The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1900-09-22
IMPERIALISM AND NOT SILVER

| 1t iS dtnusinS w ~ sHo -
arguments by which President Nc
Kinley, Secretary Gage and the Re,
publican managers are seeking to
force the silver question to the front
in a vain endeavor to pull the wool
over the eyes of the people and to
keep in the background the allah
sorbing question of the hour-im-
! perialism. The Republican party
predicted that Mr.. Bryan would
stick to his hobby, and that silver
would be the issue again, at least
they hoped so. But Mr.. Bryan
fooled them. The people were in
no humor for reviving of the sill
yer Issue again. Another and far
greater question confronted them at
the Kansas City convention, and
this question was given the place of
honor in the national platform.
Silver came way down on the list.
Mr. Bryan took up the cue, and in
that mastery and unparalleled let
ter of acceptance, he came out
squarely against the imperialstic
policy of President Mckinley, and
devoted most of his paper to dis
cussion of that policy, in arguments
that are unanswerable. Bryan
threw the enemy into confusion, and
CONSERVATION manifested itself in
their ranks. Their predictions had
failed. Silver was not the issue.
1t was Imperialism. They were in
a dilemma, they knew not what to
do; for the Presidents Philippine
policy and the Porto Rican tariff
bill had shifted public sentiment to
the other extreme, and the country
spoke aloud against policy so an
tagonistic to the spirit of our gov
ernment. The Republican mana
gers got desperate. Imperialism as
an issue with them meant defeat.
1t must be silver, and silver they
attempted TO make it, but it didn't
work. Mr.. Bryan threw down the
guage of battle so plainly and point
fedly, that the Republican party
Ehas been compelled to take it mp,
Ealtbough with halt-hearted spirit.
1 As we have just stated, President
| Mckinley and Secretary Gage have
brought the money question to the
front, hoping to divert public atten-
ton from the burning question of
!, imperialism, and endeavoring to
make the creditor believe that if
Mr.. Bryan is elected president, he
will force payment of the public
debt in silver. Now it has been
carefully estimated that there is not
enough available silver money In
the United States to pay three
months interest on the public debt.
And it is fact that if cred
itors wanted interest in silver
it could not be had. The gov
ernment, with all the minis run
ming day and night, could not coin
money fast enough TO pay the inter-
est on the public debt, because the
| interest per month is more than the
capacity of all the mints. 1t is a
| fact that there is not enough avail
able silver in all the world to pay the
Understanding debt; and that there
is not enough available silver in all
the world to take the place of bank
paper, which is not money, but
merely substitute for money. So
lett voters remember these facts
whenever it is thrown up TO them
that Mr.. Bryan would pay off the
public debt in silver. f4
But this is not the issue, nor can
the Republican party force silver
down the Threats of the people
against their will. The greatest
problem that has confronted the
country since the days OF secession
is upon us, and we cannot dodge it.
We are brought face to face with il,
and the country IS speaking against
lit in no uncertain tones. Imperial
ism is the controlling and governing
q people without their consent by
another government, being in name
a republic or an empire, or, govern
ment controlled by one-man power !;
that is, by a king, an emperor, an
empress, or other title. In practice,
| it is government controlled by a
military power. which might be a re-
publican form of government, but
merely in name. to end finally in an
imperial government in fact.
I This is the issue which is now be-
fore the people-the attempt on the
part of the Republican party to force
uDon q rare of paoDIe n Government