Evening journal., 1900-11-28
NEWSPAPER OPINION
CitIes As Storm Centers

Cities As Storm Centers
From the Chicago Tribune
In all the large centers Of population
Mr. Bryan made urgent and incessal1
appeals to the disconten,ed, and en-
deavOred to excite class hatred for his
own political benefit He was success
ful in this in a measure, especially in
Chicago, New York and Boston. There
ne made heavy gains In this city, tcl
instance. be got $4,000 votes more than
he did I'm 1896. HIS innammatory pol
icy stood him in better stead here, per-
haps, because there have been long
continued strikes, which added to the
number of the dissatisfied voters who
favor change for the sake of change. p
From the nature of the case there
are in this, as in every other American
or foreign city-in New York or Ber-
lin, London or Paris-large numbers
of people who are discontented. They
are not prosperous in their circum-
stances, while all around them they
see others who are. While the men
who are unprosperOus often are re-
ipons.ble fer their unfortunate condi-
don, they will not admit il, but prefer to
believe that luck is against them or
that they have not been treated fairly
Dy those who are better off than
themselves. They are always in favor
Of a change-Of a new deal in govern
ment-hOping that their circumstances
may be improved thereby.
1t is useless to appeal to such people
to let well enough alone" Their an
swer is that there is no "well enough"
FOR them at that time. They will admit
that prosperity is dwelling with others.
but will deny that it has visited them.
II they are unable to deny that they
are little better of than they were
four years before they will argue that
they ought to be much better OFF, and
that change will bring to them the
1etterment they are entitled to. If
5hey admit that they have steady work
md set living wages, they will com
plain that they have to live from hand
20 mouth and are unable to save any
thing.
These answers and arguments are
too often prompted by q spirit of bitter
3nVy Of these who are more fortunate
or deserving than themselves. The
men who have savings bank deposits.
Daid-up life insurance policies, or little
homes of their own, the product Of
their unwearied labor and their fru-
gal!ty, are not admired and their ex-
ample initiated by fellow worlamen in
whose hearts envy and discomfort
have an abiding place. The latter
coyet the prosperity Of others, but
will not work for it. They are always
ready to listen to the demagOgue,
whether he be German, Englishman,
Frenchman, or Nebraskan, who says
they shall have plenty if they will fol-
low him.
Mr. Bryan appealed to and fostered
this spirit of envy and hatred. He
told the unprosperous that they were
so because they had been unjustly
treated. To him all who were prosper
Gus were undeserving and all who
were earning little were injured and
deserving. He had frowns for the con-
tented OF the community and smiles
Tor the discontented. Thus he gained
many votes in New York, Boston and
Chicago 1t may be said that Croker
helped him greatly in the first-named
city but there is no Croker in Chicago.
and yet his vote is 26 per cent. greater
than in 1896.
But the votes which Mr. Bryan got
by his inhammatory appeals to the
less fortunate, who are discontented
with existing conditions, and who say
they viii not "let i'll enough alone"
were paid for at a high price. He
forfeited the respect of the contented
members of the community, who are
in the majority. He lost votes every
where outside these cities-on the
farms and in the villages and among
thoughtful men in the cities-by the
sinister arguments he used He lost
more votes than he made, for the peo-
pie of the United States have not be-
come so degenerate that an appeal to
the baser passions of mankind, such
as envy hatred and all uncharitable-
ness, can help candidate as much as
it hurts him.