Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1900-04-18
4 Discrcdited Prophet.

| In signed address TO THE lilmetallists
| II the United States" issued rs soon ~
he result oI the election ol 1896 was
lnown, Mr.. W. j. Bryan said,
The Republican candidate has been her
alded as the advance agent oi prosperity.
II his policies bring that prosperity to the
American people, those who opposed him
will share in that prosperity. II, on the
other hand, his policies prove an injury to
the people generally, those Of his support
ers who do not belong tn the ollice.holding
class will suffer in common with those who
opposed him.
And then Mr.. Bryan drew II glowing pie
ture OF the victory for bimcIallism that
was sure to follow in 1900 ns conse
quence OF the hard times and business
prostration that was sure to accompany
the administration of President Mckinley.
Mr.. Bryan has been discrsditcd in so
many different directions that il is hard
to tell in Just what attitude he nt this
time appears the most foolish, says the
Kansas City Journal. His clattrr about
the impossibilty Of securing good times
under the gold standard is familiar to the
public and the people generally will gauge
him by the utter failure Of li- financial
prophecies, but the fact remains That his
most bitter humiliation lies along another
| line.
| When in congress, Bryan devoted him.
self to showing that the Republican sys.
TEN OF protective tariff stood in the way Of
an expansion in our foreign trade. This
belief was reiterated in the Democratic
platform on which Mr.. Bryan ran, and it
was elucidated by the editors and orators
who helped him make his campaign. Mr..
Bryan himself declared that the re enact.
ment Of the Mckinley tariff meant the
building OF "Chinese wall around the
borders of our country, which not only
would prevent the incoming OF foreign.
made goods, but likewise would prevent
the outgoing OF our own.
In the last three years we have had some
most startling revelations Of the power
Of wise financial and other legislation to
bring about an era OF good times. our
country has gone forward with great leaps
and bounds in every department OF indus.
trial and commercial activity. But no.
where is it made more manifest or more
spectacular than in the department OF
foreign trade. Therefore, we say that Mr.
Bryan has been even worse discrcdlted in
his prophecies about tariff than iu hi-
prophecies about finance, and that he il
particularly iooish.looking in this regard
Figures are not very interesting, but we
can think OF no other way to give an ade.
quate idea OF the tremendous growth oi
our trade, both at home and abroad, on
to answer the babbe OF the boy Statesman
Of Nebraska. In the five years from 1890
to 1895 the total excess Of exports over
imports amounted to S60I 100000 In
the four years ending with 1899 they
amounted to 1854 10000 Thus the
excess Of exports in the iour-year period
we're two and II hall times greater than IN
the five-year period, and most OF the in,
crease was secured after the Inauguration
OF President Mckinley.
And yet we have been told by the gentle.
man who will be the Democratic nominee
for president that since the "crime OF 1873
this nation has been on the down grade
and that growth aud prosperity are an
impossiblity under the gold STANDARD
While the record ot the twenty.sx years
up to the time when he sprang into III,
political arena i. enough to confuund al
of his contentious, the record Of the past
three years, when the 'ullst force and eI
feet, is enough to make him an object o
pity.