The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-03-06
SPIRIT OF THE PRESS.
MIR. BRYAN'S CHANCES
W ashington Post.

| Washington Post.
Assuming that Hon. William J. Bryan
will be the Democratic nominee this
! year, and there seems little doubt of il
ut the present moment, let lis east his
! horoscope. so far as that may be possible,
| III the lights before us. The campaign
| is close ut hand. Within four months
both tickets and platforms will be before
| the people. We all recall the crcum-
! stances of 1896. What will be the stu
alton. and what the prospects, in this
year CT our Lord. 1900!
Four years ago Mr.. Bryan stood for
what many regarded as a propaganda of
anarchy. The silver plank in the Chica-
90 Platform. which was, unfortunately for
| the Democrats, made the most consp. cal
Gus and threatening feature of the con-
tlict. enabled the orators and organs of
the capitalistic combinations of the
| country to proclaim that Bryan's sue
cess meant dishonest money!" the de
graduation Of the dollar" and the rob
! berry Of the horny -handed son of toll.
| What dreadful pictures were drawn of
! the consequences of Democratic success,
| it is new impossible to adequately de-
! scribe. The wreck Of enterprise and in
dustry, the ruin of the poor man. the
determination Of agriculture. and the
dawn Of Il he!l-born carnival-theSe were
{ only Il few of the greW>ome prospects
dangled before the eyes of the ignorant
and timd voter. Newspapers ranted
about the 'fifty-cent dollar, stump
speakers brayed and hoWled over the III
! fanny of paying the labOrer only half his
/ wages. Pensioners. persons depending
! uVon limited arnuitieS, I'LL the SwarmS
of the salaried, were told that they tot
| tered on the brink of perjury. Never was
there 50 simple and so sharply defined an
! issue, and never was the opportunity for
blatant and iusensate cutlery 50 inviting.
, We al remember how it ended
| But what Il difference now. The Re
pubican> themselves have deliberately
removed the bugabOo of free silver from
| their property room. The enaction of
! the law fixing the gold standard as part
Of our national policy makes silver coin
age impossible for at least SIX years To
come. No manufactures or capitalist OF
| great merchant or employer need be
| frightened into heavy contribution 10 the
| Republican campaign funi. Were Bry
/ an TO be chosen President next NOvem-
| Der. and were Il Democratic House tc
! he elected SimultaTeOusy Y, the peril OF
free silver like that of free trade, would
! be no nearer or more real than 1t Is al
I this moment There would still be j
! ma iority in the Senate capable of pre-
venting either calamity. and no power al
! the disposal OF the Executive to over
| come the obstacle. Those TWO gr.sly
| nightmares no longer throng the atm0s
| phcre. No one outside of nurseries and
! asylums can now be frightened by these
buckram spOokS.
| On the other hand. what strength has
| the Republican party gained to offset
This loss of weakness by the Democracy
! Very little. we fear. The splendid and
! successful conduct of the war will
Spain has been sadly clouded by the
scandals of miSnana cement and favotlt
ism. which attended that glorious con
sllnma ton. The course of the Admin
istration with reference to Cuba and the
Philippines has lost the PARTY many
stout and potent friends. The strange
policy recently adopted toward Porte
Rico has outraged practically the entire
! country The HayPauncefote treaty
/ has still further impaired Mr.. Mckin.
! lcy's prestige. and the rumored purpose
of the President to compel its latifica
tion will. if it should be realized, not only
! discredit the Government, but bring
! contempt and odium upon the party. In
| Il word, the situation, as it seems TO us