Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1900-09-09
THE OPENING GUN.
tContiuned From First Pagel
would be a calamity to reverse Il now

would be a calamity to reverse II now.
There was some room for argument
in 1896, and much was then said in
favor of free silver thatseemed plausi-
BILE. We had hard times, and 1t was
natural for free trade Democrat to
believe that 1t was the gold standard,
when his leader told him so, and not
free trade, that made the trouble. II
was then with many only theory, and
one theory may be claimed to be as
good as another until exploded by prac-
tical results; but there is no longer
excuse for theorizing.
Mr.. Bryan dealt with opinions then
facts are dealing with him now. See
with what result He told us that If
we adopted the gold standard, the hard
times then prevailing would continue
and grow worse. We rejected his ad-
vice and unexampled prosperity has
blessed the land. He said prices would
fall still lower, but instead. they rapid
ly rose. He said our railroads would
all be bankrupt, but, instead, they have
more business than they can handle.
He said we would become a hopeless
debtor nation, owing all the world, and
compelled to depend on the money
markets of Europe to float our secur-
fties, but, instead, we have seen for
eign nations. including England her.
self, selling their bonds in American
markets to American citizens, who are
paying for them with American money
worth one hundred cents in gold all
over the world. He said our foreign
commerce would languish, and the bal
ance of trade would be against us, but,
instead, we have never traded so much
with other nations and the balances of
trade in our favor were never so large
He drew direful pictures of the scare
ity of money and told how it would
curtail and handicap and embarrass
business, but instead the volume is
steadily increasing and the amount per
capita is now the largest we have ever
had. He was filled with distress be-
cause of the fate that 1856 23456666
farmer If he could not be allowed to
pay off his mortgages with fifty-cent
silver dollars, and told with great emo
tion, how the farmers farm and his
home would be sold under the ham
mer, but, instead, the farmer has shar-
ed in the unusual prosperity, and with
the good prices commanded by his pro-
ducts he has paid off more mortgages
than were ever before cancelled in the
same length OF time. The railroads
cannot get cars enough to handle the
cornAthe wheat and other agricultural
products that are hunting markets in
this and other lands. Such illustra-
tions might be multiplied but these
are sufficient to show what the country
needed in 1896 was not free silver, on
top of free trade, as recommended by
Mr.. Bryan, but a protective tariff and
gold standard. as recommended by
President Mckinley, and promised by
the Republican party. In the pres
ence of these undisputed, practical, ev-
ery-day facts the predictions and the
craftsmanship of Mr.. Bryan appear
indeed ridiculous. Notwithstanding
he now comes again before the Ameri-
can people asking to be placed at the
head of our government.
Not, however on the free silver pro-
position, for although he has not aban-
doned it, he recognizes that the Amerl-
can people have condemned Ut. Net
either, as a free trader, for while he
still adheres to that belief, he knows
that the country has not yet forgotten
the distress that attended our last eX-
perienee with that policy Neither on
any other proposition we have had oc-
casion to debate during the last TWEEN
ty-five years. All these great subjects
of political difference in the past are
if not conceded to be finally settled, at
least ignored for the purposes of this
campaign.
IMPERIALISM.
He has a new shibboleth--it is I'm
perialism. He affects to believe that
President Mckinley is trying to sub
vert the government; that he is de-
stroying the Republic and establish
ing an empire it is in this way he re-
fers to what we have done in Hawaii
Cuba, Porto Rico and the PHILIPPINES
What are the facts?
HAWAII.
Was the acquisition an act Of imper-
ialism? The people there had already
overthrown a monarchy and estab-
lishod n rennhlic mndnlad aftAr n1lr