselves upon the lofty
ground of patriotism, claiming to rep
resent the very highest politics AMI
| craftsmanship, denouncing their opro-
nents in the most opprobrious terms,
| these political patriots" were striving
| to raise money by methods upon which
the law lays its most positive interdict
! The result is that Mr. McKinley's
! clear majority over all in 1896 of more
! than forty-one thousand, has shrunk to
something like fifty thousand less than
| half the total vote cast. He must be
| dullard indeed who cannot see the vital
significance Of this change. Still, Nc
kinley nominally carried Ohio, and he
will doubtless be the next republican
candidate
But mark the difference in Nebraska.
There also the struggle took place on
national lines and both parties put forth
| their strongest efforts Mr.. Bryan was
| neither a candidate, nor was he the
president appealing to the pride of his
own state for support OF his policy. AS
usual the moneyed classes were opposed
to him and the state was full of repub-
| lican spell-binders, from Roosevelt
| down.
| Mr.. Bryan could merely throw his
own personality into the contest and
appeal to the people on behalf of the
great principles of Justice which he be-
lieved to be involved. There, as in
Ohio, every man who asserted the
American privilege of discussing the
presidents foreign policy was branded
as a traitor. and the result was that
Mr.. Bryan's candidate and party car
ried the state, not by a plurality that
left them in an immense minority of
the total vote, but by majority larger
in proportion than McKinley's was in
! Ohio in 1896, when the lavish use of
money and coercion without limit en-
abled him to carry the state by clear
majority of forty-one thousand.
The election in Nebraska shows the
strength of Mr.. Bryan's personality and
makes his denomination about as GER
| tain as any future event in politics can
be. What is more, the present swing
! of public sentiment is unquestionably
away from Mr., Mckinley. If it con-
tinues, as 1t is quite likely to, Mr.
| Bryan will not only be renominated but
elected.