The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1900-08-02
Can We Afford the Risk?

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high degree of sincerity in the matter
of his convictions advance the best
reasons for his reputation at the polls.
To link genius and sincerity together,
when the two are welded to a dan
gerous idea, is to provide powerful
weapon for the promotion of evil.
Zeal, sagacity and logged perse-
yerance, when directed towards the
debasement of a national currency,
are trinity of forces intensely to be
feared.
There are still some people who are
trying to persuade themselves that
Mr.. Bryan's election would not affect
the world of money. They hug the
notion that Republican Senate
will stop any tampering with the
thought that the Senate is safely
Republican for the next four years,
they draw the conclusion that Mr..
Bryan can do no harm.
Fancy Mr.. Bryan elected to the
presidency. He is believed to be
sincere in his Is to 1 theories. Does
anyone who knows the man think
| for moment that he will spend his
four years in office without an effort
in behalf of silver? The man is too
ardent and self-assertive in his tenn
permanent for that. His conduct at
the Kansas City convention has
shown what his action will be. For
consistency's sake he will never suffer
vate citizen he kept it in perpetual
ferment, and as a President of the
Republic he will be in a position to
accelerate the movement. Those
who know his nature feel satisfied
that his administration will be a four
| years crusade in behalf of silver.
He will lay plans, devise means and
bring to bear the immeasurable
power of the administration ma
chinery to further the cause he loves
devotedly. There will be no inaction
on his part growing out of the Re
publican control of the Senate. That
fact will merely spur him into more
energetic efforts. He will work for
the future. He will labor to dissolve
the only barrier between him and the
triumph of silver, by utilizing his
office in the promotion of his party
If he finds himself unable to establish
16 to during the first four years he
will work with unremitting toll to
make victory possible during the sue
ceeding shiftings in the Senate.
The business world understands al
that and trembles. Careful thinkers
realize that Mr.. Bryan's election
would mean four years of tinancia
suspense aud industrial uncertainty
No man in March, 1901, could predict
what changes might be wrought by
Mr.. Bryan before March, 1905. Will
such hazardous future before j
capital would naturally be reluctant
Long loans, which are indispensable
to successful enterprise, would b,
difficult to get. Men with none,
would be indisposed to put out thei
capital beyond the four-year perioC
of safety, for fear some radical cur
rency changes might rob them o
their means. Large ventures, sucl
as railroad loans, municipal bonds
big industrial undertakings and pri
vate business enterprises, which neet
loans for periods of five, ten fifteel
or twenty years, would find them
selves handicapped. The drying u
of confidence would check the wheel
of prosperity. Business would hesi
tate, then flag, than droop, the
stagnate. Then the scorching word
of hard times would again burn il
the experience of our people. 1t is
sequence as certain as logic Itself
and for that reason makes Mr.. Bryal
a danger.