Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1900-05-10
WANTED-A DEMOCRATIC ISSUE.
Philadelphia Press.l


Democratic leaders, Democratic papers
and the Democratic party have been out
after issues ever since Congress met. lie
sues have been scared up by the dozen.
Not one stands public discussion. With
the Presidential convention six weeks off,
there is not today before the country
single clean, clear issue on which the Dem
ocratic party challenges the attention OF
the country.
No Presidential campaign in our genera
ton has been 50 dead of fighting differ
ences. The tariff is gone a. all issue. No
Democratic paper is urging free trade and
nobody dreams # free trade canvass.
The silver question is at pass where Mr..
Bryan publicly says that the Western
States demand Is to and must have it to
win, and the Eastern papers, headed by
the New York World, assert that no East
ern State can be carried on this issue.
Trusts looked hop,in, 10 democrats awhile
back, but with prices falling, which the
trusts were to keep up, and with the Re
publican party proposing constitutional
amendment against them, this issue Is
bit weak. Even corporation" is in a
bad way a. AN issue when President Nc
kinley has fOlced the Pacific railroads to
pay in full debts a Democratic Attorney
General compromises; the New York Re-
publicans have taxed corporate franchises
as never before, and a Republican Con-
gress has prohibited new franchises in
Cuua and surrounded their grant in
Porto Rico with sharper and more drastic
limitations than ever before in American
legislation.
The "corporatiOn issue" locks bit use.
less under these conditions. Porto Rico
was to move men to cast out President
Mckinley. Has it? Mistakes may have
been made in details and the newspaper
tempest ragged for season, nut this Is over.
The island is under a civil government, its
industries have begun to revive and the
more this issue is discussed the less there
is in it. Cuba is absolutely barren. The
Philippines do not fire the public heart
Zoo many Democrats want to keep them
to urge their surrender, and Mr.. Bryan's
proposition, at some indefinite time, not
stated in some way, not defined, To give
them a measure Of independence, not de-
scribed is scarcely cry and issue for a
Presidential campaign, just when the Fill
pinos are shooting down American soldiers
and firing on the flag.
Yet this il the sum of the issues Of 1900
for the Democratic party. Not even QUAY
if left. He has gone with the hard times.
He once made Il useful Democratic bogy;
but even lie il rejected By the Republican
party. Wages are high, work plenty and
all the land prosperous. WHAT is left for a
party which four years ago declared that
labor WAS to be 'crucied on i cross Of
gold"
Colonel Bryan is really the only live
Democratic issue Mr.. Schurz sees this
and il beginning to back him. The Kansas
City convention is certain to nominate
him. He will make the platform AMI he
vii! be the platform. "BWan for Pre4i-
dent'--thi- il the one issue with which the
Democratic party enters the campaign Of
1870 nj hop,s to u",.e all the various
disrontrp, AMI opposition brewed in four
years past 1t is not much of an issue, but
there is 10 other apparent at this stage of
the campaign.