The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1900-08-16

| THE followers of Bryan are proverb-
tally unfortunate in issues that they
make the paramount issues Of their
campaigns and it may be truely said
| that their misfortunes seem to be the
good fortune of the people at large. In
1896, the day after Mr.. Bryan made his
famous speech at the Chicago Conven-
ton, there can be no doubt that there
was enough sympathy with the move
ment he inaugurated to elect him had
the issue been put to vote at that
time. But there were nearly four
months to elapse before the question of
10 to 1 could be put to the test of the
ballot and in the interim the people
had time and opportunity to shake off
the spell of Mr.. Bryan's oratory, and
bring their minds under the guidance of
truth and reason. The result was dis
astrous to Mr.. Bryan's hopes. His
theories could not support themselves
before the uncompromising scrutiny of
the voting citizens of the United States.
Every day that elapsed between the
great day when Mr.. Bryan launched
his paper boat and the day when the
people of the United States were to
drop their verdict into the ballot box
detracted from the Bryan boom. Had
the vote come IA December rather than
in November it is more than likely
that the majority of Mr.. Mckinley
would have been. very materially in
creased. Afterssfour years in which to
deliberate on the question aided by the
light Of changed and greatly improved
conditions, the public has SO deeply
impressed its seal of disapproval upon
the wild schemes Of the visionary
Bryan that even Bryan himself is
aware of the defunctness of his free
silver idea and seeks to put it in a
secondary place in his platform.
The issue, which Mr.. Bryan and the
Democrats supporting him are endeav-
oring to make the paramount issue in
the present campaign, seems to be
doomed to d similar fate to that of the
engrossing issue Of 80. There is this
difference however, that the issue of
'simperia1ism' lost its vitality before it
became incorporated into the Demo
cratic platform There was a time.
when the opposition to ''imper-
ria1ism'' and Expansion" under
the valient leadership of such
man as Hoar, was at it's height,
when, as a plank in a political
platform, it might have been a vote
competitor. But, like the man who
strikes repeatedly with all his strength
at something that e1udes his blow, the
opponents of ''imperia1isn" have de-
generated by expenditure of force.
si4fon has proved to be only an illusion.
AS a-resu1t many men and many lead
ing journals, like Senator Hoar and
Harpers Weekly, who n the beginning
fought the bugaboo with the rest, now
stand shoulder to shoulder with Pres
ident Mckinley.
It IS remarked, \ that even at this early
stage in the campaign many Democrats
are dissatisfied and disappointed with
the paramount issue. It is not
meeting with the public approval ex-
pected. The trouble lies in two quar-
tiers. Already the matter has been so
we'll sifted that it fails to make appeal
to public sentiment, while the incon-
sistency, and even hypocracy of those
who are promulgating the consent of
the governed is so pa1pab1e that even
those who might be enticed by the
sentiment have been repealed by the
insincerity of its promulgators.