Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1899-01-13
presidential Election Of Next Year

1t is now customary to refer to the
presidential election of next year, but
while the sound is that of nearness the
time to elapse before the country is
plunged into the center of a presidential
election is almost two years. Already
the political parties are lining up for
the struggle and sparring for first posi-
ton.
SO far as the Republican party is
concerned, there will be no change in
its attitude on the leading questions be-
fore the people; protection, sound
money and the careful and just gov
eminent of the new possessions will be
advocated, while the interests of the
country at large will occupy the first
place in the councils of the leaders and
among the rank and file. Going before
the people on a platform of the kind
which will be constructed from the ele-
ments entering into the principal ques-
tons of interest to the people the Re-
publican party has nothing to fear from
the result. The prosperity of the coun-
try for the past two years, and the
greater prosperity which is already in
sight, when contrasted with conditions,
financial and Industrial. under Cleve-
lands last administration, will prove so
effective ar argument that nothing the
Democrats can bring to bear will refute
it.
On the Democratic side the sailing is
not so smooth. Within the past three
weeks a number of the leaders of the
party have repudiated the free silver is
sue, declared it dead and that they
would have no more of it. This has pre-
cipitated a fight of no small import
within the ranks of the party and prom
Uses to array the eastern wing against
the western. On the subject of expan-
/ sion the party is badly split up. Many
of the would-be leaders have endeavor-
ed to make the opposition of a policy
which will look to the retention of the
islands, aside from Cuba coded by
| Spain, a leading issue, but on this prop
osition unexpected opposition has been
l IllGl IIOIll SOlIlG VI Tie SlIOISSSI DcIilo-
Gratis in the country and that matter
can never be made an issue by the par
ty. Even on the old standby of free
trade there is a noticeable weakening
on the part of many of the foremost
men in the Democratic camp.
True, many of the free-trade organs
in the country are doing considerable
talking about expansion being the
death knell of protection, and are very
busy asserting that the open door"
policy must be granted the Philippines;
that the immediate result of that policy
in those islands will be such as to com
pei the adoption of the same measures
regarding trade in the United States,
but such talk is only another case of
whistling for courage. The test of the
free-trade strength in the land is the
opinion held by the men who are en-
gagged in business, who are working in
the factories, and those who have suf-
fered under a tariff for reform and have
prospered under protection in the past
two years. From all sections of the
country come expressions of former
free traders which clearly indicate that
they are satisfied. with present condi-
tions and have had enough of free trade
experiments. The in which the
markets of the world have been cap
tured under protection, when the Dem
ocrats for the past IS years have de-
clared that it could not be done, has
also been a potent factor in materially
changing the views of many men who
have heretofore held to the. free-trade
doctrine.
Before the election of 1900 a Republi-
can congress will have had time to act
on matters Of Importance to the country
at large, and that congress will exercise
good Judgment in the matters which
come before it. The responsibility rests
upon the majority and it's members fully
recognize the necessity of carefully con-
Quoting public affairs. There are
chances for radical changes in the sit
u%ation, but the probability of any oc-
curing is very remote and the outlook
for Republican success in the ''presi-
Dental election of next year" is better
than for many years past.