New-York tribune., 1900-10-07
REASONS FOR REPUBLICAN SUPPORT.
WOULD BRYAN HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ACT DIFF
FERENTLY FROM MKINLEY IN WAR MAT
TERs?-s1LvER ISSUE ovERsHADowING.

TERS?-sILvER IsSUE OVERsHADoWING.
To the Editor of The Tribune
Sir: Is there room in your valuable columns for
4 business to state his reasons for voting the
Republican ticket this fall. although he is quite
an anti and neither protectonist nor an i'm
perIalist?
Nobody pretends that the tariff issue is now be-
fore the voters and 1t seems to me little better
than pretence to say that the imperial issue is
properly the real issue of this election. Bryan him
self obtained commission in the war against
Spain and later favored the Treaty of Paris, and
1t is not at all likely that imperial troubles
would now be lighter If he. instead of Mckinley
had been at the helm. Nor is there anything in the
record the promises of Mr.. Bryan to warrant
belief that if elected he either would or &c could 5n
Congress ard the people We're bent upon s War
tions have arisen No man has vet shown us a
short and honorable way out of them, and time Is
such an important element in the whole imperia!
problem that may safely postpone the solving Of
II say, until the election OF congressman TWO years
hence, or even until the Presidential election or
next November either there will continue the
firm basis of value, there must commence a
period of doubt and discussion as to whether that
basis shall be preserved. Capital will continue to
seek remuneration in helping old and new induS nS
tries or must begin to seek io6 sadee btonE m ed
to suit the new difficulty in the way or borrowing
give employment freely. or must cut down their
forces in order to produce only that lessened guam
tty of goods which would be wanted. In short
with the election of Mr.. Bryan there would neces-
sarily begin drifting toward commercial depres-
sion. for there could be assurance that during
his Administration the country might not experience
the financial revulsion of dropping to the silver
basis values. The Government revenue might
be deficient as in 1888 SO, and who shall that
President Bryan's Secretary of the Treasury would
promptly sell Government bonds, in order to obtain
gold to keep the country on the hated gold basis
both the President and the Secretary believing that
DELAY Woulu UnrOw country on the silver DaSlS.
and believing, too, that majority OF the votes OF
the people had been cast in favor OF silver! 49,
I apprehend. however that sensible men Will no, nor
think il necessary to prove either that freSlueIlI
Bryan could or could not do this or that harmful I
thing To such men it will seem that desire to 90
harm is all that need be proved They do not safe
guard positions of and then put untrustworthy
men in them nor are they likely to be so unrea-
sonable as to put the arch hsilverite into that posi-
tion where he alone might have TO be depended
upon to keep country the gold basis OF yalue
no matter what great financial changes should
come about during his Administrations II 90 not
mistake the temper of men of affairs, there IS
determination to completely overwhelm the enemies
of National honesty and thus effectually 10 pre-
vent any further political party insulting the Amer
ican people with a 30 cent dollar propoSltlon / ne
country always needs an opposition parry, ,,oH oHl
never one which cannot present It's complaint Will
out an appendix for repudta ation ,r
J. HOWARD COWPER1ttN w ALI
New-York, Oct 4, 1900