The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-06-25
THE ISSUE: BUILDERS AND DE-
STROYERS.

SIaOt fsltS-
Considering the choice of President to be
between President Mckinley and Mr..
Bryan. the most Of the independent papers
and Independent Democratic papers that are
Philippines have declared a preference for
the former. representing the conserva-
tive element. These papers find much that
the Republican party has done during the
past four years TO commend and some
things to condemn, but in anything that
Mr.. Bryan has offered they find nothing
to commend. One of the independent Demo-
cratic papers-the New York Times-which
would gladly have supported a Democrat
with the ideas of ex-Secretary Olney, of
Massachusetts, expressed the sentiment of
a conservative element which is not Re-
publican in an article the morning after
the nomination of the Republican ticket,
entitled Builders ana Destroyers." by
what propositions. and by what argu-
ments." the Times asks. Twill the Demo-
Gratis a. Kansas City attempt to persuade
the American people that they made a mis-
take four years ago which they must now
correct?' The Times contrasts 1896 with
the present time: "Then fortune had quite
turned her back upon the country: bust
ness was ~stagnant, confidence was lacking.
few were making money, distress was wide
spread and work was hard TO get and ILL
paid" In contrast with 1896, the Times finds
that
The increase in the national wealth dur
ing the Mckinley administration has been
fact in the worlds history for that four
years. We have subscribed TO an English
loan, and the financial agents of Russia
seek funds in this market. Wages have
been raised all over the country and the
number of the unemployed is small. The
presidential canvass dawns upon a happy,
prosperous and contented nation.
This paper, which criticises the Mckinley
administration from time to time. goes on
to speak of the advancements of the past
four years as follows:
We have entered upon a new and loftier
stage of national existence. We are known.
admired, respected throughout all the
world. even by powers that have been al
together Indifferent to us as a cipher in the
politics of the nations or had despised us as
a country of mere -money-getters. We have
accomplished the long-delayed work of
putting Spain out of the hemisphere. We
have added great insular possessions to our
territory and ten millions to our population.
We have made an immense advance in
public policy by prOclaiming the principles
of the open door in the Philippines and by
insisting on IL on our own behalf in China.
We have taken our place beside and among
the great powers of the world, to work out
the problems of m and civilization
that await solution. Our new national great
ness Is reflected in a visible growth of
power and influence. We have established
the gold standard for our currency, putting
an end TO. twenty years of dangerous agi-
tation and disturbance, and this was the
direct act of a Republican Congress and the
Republican President.
What" the Times further adds. has W.
j. Bryan to propose except that we shall
undo all this?" It's answer is as follows:
What has W. j. Bryan to propose ex-
cept that we shall undo all this? We have
no need to recount the articles of his polit-
ical creed. They are equally known and
dreaded. In their essence they are the
negation of the results accomplished and
the progress made during the administra-
ton of William Mckinley. He would re-
peal the gold standard, he would abandon
our new possessions, repudiate our oDliga-
tons. withdraw from the honorable and
responsible position we have taken among
the nations. and retire within our gates to
a life of monastic national seclusion, where
We should feel no movement of the great
current of the worlds progress and share
neither the glory nor the rewards of parti-
| cipation in the creative work going on in
the old and new lands of the earth.
| The issue is between builders and de-
stroyers." and such being the issue. the
Independent Democratic Times. which
| speaks for the thousands of conservative
! voters. closes its ringing article with the
following prediction:
| To keep the place we have won and stand
by what we have done-that is the Repub-
| lican policy. National undoing is the policy
of Organism. The people will not lave ii.
| We by no means assent to the proposition
| of the partisan Republican orators that all
We have gained in the past four years we
| w wholly to the Republican party. We
| have not let pass unchallenged the vicious
] calumny that the evils that encompaSSed
us I'm 1896 were chargeable to Democratic
| wickedness and incapacity. But in a politi-
| cal campaign the party that can show in
the sight Of all the voters that the times
did mend while it was in power and are
| vastly more prosperous than when the OPP
| position was in bower has so much the bet
ter of the argument that the candidate who
in his letter of acceptance must exhibit
convincing reasons for a change" may
| consider himself lucky If he is not hooted
at. The American people want no change
| now. Anybody who takes observations of
their present temper can see that.