El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-10-04
JAMES H. ECkELS.
(Coutinued from 2nd p age }

conservative in the party than seemed
to be the case in 1896, makes any diff
ference Mr.. Bryan still gives official
voice to the party's views, maps out his
campaigns and writes its platforms.
Mr. Bryan's intimates and advisers are
still populists and self-seekers. with
the added contingent of Tammany's
bosses He has neither use nor care
for any man who is conservative in
his views or careful in his utterances.
Effect on Gold Basis.
IF elected president the public must
be prepared to see Mr.. Bryan, as chief
executive and those associated with
him as cabinet counselors. construe
every law bearing upon the currency
and the powers of the treasury depart
ment in such a manner as to nullify.
as best they can. its provisions in so
far as they bear upon the question of
the maintenance of the gold standard.
His populist allies boast that they seek
power that they may bring about the
repeal of the existing law. and to this
end they are Mr.. Bryan's champions
and defenders.
"He can and will keep the country
in a state of ferment and uncertainty
in an attempt to bring about the larg-
er use of silver as redemptive mon
ey. The experiment is too dangerous
a one to be entered upon by any on the
grounds that the gold standard is so
fixed in law that il cannot be dis
turbed, no matter who may be presi-
dent or secretary of the treasury. The
law ought to be executed with a con-
struction favorable to it to fully carry
out its provisions and not in man
ner antagonistic to them. 1t is not a
perfect law, but can be made so by
its friends 1t can be made abortive
by its enemies once firmly entrenched
in power.
Bryan and Recent War.
1T will hardly do for any sound
money democrat or republican to sup
port Mr. Bryan because of a supposed
better position he occupies than Mr..
Mckinley on the question of colonial
possessions. despite his worst position
on the question of the monetary stand
ard the supreme court. the enforce
ment of law and the right of private
contract. Mr.. Bryan's position can
hardly be as satisfactory one on an
analysis growing out of the Spanish
war.
He and his friends, in order to put
the administration to a political dis
advantage. urged on the declaration
of war with Spain. and when it was
over Mr.. Bryan. personally. at Wash
ington. through personal advice and
solicitation brought into line a suffi-
cient number of democratic senators
to ratify the treaty of Paris, despite
the fact that it provided for the pur-
chase and taking sovereign possession
of Porto Rico. and the Philippines,
without any provision for giving them
any home government whatsoever.
The evils and burdens of the present
moment growing out of the Spanish
war are to be laid as much at the
door of Mr.. Bryan and his party as
at that of Mr.. Mckinley and his. His
explanation of his reason for wishing
the treaty ratified is wholly superficial
and does not bear analysis.
Policy on Philippines.
Il imagine that self-government
will come quite as readily through the
administration of Mr.. Mckinley as
through that of Mr.. Bryan. 1t will
not come under either until the Phil
ippines are fitted for it. property
rights safe and personal ones protect
ed. / hardly believe Mr.. Bryan could
do more than send a commission there,
as the president has done, in order to
take steps looking to supplanting the
military government with a civil one.
THE country will not sanction the
immediate abandonment of those is
lands to disorder and pillage. When
q time comes that there is safety in
a constitutional home government. on
ly remaining within the sphere of the
influence of the United States, and
public sentiment is to this end. il can
be put down that Mr.. Mckinley's adj
ministration will readily grant it, for
| believe it is generally admitted that
no one is more ready to put himself
in touch with public sentiment than
the president. or act in accordance
Herewith with more alacrity. If Mr..
Bryan means an immediate abandon
ment of our control in the islands he
must certainly fail of support. for no
thoughtful person will sanction a poll
cy which will make the country ri
diculous in the eyes of the world.
Would Not Trust Him.
IF Mr.. Bryan and his party had
stood out as they should have against
the Spanish war: and had opposed in
stead of assisted in ratifying the Paris
treaty. they would be in a better posi-
ton to confront republican plans and
purposes for they would at least be
consistent with their action. AS it is
now they urged the war. but now wish
to avoid the consequences in order to
gain political power by so doing. AS
il is. | don't see that Mr. Bryan is less |
of an eXpanionists, through force of |
which he assisted in |
creating. than is Mr.. Kinley. The diff |
ference is certainly not great enough |
to make any man surrender his con- |
victions on other great questions to |
accept him upon one.
1T may also be fairly doubted |
a man with so many erron-
eous ideas as to the conduct of the |
domestic affairs of the nation can be |
trusted to have right ones when it |
comes to managing our foreign prop
critics.
AS to Porto Rico.
AS to the question growing out of |
the Porto Rico tariff. | believe the adj /