The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-06-28
Contrasts Between
The Two Candidates

WY L BELIEVE the Democrats must suffer
" continuing loss Of credit and strength
w AS the people examine from day to day
the positions and purposes OF the two
parties. But if they cannot win on the merits
Of their cause can they hope to escape defeat
through the superior virtue of their candidate?
Then again it would seem that the comparison
must be fatal to them unless the people have
wearied Of safe administration and long for an
experiment in unsteady government.
O..
Mr.. Mckinley we know, and we know Mr..
Bryan. II would not be easy to tell the people
anything new about either so well are their
characters and temperaments understood Mr.
Mckinley has been quarter of a century in
politics and public life, Mr.. Bryan a decade.
lie has nowhere gained a firm footing and his
political ideas are so shifty that he has ap.
pcaled successfully TO the Populists ami the
Democrats, two parties whose original prin1-
pies are wholly Incompatible They can dwell
together only under the roof that the supple
Bryan has patched up for them out of the odds
and ends Of old creeds and new. Men long ago
reached the conclusion that the Ncbraskan is
more actor than statesman. lie easily learns
new parts and plays them with fervor Wit.
ness his zeal for the newly chosen issues of the
trusts and imperialism. Those nearest to him
appear to look upon his political beliefs as
things that he can assume or lay aside at will
ana WIN ease. some OF lheln are now llIpGr-
tuning him to abandon the issue OF silver free
coinage, which stands for nnc-tcnths II the
whole body Of doctrine, and is he only fOImu-
lated and reasoned'out principle he possesses.
Bryan is able lie has a remarkable gift Of
presenting his beliefs to the public. lie is
personally an engaging type of man, and his
| oratory is most agreeable. 1t IS easy to un.
derstand why he conyinces so many Of the un.
thinking. But with all his ability, his perfect
uprightncss Of character, and his pleasing per.
sonality and his immense earnestness, il is plain
that the American people do not trust him. They
withheld their confidence four years ago. And
Bryan himself has done nothing whatever to en-.
hance either respect or inspire them with the
| desire to see him president II he proves
stronger this year than in 1896 it will be be.
| cause the course Of events has made the country
| dstrustful Of the party in power, which We
do not think is the case.
Unsteadincss is the besetting sin of Bryan.
/ Governor Flower described him as "amhitious,
unsteady, unsafe" and no one ever described
him better Upon close examination il will he
discovered 10y all students of the career Of the
! man that the principles he processes have been
chosn because of their supposed power to make
him popular and TO get votes for him. Some
Of them. 10 to l. for instance, are worn out.
lie caught up that issue Just the thinking
| world was ready 10 throw II into the rubbish
heap. The Socialistc and Dcbsite parts of the
| Chicago platform, like the adv ocacy Of the in
come tax and debt liquidation, were put in
because of the known partiaty Of considerable
part Of our population for those unsafe doctrines
| DcmaEogy is the animatng motive. Bryan has
an extraordinarily keen eye for popular fads anC
iancies, and is one Of the best judges the world
ever saw OF the directions in which the multi
tudc is willing to be moved. A denagosue-
and we would not apply this term to Mr., BryaT
in its offensive sense, but merely denotinl
his skill in reading the minds of the popuiacc-
may upon occasion do the state some service
but you never know what he is going TO d'
next or where he is going to stand. The Amcri
can people like TO have some assurance wher
their presidents are going to stand.
That assurance they find in the wel,pose,
character of Mr.. Mckinley. II is impossibl
for anybody to get enthusiastic over william
Mckinley, and the great conservative mass O
American citizens like him the better and trus
him the more for that They prefer a SAT
president to great president Mr., McKinle
is pre- -eminently safe man, lie is a produc
OF American inheritance and environment, Il
was bred in the quiet, orderly, serious, religion
life Of an average American citizen in a con
munity where brilliancy or any wide departuT
from the accepted standards Of belief or b,
hayior would have caused a man TO be regarde
with distrust lie has been long in politic
and while that career has not failed, as it nevt
! fails in the case Of any man, TO develop certai
familiar defects Of character, il has taught hiI
to hear and heed the voice Of the people. II
! is never found far ahead or far behind the opiI