Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1900-03-15

unbroken front; now, thoroughly de-
moralized, 1t Is every fellow for him
self and the devil take the hindmost.
Then they were band of brothers;
now they are swapping and snarIing at
each other, bandying ordinations and
recriminations. Then they felt victory
in the air, shifted the battle from afar
and, like Jobs warhorse. calculated a
defiant "Ha, ham now
They feel like one who treads alone
Some banquet hall deserted,
Whose lights fed,
Whose garIands dead
And all but them departed.
The great question among them is
not who struck Billy Patterson, but
who killed Cock Robin, Cock Robin
being the Republican party. The presi-
dents political body servants say,
Congress did it." The congressman
say-mentally at least-'The president
did it." But, whoever did it, the ap-
pearances are that it is done Nobody
can explain satisfactorily why the pres
ident urged free trade with Porto Rico
In his message and why Mr. Chairman
Payne at first introduced free trade
measure and then why they all rated
to the tariff side. 1t is given out now
that Mr.. Secretary of War Root drew
the tariff bill, which in all probability
kills his vice presidential boomlet dead
as smelt, dead as a doornail, dead as
Julius Caesar. They can't defend Mr.
McKinley's somersault, they can't de-
fend Mr.. Payne's lofty tumbIing, and
they can distinctly hear the rumblings
Of the coming storm.
Getting News From Home.
They are getting the news from
home, which indicates that scores of
congressional seats have been imperil-
ed. They read the papers. and they
must have a creepy sensation up and
down their spinal columns when they
peruse such an editorial as this from
the Washington Post, independent,
goldbuggish, high tariff. The Post
says:
-Four years ago Mr.. Bryan stood for
what many regarded as propaganda
of anarchy. The silver plank in the
Chicago platform, which was, unfor-
tunately for the Democrats, made the
most conspicuous and threatening fea-
ture of the conflict, enabled the orators
and organs of the capitalistic eombina-
tions Of the country to proclaim that
Bryan's success meant dishonest
money the degradation of the dol
lar and the robbery of the horny
handed son of toll What dreadful
pictures We're drawn of the conse-
quenees of Democratic success it is
now 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 a hellborn carnival-these
were only a few of the grewsome pros
poets dangled before the eyes of the
ignorant and timid voter. Newspa-
pers ranted about the 80 cent dollar;;'
stump speakers brayed and howled
over the infamy of paying the laborer
only half his wage. Pensioners, per
sons depending upon limited annuities,
all the swarms of the salaried, were
told that they tottered on the brink of
penury. Never was there so simple
and so sharply defined an issue, and
never was the opportunity for blatant
and insensate outcry so inviting. We
all remember how it ended.
"But what a difference now! The
Republicans themselves have deliber-
ately removed the bugaboo of free sill
yer from their property room. The en-
action of the law fixing the gold stand
ard as part of our national policy
makes silver coinage impossible for at
least six years to come. No manufac-
turer or capitalist or great merchant
or employer need be frightened into
heavy contribution to the Republican
campaign fund. Were Bryan to be cho-
sen president next November and were
Democratic house to be elected 81
multaneously the peril of free silver,
| like that of free trade, would be no
nearer or more real than it is at this
moment. There would still be ma,
| jority in the senate capable of prevent
the disposal Of the executive to over
come the obstacle. Those two grisly
nightmares no longer throng the at
mosphere. 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 OFF
set this loss of weakness by the Democ-
racy? Very little, we fear. The splen-
did and successful conduct of the war
with Spain has been sadly clouded by
the scandals of mismanagement and
fayoritism which attended that glori-
ous consummation. The course of the
administration with reference to Cuba
and the Philippines has lost the party
many stout and potent friends. The
strange policy recently adopted toward
Porto Rico has outraged practically the
entire country. The Hay Pauncefote
treaty has still further impaired Mr..
McKinley's prestige, and the rumored
purpose of the president to compel its
ratification will il it should be real
lied, not only discredit the govern
ment, but bring contempt and odium
upon the party. In word, the situa-
ton, as 1t seems to us, is far more ia
vorable to Mr.. Bryan and far less SO TO
Mr.. Mckinley than ii was four years
ago.
In our opinion, the Republican par
| ty has lost ground to an alarming exs
tent within the past three months. Its
best friends and ablest exponents have
not been able to explain the betrayal
pf our national Integrity involved in
| the Hay Pauneefote treaty or to de-
fend the bad faith and cruelty involved
Ii our treatment DC Porto Rico We
say nothing OF the stupid misnanage-
pent Ia Cuba and the philinn'nos tha