The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-12-30
re Politics of 1900.

X23 &0kxtAcs "a
The year 1900 is likely to be a momenoous
one. In the history of the United STATES
There is to be held a Presidential election
and to all appearances the honest voter
u,;I he .placed In the most grievous po-
sitton that has ever AFFLICTED honest
citizenship. It now seems likely that both
of the great political parties will put up
candidates so bad that it is hard to
make a choice between them. and both
will be made stand for tendencies which
can only lead to the destruction OF the
Republic. these tendencies not being in
herent in the principles OF either party,
but being the evil graft upon good stock
which selfish and reckless politicians nave
made for their own purposes.
The Republican party will undoubtedly
nominate william Mckinley, who during
the present term has been so bad a Presi-
dent that the worst Of his predecessors
seems yirtuous beside him. It is likely
that his friends will plead that he has not
been personally as rotten as he might
have been. but there is a sort of negative
viliainy which, in public affairs, is fully
as dangerous as active crimInality, and
assuredIy the protector Of Gage and Alger.
the passive sponsor Of Philippine ns,av
ment ana Cuban appropriation has no
points to yield in tnrpitude 10 n poll
tician who has 50 far disgraced American
history, That the people Of the United
States should be invited to vote for this
man. and for the policy Of expansion or
imperialism" with its bloodshed and
tyranny, which he represents; to vote for
this man with the jobbery and robbery.
the class and clique favoritIsm, the mad
extravaganza, the encouragement of no.
tor;ous criminals for which he stands, is
one Of the most lamentable developments
Of all history. and 1t certainly tends, IL
no remedy be found, to the overthrow of
popular government In this land.
But, on the other hand, the Democratic
party presents almost equal dangers to
the voters. The man who seems destined
to secure the nomination for the Presi-
dency, is at once a monster Of reckless
ness and a curiosity of ignorance and
error. Seemingly incapable of logical or
connected thought. he has a fatal gift
Of inflated language which i~ntoxicates
himself and his unhappy following. I'm
der the influence Of his hysterical utter
ances, he n his faction have shown
themselves capable of vowing allegiance
to the widest schemes of anarchy, and
there can be no doubt that, If he were
elected President, the realization of many
of these projects would be attempted.
Directed by his hand, the government
would take on so much that is ruinous
and abandon so much that is essential
to any government at all. that it is.
doubtful whether. at the end of four
years, we would have ever the present
form of the Constitution preserved to MS.
More likely, we would have a loose and
chaotic condition out of which nothing
could be born but secession and disin-
tegration.
As between these two alternatives, the
sober voter may well aus long In anx-
.1oes hesitation. Whether to cast his vote
In the direction of further strengthening
q vicious scheme OF politics, tending to-
wards Capitalization and despotism, or
whether he shall give countenance to
q platform, confessedly destructive, Is
the problem for him to decide. Seldom
has. a nation been confronted with SO
bitter an Issue.
We have little doubt as to how the
voters win decide. Beyond all doubt they
VIII support the party which at least
processes respect to the forms Of the
Constitution. hoping that, before the next
election N around, the other party
viii have recovered It's sanity, and this
xeins Of government may be transferred
question takes the form Of preference for
the process Of destruction which is slow
ess and which offers a hope IN the neal
future.
In truth. one more crushing defeat VIII
probably be fatal to Organism, n thu
Democracy may be called in. in 1894. Z
turn the government back on the roa'
along which MeKinIeyism IL driving H.
Passaic Fnriaestion.
The ESSEX county members Of the Issgis
lat,,ra anpear 10 be ia earnest In their eft