Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1900-04-12
TIE PROSPECTS OF BRYANISM

OF the seaboard, who know ourselves to
be the salt of the earth aud the pillars
CT the State, were congratulnting our
selves on the death of the silver issue,
on the passiDg of Bryan and on the
rightuess of whatever is, Mr.. Bryan
came among us and announced that no
would maze few speeches. We old
fogies turned our backs on him, and
chuckled as we thought of the shower
bath in waiting foi the "boy orator"
from Nebraska. We were nightly
taken in. There was indeed shower
bath, but Mr.. Bryan was not the
victim. 1t was down our own spinal
columns that the ics water triokled.
To the amszement of all prophets In
the East, MIR. Bryan was given a warm
and voluminous welcome by the COM
mon people wherever he appeared. In
New England he awakened more en-
thusiasm than did Mr.. Mckinley four
years ago. Nowhere could he find a
hall large enough to hold the people
who came to hear him. Several towns
suspended business for day, closing
shops and public schools, and even the
courts, in order that everybody might
see Mr.. Bryan.
That the East should give Mr.. Bryan
such warm reception must be re-
garded as significant manifestation
of a powerful undertow in public
opinion. On the surface-that surface
which is reflected in the daily news
paper-the tide has appeared to be of
late McKinleyward. The people of
the Pacific coast, believing that their
future prosperity hinges upon tho de-
yelopment of great commerce on the
| Pacific. are claimed as hearty sup
porte1s of the administration policy
in the Orient. They picture the Pacific
coast dotted in the near future with
the vessels of oil nations, carrying to
the Japanese and Chinese tie products
of California, Oregon and Washington.
1t is taken for granted, therefore, that
the electoral vote of the Pacific coast
will be cast next fall for Mr. Nc
Kinley. Concerning the Great West, ,"
those States lying between the Missis-
sippi and the Rocky Mountains, we
have not felt SO certain. 1t is now said
that this great agricultural and mining
region, which was the backbone of the
Free Silver propaganda four years ago,
| is rejoicing IN tho sunshine of rising
prices, that the farmers have lifted
their mortgages, and that the miners
have been drawn away from silver by
the new goldfelds of Colorado and
Alaska. 1t is worth remarking, how
ever, that the notable rise of prices in
this country has not yet affected to any
great extent.the goods which the farmer
has to sell. He is paying higher prices
tools, for clothing, for his boots and
shoes and harnesses and for his labor
but on his crops he is not realizing
much more per bushel than he got
four years ago. There is reason to
doubt, therefore, that the people of the
Great West are content in the sunshine
of the Mckinley prosperity.
In the Middle West, which includes
the northern States between the Ale.
ghanies and the Mississippi River, the
population is engaged in agriculture
AID manufacturing. Chicago is the
commercial and financial centre Of this
region. 1t contains the centre Of popu-
lation, and is also the centre of politi-
cal interest, for IL the Republicans lose
single State here, they can hardly
hope to overcome the vote of the
"Solid South There is already an
ugly cloud in the sky. Wages have not
kept Face with profits, and labor has
begun to fight In and about Chicago
strikes are already on in the building
trades, and the report comes that May
1st will be signalized by o general de-
mand throughout many trades for a
rise Of wages. 1t is to be feared, there.
fore, that the spring will bring us
riots and bloodshed, perhaps compelling
the intervention of the Federal troops
to protect property and preserve order.
The Republican party will be shout
dered with all the responsibility fol
the outbreak, if it comes, and with all
the odium for Federal interference, il
that proves necessary.
Here in the Fast, until Mr.. Bryan
came, the Presidents friends had
assumed that the anti -fmperialistic
sentiment was confined to few NAL
contents and moss-backed mugwumps.
The popular response to Mr.. Bryan,
however, indicates that he has some.
how got hold of many hearts right here
in what he once called "the enemy &
country" The workingmen Of the East
are busy at fairly good wages, and the
small shopkeepers are reporting i'm.
provement in their business. One
would naturally EXPECT, therefore, that
a man from the West, coming to I'D.
vocate change in the policy of the
Government, would be coldly received.
We are puzzled. therefore, by the
reception Of Mr.. Bryan, aud arc ex-
amining with some care the platform
which he has chosen to build for him.
self. He confines himself to three
issues-namely, the trusts, Imperialism
! and the money question. 10 each he
gives in his speeches equal attention
and emphasis. As the common people
cannot understand the money question,
he is able to handle it in the way most
satisfactory to himself. The recent rise
, of prices he explains as an artificial
one produced by the trusts for theil
!, own benefit. This explanation has the
advantage of simplicity, and appeals &c
tine common understanding. Bimetal
; Ism, Mr.. Bryan argues, would enhance
; not only the wages of labor, but also
! the prices of farmers products, anc
thus the real producers of wealth woulc
get their app opriate reward. He has
; another popular argument So long as
! we use the same money as Europe
J Mr.. Bryan points out, We must share
, in all the distress caused by war ant
| rumols of war in the Old. World. The
. two continents are now linked together
, by a chain of gold, and the industrie:
of the United States must fall when.
, ever misfortune overtakes the European
entrepreneur. What Mr.. Bryan reall,
! has in mind in this argument is the
, close connection between the two CON
! tinents, due not to the use of common
/ money, but to the mutual employment
, of each others capital. This people
however, are not economists enough t.
de- ant tho confusion in his thouuht