Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1900-09-08
BUSY SELLING HATS.
WHY REPUBLICANS MAY BECOME
ovgRcoNFl0ENT.
leaders Believe They VIII Win, hut
Thes Are working Hard - " hat
May He. Paramount Issae-Esry an's
Menk speech.

Especial Chicago iet,eF.i
Tie political situation, 80 far rs the
Republican outlook Is concerned. may
be sized up III one word overcome
dence, The great trouble AZ the pres
ent moment il that everybody nearly
and especially the Republicans. are too
busy making money, getting their
crops h, earning good wages at their
situations in the mills all over the coun.
try and. Ia short, feeling SO very con
tented that one who comes along 10
talk politics finds little encouragement
THE correspondence. the clippings from
the newspapers, the private commune
cations received from leaders in vnri-
Gus states all Indicate that this dan
ger of overcontidence Is liable 10 be
the great one. Ii ought TO be said
however. that the officers of the Re-
publican national committee are fully
alive 10 this danger. They like 10 re-
ceive the reports of prosperity aud the
reports also that as many millions OF
voters as possible, especially Repub-
lean voters, are having a very good
time of ii financially. But they do
not allow themselves TO be lulled Into
any feeling OF false security by this
The Republican leaders believe that
they will win. but they are going 70
work harder and harder to bring about
that contamination. and they propose
to take no chances.
One of the best advertisements ever
written simply said:
mo time 10 write advertisements
too busy selling hats
That about expresses the present sit
uation.
1t is equally evident that the Repuh.
lican leaders. orators. writer's and
workers of various kinds are going to
chase no rainbows. that Is because
they are going To take no chances
You do not hear those who really know
their political business saying that this
or that is going 10 be paramount Is.
sue. They know better than to make
any such predictions. 1t seems to them
that special issues are likely to have
to be discussed expansion, or impe-
rialism. II the Democrats choose to
call 1t that. free silver, possibly the
Chinese war. 1t Is likely TO be almost
anything but whatever 1t is these same
Republican leaders, orators. writer's
and other workers are going to be
ready. They are not going TO he put
or the defensive, They have been In
power. they have had responsibilities.
They made promises four years ago
They have fulfilled those promises.
They do not believe that the opposi-
ton party. no matter how harsh It's
criticisms now and no matter how fair
its promises. could have done better II
it had tried. probably could not have
done MS well. having had less expert
ence aud. as everybody knows, having
made but sorry mess of 1t whenever
It has had a chance to try before.
So all the Republican workers are
going to meet the Democratic workers
more than half way. If expansion or
imperialism" is the Issue, let the two
platforms be compared. Bryan actual
ly promises nothing that the Republic
ans are not now performing. He says,
to be sure, that he would convene con-
gress and establish protectorate over
the Philippines. He isn't square enough
to mention that this would take about
the same kind of standing army that
we are now maintaining and to which
he seems to object so strenuously So
with the silver issue he and all his fol-
lowers will have chance to explain
whether Bryaa n elected would not inn
mediately PIT The country e a silver
basis by paving In silver fol he Is per
mitted by law to pay 10 'cU.n.'
And perhaps tie paramount issue
may be the Chinese war. If So the
Republican Performance "a good
enough aagury for the future. 1t Is
about the platform of the gallant Me-
Gala. who. If | remember correctly,
said after the commanders of the allies
hesitated about advancing.
1--WE seem TO have come to no conclu-
sion In this conference. gentlemen. but
my minister is in danger in Picking,
and am going there"
1t is the exact truth to say that Mr..
Bryan's speech of acceptance was a
disappointment here. greater to the
ifdiidStAS PprNtDAy th1's "
the Democrats. lie really dealt In
platitudes so generously that there Is
nothing tangible in 1t to attack or pick
to pieces. Besides the platitudes there
are of course innumerable high flown
periods and no end Of mlsstatements
of fact. to say nothing of the stllted
and chestnutty philosophy so called APP
parent In the whole thing. Such as II
is. however. the Bryan speech of ac~
eeptance will be riddlpd To pieces as
time goes on. II is believed that voters
verywhere-who win Of course have
opportunity to read 1t everywhere
will pick IT to pieces for themselves.
themselves asking questions AT the end
Of every sentence. asking what Mr.
Bryan would actually do under the cir
cumstances, what he really means,
what Of 1t If 1t Is SO, etc. Moreover II
is cowardly speech, emitting all ref
erence to silver and the overturn of the