New-York tribune., 1900-07-11
AN AYTIIMpERIALIsT DILEMMA

The attitude of the Anti-ImpertaliSts in the
present campaign may perhaps without dis
courtesy be described as more interesting than
important They are scarcely numerous enough
and scarcely we'll enough organized to affect
materially the result of the polling. 1t does not
seem probable that they will nominate a Presi-
dental candidate of their own or even formally
commit themselves as a body TO the support of
any candidate otherwise nominated. But the
individual choices made by representative men
Of that party-if party it can be called-aTe and
will be interesting to observe. The interest of
the situation is considerably heightened by the
fact that many of the Anti-Imperialists, espe-
cially in the Eastern States. have hitherto in
clned strongly toward the support Of honest
money and Civil Service reform. They were
long ago, therefore, doomed to confront the
dilemma of having to choose between President
Mckinley, whom they profess to regard AS the
exponent of that imperialism" to which they
are opposed, and Colonel Bryan the undoubted
exponent Of the financial heresies which they
have always detested. There has been, there
fore, looking forward to the ce-Presidential
candidates as possibly calculated to temper the
yicssitudes Of the general situation. To what
extent these hopes have or have not been real
lied, so far as the Democratic nomination is
concerned, il should not be difficult for the in
telligent observer to determine. Yet upon that
point there seems to be among the Anti-Im-
perialists themselves the most pronounced diff
ference of opinion.
Mr.. f. NJ. Ordway. the secretary Of the Anti
Imperialist League. for example unhesitatingly
declares that he will vote for Bryan and Steven
son, no matter what the league as an organi-
zation may decide or recommend. He will do so
ito rebuke the Mckinley policy He thinks
many Anti-Imperialists will do the same. And
ri ctafa hot
stevenson will draw good many conservative
"votes." We are not sure that more extraOr-
dinary statement than that or one more indica-
tive of reckless and erroneous judgment has
been made or is likely TO be made in this cam
paign. For, whatever else he may be or may
not be, Mr.. Stevenson is certainly about as far
as possible from being a conservative or q can
didate calculated to win conservative votes In
the silver craze of four years ago he was an
outspoken advocate of free coinage, wing with
Mr.. Bryan himself in the extreme character if
not in the loquacious expression of his views
Before that, in the greenback craze he was an
equally outspoken advocate OF fiat money So
much for his appeal TO conservative voters on
financial grounds. On grounds Of Civil Service
reform it is necessary only to recall that his
chief eminence in politics has been due to his
career as the ''headsman" Of a spoils Admins
tration and the most unbushing and unbrjdIed
sportsman Of his time. 1t is simply inconceiv-
able, unless 10 some Anti-Imperialist brain. that
any conservative voter can consider that the
nomination Of Mr. Stevenson in the least degree
palliates the affront of Organism
We have said that there is radical differ
ence Of opinion among Anti-Imperialists on this
matter. Mr. Charlton T. Lewis a vice-presI
dent Of the Anti-Imperialist League declares
that in his view of the case the league should
indorse the denomination of President McKin
ley and all the members of it should vote for
him, as Mr. Lewis himself intends to do. De-
spite the frantic attempts of the Bryanite
ostrich TO hide its free silver and socialist head
in the sand and leave only it's anti-imperiaIist
body exposed 10 view. Mr.. Lewis sees and saws
that ''the supreme issue is the same as four
years ago" The like of the Bryanite party has
not been seen since the Mountain of 1893 and
the Commune of 1871, and for Anti-Imperial-
lists 10 support such party Mr. Lewis re-
CARDS as little less than insanity II will be
interesting TO observe how many Anti-Imperial-
lists agree with Mr.. Ordway and how many with