The Portland daily press., 1900-10-11
THE POLITICAL TIDE.


1t must be perfectly apparent to every
one who keeps his eyes open that the
tide is setting more strongly toward the
Republican candidate every day. This
Is due largely to the fast that the near
approach OF election is forcing the
voters to make up their minds to some
definite line Of acton. 1t is perfectly
well known that there has been a very
large hesitating element in this CAM
paign, that thers has been a great num-
Der OF voters who were not heartily in
accord with either candidate or either
platform. They did not ike the Repub-
Ican foreign policy and they abhorred
Mr.. Bryan's silver doctrines. These
voters have been holding back and de-
clining to take any definite position
until the contest had disclosed the
spirit and purposes Of the two parties
and their candidates more clearly. Many
of these were men whose political afilia-
tions had always been with the Demo-
cratic party, and though they had
left 1t in 1896 on account Of the
silver issue, the most Of them had made
up their minds to return to the fold this
year, even though Bryan was again the
candidate, provided they could convince
themselves that the silver question lad
ceased to Re a vital question, and that
Bryan=s election would not imperil the
financial and business interests OF the
country. The platform adopted at Kan
sas City with its r8afIirmation Of the
Chicago platform and its express reitsra-
ton Of the silver dogma was wet
blanket, but a great many Of
them still refused to commit themselves
and adopted a waiting policy, hoping
that the candidate and his managers
might relegate to obsourity the Issues
which drove them out OF the party four
years ago. But they have hoped against
hope. They have sheard Bryan declare
that the silver issue was as important as
ever, they have seen him dodge answer
ing questions which would have clearly
revealed whether he was still enamOured
with the sixteen TO one policy,
they have listened to his dema-
gogical appeals to class prejudice. They
have seen the paramount issue Of i'm
psralism practically side-tracked, and
the same anarchistic talk which they
listened to in 1896 revived. They are
now convinced that the Bryan of 1900
stands just where the Bryan Of 1895 stood,
that be has abated not one. jot or little of
his heresies; that his election this year
would constitute just as strong menace
to financial stability and business pros
perity as it would in 1896. The light
which they waited for has now come,
and they see clearly what their course as
patriotic citiziens should be; and seeing
this they are making known their de-
cision to vote for Mckinley, Within the
past week a dozen or. more prominent
Gold Democrats, men who were high up
in thu counsels Of the old Democratic
party before it began to consort with
populism, have declared their intention
to vote the Republican ticket, and
their Influence has carried with them
thousands who had been hesitating like
themselves. Such well known names as
John q. Carlisle, Wheeler H. Peokham,
ex-G Governor HoadIey OF Ohio, George L.
Rives and William Edmond Curtis figure
in the list.
Should a glance at these names ara
the many others that might be mentioned
not prove entirely convincing that IN this
last month Of the campaign the tide is
setting strongly toward Mckinley ana
away from Bryan 1t can be supplemented
by Mr.. Bryan's own utterancss. What
can be the meaning of his fran
tic appeals to class prejudice, what the
significance Of his shrieks of bribery ez-
cept that he feels that he is rapidly losing.
ground, Why is be inysnting, four weeks
in advance of election, explanations OF
his defeat unless because he sees the
handwriting upon the wall?
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