Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1900-10-25
A PERvERSE PEOPLE.

A PERVERSE PEOPLE.
Iftbere ever was a perverse people on
earth, it is that class of intelligent persons
who persistently follow the flag of Bryan
ism, without respect to judgment or COM
mon sense. There are many such persons
in this country; and there is no excuse for
their conduct, as 1t is shaped completely
by prejudice and passion and not by sound
reason. There was, possibly, some excuse
for such persons sustaining the foolish va
carries and absurd doctrines Of William
Jennings BRYAN in 1896; but after time has
demonstrated that the Bryan theories of
1896 were nothing more than the idle
vaporings of a shallow mind or the weap-
ons of conscienceless demagOgue, there
is no longer apology for looking to him as
an exponent of sound political principles.
In 1896 the people were suffering from a
business depression that had never been
equalled in the history of the country.
Men of all classes and professions were
surrounded with the blackness of despair
There was no difference Of opinion as to
the frightful condition that encompassed
us-there was difference of opinion as to
the remedy for the removal of the "hard
times" from which we were all suffering.
There was also difference Of opinion as
to what produced the "hard times"
Mr.. Bryan, with emphatic positiveDess,
declared that the business conditions that
surrounded us in 1896 were produced by
the coinage act of 1878, which stopped the
free coinage of silver. He asserted with
equal positiveness that there could be no
relief, except by return to the free coinage
of silver at the ratio Of 16 to /; and that
the adoption OF the gold standard and
return to a protective tariff would bring
further calamity to the industrial interests
of the country. Many intelligent, worthy
men believed that Mr.. Bryan was right in
his views. They were desperate over the
situation, and readily flew to the support
of any new theory that might possibly res
cue them from their painful situation.
Upon the other hand the Republicans,
with Mr.. Mckinley as their leader, insist
ed that the true remedy for the removal of
the hard times was return to a protec-
tive tariff and firm adherence to the
gold standard.
At the election of 1896 the people gave
a verdict against the remedies offered by
Mr.. Bryan and accepted those presented
by the Republican party. Then they
waited brief time to see the result. 1t
was of such kind as to make all reason
able men conclude that, to use most
charitable term, Mr. Bryan was mistaken.
The disaster, which he boldly announced
would follow the re-adoption of a protec.
tive tariff and adherence to gold stand
ard, did not come. Upon the contrary, a
condition of general prosperity, which has
never been equalled in our history as a
nation, has come, and remains with per.
manency that is truly appalling to the
calamity howlers. We now have what
everybody cried for in 1896-"good
times
Mr.. Bryan has been forced to abandon
or practically ignore the issues upon which
he made bis appeal to the popular will in
1896. If he or his followers would under
take TO discuss the same Issues that they
presented then they would be laughed
at. Though proven to be an illogical and
misguiding politician by the false doc
trines he preached in 1896, he still poses
as a political prophet and conjures up new
issues to secure the support of men who
are easily fooled, and to furnish pretext
to others who, from prejudice, wish to an
tagoDize the Republican party. The latter
are the ones TO whom we refer as per-
verse people. They are from prejudice
and habit so hostile to the Republican
party that they are willing to follow any
flag, no matter what absurd theory is
written thereon. if that flag is marching
against Republicanism. They have been
for many years of the wise
policy of the Republican party, and are
now heartily enjoying the splendid times