The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1899-01-07
AFTER THE DEFEAT.
A Doleful Sound Arises from tho
Tomb of the Cheap Money
Moses.

Ere the ballots are counted in one
election the country begins to take
thought of the issues and Arguments
of the next to come. That Of 1899 offers
too little of national scope and impor-
lance to attract general public spccula-
ton, but TO 1900 the public eye already
turns. Conjecture is rife concerning the
extent of effect the victories and de-
feats of November s, 1898, are to have
upon parties and issues in 1900. The
variance of opinion is regulated in ra-
ito to party divergence.
1t is the opinion of the Philadelphia
Times. the Louisville Courier-Journal
| and other democratic papers of the old
school--too honest to follow their party
off into the misty maze of fiatism, repu-
diation and anarchy, as set down in the
Chicago platform; too deeply grounded
in heritage of party loyalty to cut loose
from clinging hope of future recon-
Citation and a harmonious homing-
that the verdict of the people marks
the passing of Organism and the cure
| of the sixteen to one free silver folly.
In the result of the election just held
| they see the realization of their hope
| for restoration of the democratic
party Of history under the leadership
of the sound money element.
The corpse of this conclusion William
Jennings Bryan. rises from the bier
o'erspread by sound money ballots TO
haunt this hope with the post-mortem
avowal that
1.-THE Chicago platform presents for pub
lie consideration certain vital economic
| questions That platform has not been
abandoned by those who Endorsed it in 1896
| 1t will be reaffirmed in 1900, because ii
| gives expression to the hopes and aspra-
tons of large majority Of the party"
In confederation that this declaration
| of fealty to lost cause is but the nat
ural cry of inevitability may be offered
as competent testimony this deduction
of that expert in political diagnosis, the
New York Sun:
1.-THE effect OF last weeks elections has
been. briefly. to tighten party lines with
| even greater firmness than was the case
| two years ago. The national democrats,
so called, have been eliminated entirely.
They now vote the republican ticket or
they vote the democratic ticket.
"Unquestionably the present economic
conditions, as well as the political relation
of the two parties toward each other, the
prestige of republican victory and the
| decentralization of the opposing forces,
make almost hopeless for the democracy
the renewal of the battle of two years
ago: but, be the outlook propitious or dis
| couraging, the lesson of the late election
| is unquestionably clear: The democratic
party is committed irrevocably to the is
sues of 1885,
1t is not to be understood that the
Sun doubts the regularity of the dea tn
return on the late lamented leader of
populistic democracy. The theory
seems rather TO be that in his demise
he drags the mutilated remnants of the
general wreck of his entire political
amalgamation into the grave with him.
And, "hark from the tomb this dole
full sound" attributed to the troubled
democratic shade of one Col, Bill Brown,
i who also ran in the recent disastrous
handicap:
why should not the election Of Novem-
Der 8. touching so close on to victory, lift
us to a higher plane of action? Why
should there not be rededication and a
RECONSIDERATION, in order that the early
promises of 1898 may be realized In 1900?
Let the democracy forget the mistakes OF
the past, excepting in so far as they may
serve as danger signals in the future, and
, victory will again spread as halo around
its name"
From all of which there is deducible
but one conclusion beyond controver-
sy: Whatever else the democratic par
ty may or may not do, II will win no vic
tory in 1900, Having that assurance
the country can go about its business
with tranquil spirit and clear con-
science.-Cincinn natl Commercial Ga.
zette.