The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-01-06
FINANCIAL REFORM.

- ONFLICTING statements come from Wash
I ington concerning the sentiment of party lead
ers as to a currency session of Congress.
One statement is that the politicians regard the
financial issue as longer necessary to Republican
success They feel that the party has been so
strengthened by the Spanish war and the questions
which issue from it that it can rely on these tor sue
cess far into the future as was helped through tive
Presidential campaigns by the issues made in the
Civil War. This being true, they say that to take
up financial reform now with view to making simple
ctr complex legislation and Strengthening that which
is crooked would in effect be making a issue
that may displace those so highly priced as coming
from the war.
OF course this is simply the politicians view of it
That class OF necessity treat issues as the means OF
carrying elections and redeem promises or not as 1t
may affect future campaigns They are opportunists
who weigh the votes to be by keeping faith
against those be had by breaking it, and parties in
their hands and leadership lack that continuity OF
policy through which principles established and
the public good becomes permanent.
it is with some modesty that suggest that the
war issues had less do with Republican success in
the year than these politicians think In New
York the nomination OF Colonel Roosevelt brought
the thrill and enthusiasm of the into the cam
paign He had been picturesque figure in battle,
galIantry of Templar. Yet his majority but little
exceeded 1900, and his party lost heavily in the
House and barely gained the power to get Murphy S
seat in the Senate
As the political battle field stretched westward the
issue changed and the party majority increased When
it reached the Pacific Coast this was very marked.
In California the Fusionist and Republican platforms
both Endorsed the and favored colonial expansion,
so there was no issue here on those points The
division between the parties the financial pol
icy OF the Government. The Republican position
attracted the alliance of the sound money Democrats
as in 1896, and they by official proclamation OF
their State committee entered the campaign in sup
port of Republican candidates for Congress and for
the Legislature, as we'll as for the State ticket
In 1896 California cast 2o6,5 500 votes for six cand-
dates for the Presidency, of which Mckinley received
I46I7o leaving him in minority of 3I63, though his
plurality over Bryan 1887.
1t is clear then that to whatever issues moved the
minds OF voters here the transfer OF this Re-
publican minority OF 3I63 into majority of nearly
2oooo The vote cast for Palmer for President in
1896 in 1893 joined the body of sound money Demo-
cratic votes and went for the Republican ticket. Also
thousands of sound money Democrats who supported
Bryan the ground of party regularity recognized
that bond no longer and joined their brethren who
rejected it in 1906 These causes, rooted in the fnan
cial issue alone, transformed Republican minority
into Republican majority in California
What happened here occurred in Nebraska, in Ore
gon and in the Middle West.
We are convinced that politicians make mistake
when they advise the deserton OF the financial issue
entirely, defer fulfllment OF the party pledge to
1904 The only course for great party is to keep its
promise the people give it the power. The
Republican minority in the present Senate made the
party DOWeress to redeem its sound money pledge of
1896. The people, aware OF this, have removed the
barrier. They have made possible good working
Republican majority in the Senate and have saved
the party by margin in the House. They ex-
pect pledges to be redeemed If they disappointed
the labors of 1896 nothing those required
in 1000 to win the Presidency.
The country is not to be diverted from this issue
The people will not consider pledges new issues
in discharge of accrued obligations. II the Republi-
party confess its inability settle the financial
issue to pass laws to bring that question the angle
OF repose, it will disappoint the strong conservative
sentiment of the country and will suffer for it.