New-York tribune., 1899-06-10
DIFFICULTIES FOR ALARHISTS.

Mr.. Bryan is we'll nigh past help as prophet
OF evil. or Secretary Cages enumeration in The
North American Review" Of consequences which
NAV lust conceivably arise from the imper-
fections of the present financial system might
be of some advantage to him. The same rea-
sonable confidence in American good sense
which made it impossible for the country to be
ruued even with the Cleveland Administration
preaching every day that It was ruined and do
ing n good deal to ruin it, and which also made
II impossible that Mr.. Bryan should keep up his
scare in 1896 for more than week after he
had begun ventating his notions here. has
prevented any Ill effects from the words used
by Secretary Gage. II he correctly estimated
the public Judgment and temper, he was fairly
excusable for using to illustrate his argument
phrases considerably stronger than could have
been used with safety If the country had been
dlsposed TO put a literal Interpretation upon
them. No one doubts his sincerity and ability,
but no one believes that he really looks for ap-
pang disasters.
The prosperity Of the country Is great solid
fact which portrayals Of possible disaster do not
affect in the slightest degree. 1t is fact based
upon experience more keenly remembered by
Americans and by greater number OF Amer
leans than any other within the recollection OF
this generation. They saw day by day Presi-
dent Cleveland preaching distrust Of the Ma
tjonal currency and Of the National finances.
and at the same time saw that disaster did
actually come. not as result Of his preaching,
but as result Of the warfare made by him and
his party against the industrial policy Of the
Nation. So when men found out what Mr..
BRYAN really proposed and what kind Of men
were with him the conviction spread quickly
over the country that practical Americans were
not going TO try that experiment or any expert
ment in place of the solid prosperity which the
election of Mckinley offered And to-day men
recognize the fact that ever so many conceiv-
able possibilities might arise at some time
within the next six months or six years which
would require vigorous and able efforts on the
mart of a Secretary Of the Treasury to avoid
trouble There Is a Secretary quite able TO avoid
trouble to-day, and the country intends to he
equally well furnished for some years to come.
Meanwhile he will not find his task very diff
icult one. so long as the revenue laws enacted
bv the party in power provide enough for the
current needs of government and give to the in
dustries Of the country a wholesome and steady
support.
II is worth while noticing that Mr.. Bryan and
the other alarmists will run against the same
inconvenIent but solid fact when they begin
preaching dreadful things about trusts and
monopolies. No doubt abuses exist, and plenty
of them and each Of them Is In some measure
a hindrance to the highest prosperity conceiv-
able But when man begins to preach against
evils which he alleges are so vast and so seri-
OILS that they should have immediate attention
from the people to the exclusion OF other sub
iects it is extremely annoying for him to be
confronted with the fact that, just as matters
stand and with ali his real or supposed evils In
full blast the country is actually more prosper
ous than it has been at any other time, and
seems in a fair way TO develop yet higher
measure Of prosperity in the near future.