Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1900-01-26
WANT FOR AN ISSUE.
DEMOCRATS AT A LOSS FOR
GOOD CAMPAIGN THUNDER.
Free Silver Is Dead and the War
Issue 1s Turning to Ashes in Their
Hsnds-Will Have Difficulty in Rais-
ing q Hullabnloo This Year.

The country for years has not known
rs quiet a time in national politics as
now, says the Sioux City Journal. And
yet we have already entered upon the
year of a national campaign. The Re
publican national convention has AL
ready been called. 1t will meet in Phil
adelphia on the 10Th of June. The ma
tional Democratic committee has been
called to meet in the city of Washing
ton on the ODD of February to agree
upon the time and place for the con-
vention of that party. We have reach
ed the period of the year for State legis-
latures. Congress is in session. And
yet not for many years has the field of
national politics appeared so quiet. 1t
must be that the business interests of
the country and the masses of the peo-
pie are reasonably we'll satisfied with
the way things are. The Democratic
national convention, it may be taken
for granted, will not be held until after
the Republican convention. The man.
ayers Of the Democratic party are not
ready to launch their campaign. Their
issues are not yet defined. They want
time to turn things over in their minds.
They are hopeful that something will
happen to relieve them from the en-
b~arrassment they sensibly feel now.
Whatever Mr.. Bryan or anyone else
may say, in a perfunctory sort of way,
they know that the free and unlimited
coinage Of silver at the ratio Of 16 to i,
or at any other ratio, is not now a pop
ular issue. 1t has been put in the back
ground by the restoration Of good
times. The war issue is turning to
ashes in their hands, for there is not
sufficient backbone in the rebellion
against the authority Of the United
States remaining to afford stiffening to
their OWL spinal columns. They are
not nearly as cheerful as Micawber, but
otherwise much In his situation. If
nothing can come of the Philippines,
they will hope that something may
come of the Congress. They will be
devoted students of the resolutions that
will be adopted at Philadelphia, and
they will use no small amount Of sta
tlonery in the preparation of their ex-
pressions in denunciation. They will
do the best they can to alarm the coun-
try, and they will loll their tongues a
! good deal in effort to put together Ian
guage Of the most exciting nature.
Their most hopeful opportunity is in
Congress, and the country is so conf
dent Of this that pleasure would be af-
forded If Congress would do its routine
work and dispense. Congress should
learn wisdom of the country, and not
initiate itself with the notion that it ex-
lists for the purpose of supplying the
country with common sense.
The country is ready for a gold stand
ard bill. of which fact the Congress
has had sufficient notice. But there is
probably no other new legislation of a
general character that the country
feels the need of. Even the isthmian
canal does not appear to be ripe. In
the last Congress a ship subsidy bill
was started. The purpose Of it, as de-
clared, was to revive our dropping
merchant marine. The measure got
Its impetus in the hard times, when Ia
Dor vas in distress for employment.
The situation is different now. Other
agencies, growing out of the eNpan-
sion of our territory and out of the
growing need for profitable employ
ment of capital, have lately been busy
in opening up a brighter prospect to
our merchant marine. At any rate,
the country is not ready for a ship sub
sidy bill, and it would be incxpedient
for Republicans to force through such
q measure at this session of Congress.
The fact that the Democrats would
make a hullabaloo about 1T is not n
matter of chief consequence; the point
Is that the country does not ask it, and
In present conditions is not likely to
believe, whatever may be urged in its
behalf, that the public welfare is the
prime motive back of it.
A good many things can be done in
time Of war, or in time of calamity,
that will not be accepted passively in
time of peace OF in time of plenty.
Why, in time of calamity the Demo-
cratic party scared the country IL of
its boots with it's proposition to go to
a at1vor cf0ndard for. n roroodv. b,,t IL