The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-07-15
THE PARAMOUNT ISSUE.

Following the lead OF the President, the
Republican politicians and organs are
trying 10 make silver the issue OF the
campaign. Postmaster General Smith Is
out In an interview. in which he says
that silver will be the great issue of the
campaign because the Democrats have
made it so by their platform declaration
THAI there is no such thing as imperial
ISM and that the people cannot be made
to believe there is. He admits that there
are problems connected with the Spanish
American War which will be discussed
during the campaign, but says they bear
but little relation to what is called i'm
perialism.
1t is clear from the position that the
silver question is given in the Democratic
platform that II is not the purpose Of
the Democrats to make silver the lead
ing issue. They consider imperialism the
most important question with which the
country has 90 deal. They are ready,
however, to meet the Republicans on any
question in which the people appear to be
interested. 1t looks as if the people are
more interested in imperialism than any
other. That being the case, the Republi-
cans will find IL impossible to interest
them to any very great extent in silver
Mr.. Hanna tried to make the issue in
the campaign of 1896. He was timid in
respect 10 silver, and he endeavored by
all means in his power to lead the peo-
pie to accept the tariff question as the
paramount issue. They refused to follow
his lead in that matter They insisted on
thinking and talking Of the silver issue.
So it will be this year. MIR. Hanna
wants to make the silver question the
chief one. He thinks that with that is
sue the Republican party can win an
other victory. The people, however, are
not particularly interested in the silver
question. They regard 1t as practically
settled for some years to come. The
sensational statements which the Repub-
lican leaders and organs are making,
namely that If Mr.. Bryan should be
elected the chances are that he would
soon have a Congress that would legis-
late in harmony with his silver views, do
not disturb them in the least. They are
confident that the Senate will be against
disturbing the gold standard law for the
next four years. and they believe that
even If both the House and the Senate
should become Democratic within the
next two years, it would be impossible
to get Congress to pass bill repeating
the gold standard law The fact that
the majority of the Kansas City Conven-
ton was against making a new declara-
ton in the Democratic platform in re-
spect to silver satisfies them that even
a Democratic Congress would not enact
hasty and radical legislation in respect
10 silver. They are, therefore, willing 20
let the silver question rest for awhile
and give their attention to another and
more pressing question, the question OF
Imperialism.
If Postmaster General Smith is sincere
in thinking that there is no such question
as imperialism, and that there can be no
pointed. II he and other Republican lead,
ers are preparing themselves to make
speeches against the 16 to / idea they are
wasting their time. They will not be
called upon TO attack the position of the
Democrats on the silver question, but to
defend their own party against the
charge of Imperialism. Unless all signs
fail, Imperialism, not silver. will be the
paramount issue.