The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-06-13
THE CONSERVATIVE VIEW.
A Careful Study of the Political Con-
dltiOns of 1890 by the Leading
Newspaper of the SOuth-DOes Not
Mr.. Mckinley Deserve to LOses

!
dltiOns of 1900 by the Lendin
Newspaper of the south-Does NJ
Mr.. Mckinley Deserve to Lose
(From the Baltimore SUM-
The Democratic State conventions so ia
held have given Mr.. Bryan so overwhelm
ing preponderance of their delegate
that there can be no question Of his nomi
nation at Kansas City. This is as every
body expected. The platform is the on
thing in doubt and 1t is the one thing o
which the success or defeat of Mr.. Brya
will hinge.
Between now and the assembling Of tn
Democratic National Convention there /
time for Mr.. Bryan and his intimate ad
visers among the party leaders to refec
upon the whole situation. And they ma.
be reasonably expected to give prope
| weight to the various factors therein tina
tend on the one hand to promote Mr.. Nc
Kfnley's reelection and on the other Il
contribute to his defeat. No greater mis-
take can be made by any political leader
than either to overestimate his owl
strength or to underestimate that OF his
| opponent. And no better service to Mr.
Bryan can at this moment be rendered
| than to point out to him certain conditions
that will tend undoubtedly to aid Mr.. Nc
kinley In his campaign for a second term
general condition Of prosperity is the
| hrst and weightiest. 1t will count for O
great deal. 1t is true that neither Mr..
Mckinley nor his policies have had any
thing to do with producing that prosperity.
we think. indeed. very strong case could
Dc made out In support Of the proposition
that Mr. McKinley's policies obstructed
the coming and have diminished the extent
OF the prosperity We are now enjoying. 1t
certainly cannot be contended that the
enormous increase in the annual expendi-
lures Of the Government, which for the
next fiscal year will reach the perfectly
appalling total Of over 500. O0O, GOO. has In
any way benefited the nation. The fact
that full one-thIrd OF that staggering
sum total Is appropriated for war OBJ
1ects. direct or indirect-that is, either to
pay for naval or military ornaments or
pensions-is surely not help but a him
drance to the national welfare. And when
we look back no further than 1886, the
second year Of Mr.. CleveIand's first Adj
ministration. and find that the total ex-
penditures OF the Government for all pur
poses were then only little in excess of
what We shall spend under Mr.. Mckinley
during the fiscal year that runs from 1900
to 1901 for war and pension purposes alone.
1t is quite clear that We owe no thanks at
all to Mr.. Mckinley and his party for the
generally better condition of the country
now as compared with 1896.
The improved condition Of industry.
trade. and commerce has come about not
because but in spite of the Mckinley
policies. Yet, in spite Of the extravagant
expenditures Of the past three years and
a half, the most wasteful the country has
ever seen; in spite OF, the unproductive
outlay of the war with Spain, and the still
more Improbable outlay of the war upon
the Filipinos; in spite. too, OF the res
traints upon trade Of the Dingley tariff,
and of the extortions of the trusts
created and fostered under its high duties;
in spite OF its long delay in redeeming its
promise to establish the currency on
a gold basis. and in spite of its many scam
dals, from Alger and Eagan and the army
beef to Nicely and Rathbone and the loot !
ing Of the Cuban postoffice, there Is gen.
eral prosperity in the land.
That is fact, and 1t is favorable to Mr.. |
Mckinley. 1t ought not to be, but it Is. |
He does not deserve to benefit by it, but |
he will. We pointed out few days since |
in these columns the really great and all !
powerful cause Of the better times that |
have come since Mr. Mckinley was elected. |
The worlds annual gold product for the |
four years covered by Mr.. Cleveland's last |
averaged about s1S5, 600, OC0. |
For the four years covered by Mr.. McKin- |
ey's Administration the yearly gold pro-
fuct of the world will average about $685.
100 OOo-almost double. And that is the |
main secret OF the good times.
Mr.. Mckinley's greatest strength lies,
hen. in two facts-frst, that prosperity,
hough not made by him or his policies, Is
actually being enjoyed by the people: Sec
md. that his reelection. while 1t will con-
inue all the evils OF his imperialistic and
colonial policies abroad and all the iniqui-
les OF his pro-monopoly policies at home.
VIII nevertheless be guarantee that the
currency questionable battle of the stand
not be reopened for at least
ration Is undoubtedly weighty one with
III the interests. including the labor inter-
st. which want we'll enough let alone and
ear that prosperity would fly out of the
window while another sixteen-to-one con-
roversy was coming in at the door,
From all other points of view We are
atisfied that Mr.. Mckinley is weak
andidate for reelection. He Is not nearly
IS popular as he was four years ago, for
easons that are plain to every student OF
he situation. His imperial programme is
istrustcd by his own party and openly
opposed by many Of Its Oldest and strong
st leaders. His Philippine war is a ma
ional nightmare. Nobody Is enthusiastic
yer it-not even the soldiers who are in
I. Everybody would be glad to see 1t |
nded In any honorable and rational way.
equally unpopular are Mr. McKinIey's
realty enlarged army and navy estab-
and his inflated appropriations
or ornaments which cannot be needed il
re adhere to old American ideas and ways
-minding our own business and leaving
Their nations to mind theirs. And the
ong and varied catalogue of the Admins
rations scandals is certainly a load
eavier than any President seeking re-
lection has had to carry In this genera .
ion.
Is not the point of all this plain? Mr..
ryan and the Democratic leaders who
i'll have the framing Of the Kansas City
latform can take away the only really
Important element of strength Mr.. McKin-
~ has and put him at his weakest and
orst before the people by simply refusing
revive the 16 to 1 issue for his benefit I
nd forcing him to make his contest for
detection on the new battle ground of
lie live issues of 1900. 1t Is always poor
eneralship to attack the enemy in a
rongly fortified position OF his own choos- S
e. =