Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1899-04-13

al Banks and observation-disclosures
Gratis VIII Fight the Trusts-TaIl
About Candidates.
Especial Washington Letter.l
1t is an old saying that s.none are 81
blind az those who will not see, bu
those who are blind enough to beliey,
that the silver issue is dead ought to q
straightway to skillful ocnlist ane
have an operation performed on theil
optics. The recent meeting of William
j. Bryan, Ex-Governor William j
Stone, the venerable John H. Reagan
of Texas and other silver leaders al
Hot Springs. the recent Democratic
banquet at Topeka, the resignation oi
"Coin' Harvey from the ehairmanshiI
OF the ways and means committee Of
the Democratic party and the appoint
ment of the Hon Sam B. Cook of Mis-
souri, to fill that position, Mr. Bryan,
caustic declination TO Perry Belmont
refusing TO attend the famous SO q
plate dinner, the enthusiasm with which
that letter has been received by tht
masses of the Democratic party anc
many other signs of the times, all indi
cate that the silver men are girding NJ
their loins to make the greatest fight il
the history of American politics. They
know that they are right, and, being in
control Of the machinery Of the Demo
cratic party, they propose to nse it fol
all that it is worth to enforce theil
views. This might as we'll be taken fol
granted once and for all
Hanna Getting Ready.
The recent confabs at Thomasville
Ga, and at Jekyl island indicat,
that Mark Hanna is even thus early
drawing the lines and forming bis plan,
for what viii undoubtedly be the grea-
fight OF his life. l am not in Mark
confidence, but nevertheless | suppose
that by this time the trusts have beer
informed by Mark as to how mucf
money he viii require for the first heat
which will end with the close of til,
national Republican nominating con
vention. In due time no doubt they
will be duly notified of hcw much they
will be expected to pony up for tht
decisive heat, which viii end when tht
polls close on the day of the Novembel
election in 1906 This time there vii
be no deceptive ely as ~ securing bi
metallism by international conference
That trick worked all right cnce, hui
it can't be played on the American peo
pie twice in succession. 1t is a square
knockdown issue between the goli
standard and bimetallism.
In the campaign of 1900 any mar
who. goes around talking about post
poDing American action on the money
question until we can secure it through
an international conference will be un-
tremendously and incontinently fired
from the hustings. In this coming gi
gantic contest man must be either
one thing or the other. He must be .
goldhug undisguised or genuine bi,
metallist, and he must choose once fol-
all under which flag he will fight Thai
the Democrats will also line mp against
expansion in Asiatic waters is, / think,
one of the certainties Of the future
just what the Republicans will dc
on that question noman can tell, for il
the Fifty fifth congress they could moi
be hullied, coaxed on in any way in
duced or provoked to indicate policy,
for the all sufficient reason that they
didn't have any to indicate. Only q
very few members, such as Colonel
Marsh of Illinois, had even courage
enough to declare what they were indi.
vidually in favor Of and even of that
few hardly two of them agreed. so that
it is no unjust statement of their pre-
dicament to say that they are absolute
ly at sea ON the whole question; but,
whatever their position may be, the
present indications are that the finan-
cial issue will be the overshadowing
question of the campaign. If Mr.. Hugh
II. Hanna and his gang can have theil
way, they will force Mark Hanna and
his gang to declare unqualifiedly in fa-
yor of retiring the greenbacks and turn
ing the whole business of issuing paper
money over to the national bankers.
There is no question that the Democrat:
will declare against that policy. II
that issue, conjcined with the silver
issue, the Democrats will beat the Re
publicans hands down, World without
end.
Concerning Greenbachs.
1t is hardly probable, however, thai
the Hugh Hanna gang can compel the
Mark Hanna gang TO take square posi-
tion in favor of retiring the greenbacks,
for it will be remembered that Marx
and his gang We're exceedingly tender
footed in 1896 about making any decla-
ration whatever that meant anything
whatever ON the money question II
was not until Senator Henry Cabot
Lodge and others of the Hon. Thomas B.
Reed IS trusted lieutenants made Mark
sweat drops of blood and rub his bald
pate till it glistened at the st. Louis
convention that they could be driven
into an equivoeal declaration in favor
of gold Indeed the famous and artistic
straddle which Mark rigged up in the
Ohio state convention that year made
him and his the jeer and scoH Of reso-
lutte and honest men everywhere. The
poet Campbell says:
Go, watch the wheels of natures mazy plan
And ladge the future from the past OF man.
This has been universally taken and
accepted as fair rule for pronouncing
upon human conduct. Applying this
rule to Mark, lie is not going to make
any declaration on Rreen5acks whatever
if he can help himself He has a SUI
preme contempt for the opinions of the
American people and would pay no al
tention to them whatever il he could
deprive them Of the right of suffrage,
but fortunately. that is beyond his
power They have way of talzire the
bit in their mouths sometimes and do
ing as they please. OF this fact Marcus
is fully aware He is aware % one furs
ther fact. aud that il that when thor-
oughly aroused and fnlly informed they
cannot be controlled by boodle He
knows none better that the cam
paign Of 1896 was more Of an educa-
tional performance in It's nature than
any other campaign that ever took place
in American politics. When be thinks
% ali these things. the proposition 10
declare squarels IN favor of retiring the
grcenbacks must. III the very nature Of
things, make the grease ooze ont of his
obesity