The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-07-10
TUESDAY. July 10, 1900.
THE pETY or IT

Try as hard rs they may, Democrats
Will not be able 10 make Imperialism the
,,arrnount issue in this campaign. 1t is.
in fact, The greatest question before the
American people to-day, and it would have
been the paramount issue if the Kansas
city Convention had not declared for
Bryan and free silver and Gnferentially1
for fat money. The entire financial plank
of the Kansas City platform Is Popu1istic
10 the core. and when it IS known that
this plank was inserted at the dictatton of
the man who VAS nominated 70. the presi-
: aency, free-sifverisn necessarily becomes
with many men the leading issue. The
conservative men Of the country would
not attnch much Importance to the free
silver plank if David Il. I'LL, Grover
Cleveland or any other Democrat of that
stripe were the nominee. But free silver
and Bryan is a combination of which the
conservative men are afraid. They fear
to put into the White House man whe
insists thnt the minis of this country shall
be opened at the first opportunity and
without waiting for the cooperation Of
any other country 10 the free ana unlim-
tied coinage of silver at The ratio of IS 10
1: -Ir. Bryan has lime and again asserted
that this should be done and he is pledged
10 the silver people to do everything in his
power, if he should be elected President
10 overthrow the gold STANDARD and 10
raise up what he calls the double stand
ara. MI Bryan in the White House would
be a menace 10 the monetary standard.
md the conservative business men of the
ecuntrs would be always uneasy lest ne
should put this country on a silver lnsis.
In vain is the plea made that the free
silver plank is meaningless II so. then
the Democrats and Mr. Bryan are play
ing false with The Populsts ana the Free
silver Republicans, who have promised
their support for this plank only If Mr.
Bryan were elected md did not do all in
his power TO help silver he would be
traitor 10 these people, who trust him so
implicitly.
TITS great pity that This thing silouli
have been done. The Democratic party
had q splendid opportunity to win great
victory this year and 10 check The Repub-
l.can party IN its tendency towards fnpe-
rlulism Yet for the sake of AR Bryan
they 3ugged IN an issue which had no lost-
,al place IN his campaign, and by COM
st1tng that issue with the nominee has, in
Dur opinion. thrown away its chance OF
success. ana that. too. without any sufh-
oient reason under the sun. IN 1886 the
Democratic Convention declared in its
rlutforrn that the act of 1873. demonetiz-
Ing silver without The knowledge or APP
proval OF the American people, mas re-
suited in the appreciation Of gold and
corresponding 1all in The prices Of com
mo6ttles produced by the people, heavy
increase in The burden of taxation and of
al debts. public and private; the enrich
tnent of the money-lending class at home
ana abroad. nrosgatlon OF industry and
B1nporer!shment Of the people.
Therefore, they went on. NE demand
the free and unlimited coinage of silver.
But he charge which we have above
quoted IS Withdrawn, The business of the
country IS no longer in q depressed con-
dition. Laborers are no longer wandering
around looking for work None of the con
ditions which prevailed in 1856 prevails
now. On The contrary The Kansas City
platform admits by inference that the
country is In a prosperous condition. Yet
with The reasons for free silver, as al
legged in 1886. an gone, with conditions en-
ssreiy changed. the party still at the die
tusn % Mir. Bryan demands The free and
unlimited eoinage Of silver.
The thing is 10 US pirifnl. The spirit
which controlled the convention of 1886
MAS not the spirit which controlled the
convention of 1900, The great majority
of the delegates TO the Kansas city Con-
MENTION were ire,e Democrats ana thor
ouEhly imbued with the spirit Of Democ