The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-08-16
.lSSuESSHA..PE:Z!N'l!G!.y.P'
why Republicans Are More and
More sanguine q Victory.
M'KINLEY's4 RECORD is GOOD.
Events Daily Disproying Charges 81
Imperialism-silyer Hurting the,
Democrnts-McKinley Course Ia
China Best sible Antidote For
ImperialisticS Scare.
|, q y q -,

5000 -------r ; 7----. Is IL
l6wAsH1NGTo D. c. Aug. g.
While, prominent Republicans here are
not loudly sind1lgingl IN campaign pre-,
dctlons, because they say 1t Is too
carly to make definite estimates OF the
probable result throughout the states,
there Is q growing feeling among them
that as the campaign opens the
strength OF the Republican platform
and the popularity Of the adminlstra-,
ton will be greater than at any time.
since the meeting Of the conventions,
They base this feeling on two things:l
one,is that they believe the Democrats
us q party are showing their lack OF
faith in free silver as an Issue. and the.
other ms because they consider that
the course Of the administrator In
China Is one to- dlsabuse every one Of
even "a suspicion%.that any spirit OF
milltarIsm is broad in the land,
Silver Working Harm Both Ways.
The course of the Democrats in
making free silver; q secondary; If not
an altogether unimportant issue in the
campaign they consider is an act that
Will work as a. two-edged sword, both
sides Of which. in this case, twillgcut OPP
posing y factions, in the Democratic
ranks. They, say the platform declar-.
alton has fully aroused the Sound
money" Democrats, while the failure to
silver a prominent factor, in the
campaign has had the effect OF a dash
Of cold water on the silver men, who
have been taught TO regard the rehab-
.iutations OF the white metal as stand
ard money as the great and one thing
the country needs TO make everybody
prosperous. j
sTheS.'sound money men argue that
the platform declaration. II not again
Defeated at the polls. may keep alive
the issue of free silver and allow 1t, to
be brought up again during some time
Of temporary business depression as
cure:all. The fact that 1t does not take
a prominent place on the stump makes
no difference to them, as they say a
triumph of,the Democracy with that
plank IN the platform will bet pro
claimed. asa victory for silver and give
1t new life as a political Issue.
Those Who Are Discouraged.
q the other hand, among ths great
masses of people who worship ut the
shrine OF silver the platform declara-
tion is not so potent an influence as
is the. trend of the stump speech. They
have been accustomed Ito hear silver
proclaimed as the one thing the coun-
try wants, and when they see 1t is not
! held up as the great thing the country
should have they will naturally be
made Suspicious and lose confidence IN
the Leadership. Of Democrats. These
are the people who are influenced by
!. oratory and not SO much by the cold
record OF party In convention. II Mr..
Bryan thinks silver can be omitted
from his speech Of acceptance they will
wonder whether he has lost. faith In 1t
as living Issue, and If they conclude
that he has done 50 they will have a
feeling OF rebellion against his leader.
ship Or themselves develop a weaken
Ing OF faith.
! Events Disprove Imperialism.
Republicans declare that while. silver
in this double way will weaken the
force OF the Democratic campaign.
that events IRE now taking such form
as to thoroughly dispel what they re-
gard as the Illusions OF Imperialism.
They do not believe that merely the
fact that the American flag is on new
territory will make opponents of the
administration. They think that tenn
porarily enlarged army Will not scare
many people so long as that army Is
madeTup Of volunteers. What they re-
gard as the bogy man OF imperialism Is
the one thing that might make man
stand and wonde: Il that is really the
course OF events, and they are satisfied
that people have already heard enough
of that cry to dlscredit II In the light OF
history that Is now making. .55
The Administrations Course.
=, They claim that the administrations
course In China Is the best possible
antidote for the imperialistic scare, and
when that is taken in connection with
what is going on in Porto Rico, Cuba
and the Philippines. they declare that
those who! howl imperialism have moth,
ing to point to us proof Of their fears
and assertions. Porto Rico. with tprnc-
teal autonomy; Cuba. In the primary
school OF Independence: the Filiplnos
gradually having order restored, and
China looking to the United States as
its best friend and possibly the one
potent force to prevent Its dismember-.
ment. are, they declare, unsavory, NOR.
sells to feed those frightened by imper-.
{inlism. ~.
This is the view that. is held even by.
Republicans who short time ngo felt
uncertain about the way in which the
campaign would open and who, could
not anticipate how events would take
form. They feel fully satisfied over
their prospects and this sentiment Is
readily detected wherever Republican
leaders are gathered in Conversation,
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