The age-herald., 1900-07-08
WILL NOT BE A WALKOVER
Kohlsatt's Paper Sounds Note of Warn
 ing to the Republicans

ing to the Republicans
 It is about time the Republican leaders gathering in Philadelphia quit congratulat- ing themselves over the rosy prospects of a unanimous and harmonious convention and faced the fact that their party will not have walkover next November. The story of political conventions is full of warnings that internal harmony often precedes fall at the polls. It beSvts recklessness and a Eegleot of the means necessary to win be- fore the people.
 The certainty of the renomination of President Mckinley must not be inter- preted as a guaranty of his reelection. Viewed dispassionately, with the most friendly eye this certainty merely means that his administration meets with the hearty approval of the leaders of his party and in large measure of its rank and file.
 But the time has gone by when the leaders and the rank and file of any one party can elect whom they choose and upon whatsoever set of principles they may see fit to formulate. When parties grow arrogant and merely study their own aims and desires they invite the destruc- ton promised to the folly that says there Is no God-which in a republic is equiva- lent to saying there is no people, The unanimity over the head of the ticket is apt to deceive the Republican convention into thinking that "any old thing" that wears brooches will do for it's teii, lo Iely OH d DOdSll LII Teclldl or what the party has achieved in the four years of McKinleys administration, and to point with pride'' to the success of Amer 1can arms, diplomacy, and manufacturers abroad. But it is a wise saying that "the eyes of a fool are in the ends of the earth.' It is the wise fan who makes sure of his next step
 The Republican party may well plume itself on the passage of the sound cur rency bill establishing our finances on a solid, single gold standard. In that enact ment the party has fulfilled the promise and expectation of it's victory in 1896.
 But that very enactment has loosened the bonds that held thousands of independ- ent voters to the Republican ticket The country is secure for at least six years from any successful assault on it's financial credit
 This alone liberates thousands of voters from the necessity of supporting the Re- publican ticket as the only defense against the legions of repudiation and national dis honor
 That the Democracy intends to avail itself of the hopeessness of a campaign against the gold standard is proved by the indefiniteness of it's State utterances in indorsing the 16 to 1 plank of the Chicago platform.
 Neither must the Republican convention ignore the fact that there are thousands of voters who cast their ballots for Me- Kinley and Hobart four years ago who are Stubbornly disaffected toward the party's policy, or want of policy in Porto Rico and the Philippines. There is the possibility of loss of many votes on the false cry of imperialism.
 The strong and unquestionable card of the Republican party is the wonderful prosperity of the people and the nation This prevents disaffection in the party ranks, but it is not powerful influence in winning votes.
 Let us summarize half dozen questions that may cost the> Republican ticket votes l. The agitation against imperialism.
 2. The army canteen question 3. ''Our plain duty" to Porto Rico.
 4. Backward steps in the civil service
 5. The HayPauncefote treaty. 6. The Sampson-Schley controversy.
 We do not include the subject of trusts in this enumeration of weak spots in the Republican armor, for the opposition is without lance that can pierce 1t. es,S the scandal over the ice trust in New York has operated to the disadvantage of the Democrats. T
 But the Republican party must pro-, nounce boldly for a constitutional atnend-sl ment providing for the election of United states Senators by popular vote in the States. The Senate is the stronghold of trust interests, and it must be reformed. I
 We have said enough to show that the Republican convention cannot afford to- regard its nominees as good as elected. I
 It may well remember that after Phila- delphia comes Kansas City, and after Kansas City. November. Il
 There are a million votes in the United States upon which no party has a mort gage Harmony in June does not insure a walk over next fall il