The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-04-05
THE NEWS FROM KANSAS.


THE NEWS FROM KANSAS.
Mr.. Sidney G. Cooke, a ~well-known
lawyer and Democrat OF Herrington,
Kas.. tells the Washington Post that
the people OF his state are in a flourish
ing condition. that where a few years ago
il was impossible to borrow a dollar on
agricultural lands. capitalists are now
glad TO loan on such securities at 8 per
cent.
As for politics. he says that the only
| noticeable feature is the decadence Of
Popuiism OF the rabid sort. that with this
decline there has come a great change
in the public mind on the subject of
finance: that free silver has not half the
advocates in Kansas that it had in 1896.
and that he does not believe that n free
silver Presidential candidate can carry
that state I'm the year 1900.
Yet the free silver leaders arc still
declaring that recent events have yindl-
Gated their contentious OF 1896. and that
there are more free silver advocates in
the land to-day than there were during
AA" N0ihi'ANHs AhtF Sft HO u Nif'HH''
In such statements as this from Mr..
Cooke. Of Kansas. They see no sisniii-
canoe in the fact that Ecuador. a silver
producing country. has. by clamor Of the
people, adopted the gold standard. They
see no significance In the increase in one
day OF wages in the New England cotton
mills. affecting 10000 employees. They are
pledged TO free silver and have committed
themselves 50 far as that they cannot
recant.
The Louisville Evening Post. which
supported The Chicago ticket in 1876. says
that the meaning of Mr.. Bryan's recent
utterance IS that he does not want men on
account Of party regularity. and says that
he warns all men who do not agree with
his Views that he does not want them
in his party. He sees all over the coun-
Try It goes on. "a disposition among
Democrats to forget the past and 10 re-
unite. but he %denounces this as sheer
hypocrisy. and SAYS in effect that it is 4
dishonest masquerade assumed deliber-
ately TO make more powerful their be-
trayal on election day"
But how can Mr.. Bryan do otherwise?
In 1896 he proclaimed free silver TO be a
holy cause. and that all persons who
were not heartily in favor of free silver
were i'm sympathy and in league with
the money devil, whose purpose was to
build up a plutocracy I'm this country
and to grind the poor man to the earth.
H.. 800. ~. d.. III. -
with the money devil? As well. in his
opinion, talk Of a compromise on the part
Of the church with the powers of dark
ness. Take him at his word and no man
is a true Democrat unless he believes
with all his heart and soul in free COIN
age. 1t is the one article of faith which,
with Mr.. Bryan, is the test. and he re-
CARDS with suspicion every man who,
disbeiieving in that doctrine, afiiliates
with the party for regularity sake.
We do not mean TO eXaggerate. we do
not mean to overstate a truth, for apart
from every other consideration we do not
believe that any argument is strengthen
ed by such a course. But we tax Mr..
Bryan at his word. We have been re-
Gently reading his speeches delivered in
1896. and there is absolutely no other fair
and logical conclusion than that which
we have drawn. TO confess that free sill
yer is not an all-essential, TO confess that
there can be any virtue in the gold stand
ard, to confess that the poor people Of
this country can prosper under the rule
Of the money devil is TO confess himself
q false prophet and TO tear away the
very foundation of the theory upon which
De has builded up himself and his party.
TO talk to Mr.. Bryan of compromise is
TO faunt a red flag in his face, for like
all extremists and fanatics he holds that
there is no middle ground between himself
and his opponents upon which they may
meet in compromise. In his opinion. the
Decorate party cannot afford TO win at
the sacrifice of free silver.