The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1900-10-17
DEMOCRATIC VICTORY
IS CERTAIN.
80 THINKS A GREAT SOUTHERN
NEWSPAPER.
A Few Calm, Positive Comments
from a Conservative
Standpoint.
EoRcIBLE POINTS MILDLY STATED
ATLANTA ConsIlinilon-

| lhtana ConStitution.l
Within four weeks the Presidential
election Of 1900 will be over, and the
people Of the country will have enter.
"a upon another four years Of business
effort
Standing thus within the eve Of &C.
ton, 1t is not DISQUALIFICATION to claim
that all signs point towards the election
of Hon. w. J. Bryan as President of the
United States.
In making such claim, The Consti.
tuition neither ignores the strength of
the party in power, nor undertakes GER
tain weaknesses which have attached to
the Democratic cause. Such position
would be but playing with the facts
which a few days must make plain, and
would, in no way, add to the prestige of
a great newspaper
Mr.. Mckinley has made good Presi-
dent. In his personality he represents
a high type Of American manhood. In
many respects he has handled well the
reins Of government during a great
crisis. He has welcomed the Confeder-
ate to the White House;he has 80 direct
ed his appointments that Confederate
General ia now on the retired list of the
general staff Of the United States army.
He is really concerned for the glory Of
the country over whose fortunes he has
been called to preside In 80 far as his
merely personal acts have gone, Mr..
Mckinley has been considerate and
painstaking. He recognized his plain
duty in regard to acquired territory,
and if he had followed the promptings
of his own heart, we would to-day have
no Objectionable colonial policy to di-
vide the ambition Of Americans.
But, unfortunately for Mr.. Mckinley,
he is surrounded by men stronger than
himself, who are INSCRIPTIONS and
dangerous To these men the Constitu-
ton Of the country is only sheet of
parchment to be torn up at will, and
the flag is but cover for public plum
der.
For neither one nor the other do they
care fig. They have openly announced
that commercialism is the main purpose
of government, instead of being a mere
incident which accompanies it. So
bold and INSCRIPTIONS were they that,
entering the White House, they over
awed the President himself, and COM
PEELED him to recall his public declara-
ton Of plain duty, and announce that,
for the first time in its history, there
were subjects Of the flag to whom the
whole record of popular right, from the
Magma Charta on down through its
American development, the Declaration
Of Independence, was as nothing
No longer the flag Of the free citizen,
1t is now the emblem under which
covering slaves may tremble for the
right to live.
1t means EMPIRE to the Porto Rican
and the Filipino to-day, and when the
time comes, the syndicates will not hes
itate to invade the White House for its
application at home. as they did in
Porto Rico.
Fortified by possession of Office,
strengthened by a greater patronage
than ever before fell to the lot of an ex-
ecutive, enthused by the ambition which
Americans naturally feel for expansion,
in common with all other people, the
shadow Of empire, and the knowledge
Of Mr. McKinley's weakness IN the
hands of the men who control him-all
this in view, the thoughtful citizen is
alarmed for that charter of his liberty
which surpasses all other gifts.
Mr.. Bryan came into the Democratic
nomination under terms which suggest
ed many weaknesses. There were many
warning bodies of citizens, all concern
ed for the preservation of the republic,
but divided on many other subjects.
There was no doubt then, as there is
now, Of the paramountcy of the main
issue, but an INSCRIPTIONS foe was GER
tain to make the most of the minor or
less pressing divisions, in order to divide
and conquer.
Then there was legacy Of division
from the election preceding, not worthy
of notice in the Democratic States, but
as the balance Of power in
some close States, The crucial hour
was that following the nomination,
when the criticism of foes had to be
met The Republican press was quick
to seek profit from every apparent in
consistency, and to charge upon those
allying themselves with the new move
ment every form of motive.
Mr. Bryan's indianapolis speech skill
fully concentered interest in imperial
ism as the main issue, and in his cam
paign since has been waging the aggres-
sive fight which a sound cause renders
possible, while the Republicans have
been thrown upon the defensive all the
way through.
The issue as it appears to-day is
this
EMPIRE OR THE REPUBLIC,
which,
The Republicans show a shrinking
front, with not single accession of
voters in any section; with their own
party only held together by the lash,
and relying upon constant misrepresen-
tation of their opponents instead of up
on the justice Of their own cause.
The Democratic prospect to-day is
the militant one. Every State which
voted for Mr.. Bryan in 1896 will so vote