The Washington weekly post., 1900-05-01
The lrrepresslble Disturber.

The Pennsylvania Republican platform
congratulates the country that tine money
question no longer distuTbs business con-
diuons." inasmuch as the gold standard
IS NOW established as the monetary unit
Of value"
The New York World speaks OF that as
"a candid admission OF an undeniable
fact" and gives the Pennsylvania Repub-
Icans credit for making il The World
declares that, even II Mr.. Bryan goes on
Until the fth Of July saying tnat free sill
vef IS an issue that cannot be dropped
# cannot be made an issue because it lis
settled for FIVE years" and no longer
Gisturbs business conditions The World
ADDS:
An issue IS a point in dspute-sOnething that
can be ettlei by the decision Of a court or the
verdict o. the people. The money question is not
an issue IN this election. Il has been decided by
the people in four successive elections, and that
decision has been enacted in;o law BY Congress.
It cannot be unsettled by any result Of the Pres-
dzuIal election, because the Senate for five years
TO come ls fixed immoya5lg against any disturbance
o. the settlement. = Bourbon has Seen defined as
man Who never learns and never iorgets anything
What is the proper designation Of a man who will
not recognize an obvious fact?'
We do not think there Will be much dis
cussion Of the silver question in this years
campaign, because the gold standard will
be beyond the reach Of free silver Presi-
dent and House Of Representatives for at
least two years after the expiration Of the
present Congress, and remote danger sell
dom creates excitement. But there IS no
doubt that the currency question. even
though rarely mentioned, VIII be a factor
iu the canvass. There are Democrats
how many remains to be determined-whO
viii not support q free coinage candidate.
There are a good many Democrats who
might bolt a gold standard platform.
There are probably a million Populists
who will flock by themselves if the Dem
Ccrauc National Convention Sights the
coinage ISSUE. The Silver Republicans, a
faction already reduced by desertion,
would decline en- masse to cooperate with
the Democracy If Bryan's contention for
free coinage were Overruled. 1t Will be
seen, therefore. that although If Mr.. Bryan
and a 16 to l House of Representatives
should be elected, they would be pOwerless
TO touch the standard, yet the old issue is
bound 10 have a considerable influence on
the roundup of voters next November.
Is the World sure that the Senate, for
five years to come, is fixed immOvably
against any disturbance of the settle
ment?" We observe that some Of our free
coinage contemporaries are claiming that,
If they get a good senG-off this year, they
viii I'm all probability capture the Senate
two years hence-the Senate of the Fifty
eighth Congress. that Will come in in the
middle of the next Presidential term. We
observe also that some of the most con-
servative Of the gold standard papers are
figuring in the same fashion. This would
seem TO indicate that there is still spark
of life left il 16 to in spite Of all the dis
couragements it has encountered. -Four
successive elections" in which tnat heTesy
has been defeated, and three years and six
months of bufeting against fate, three
years and six months, every day of which
has made the case more hoPeless-all this
has not placed that afliction on the re-
tired list. While, as We have said, not
much is likely to be said Of it in the Pres
identiaI canvass, it is still the chief OBJ
stacle to Democratic unity. 1t is still
where Mr.. Bryan and his most enthusias-
tic friends have hope Of its ultimate tri-
umph 1t is a dead" issue, in the sense
that it has been four times buried under
/ adverse majorities and Overwhelmingly
! discredited by the unanswerable logic of
| accomplished facts; but either its ghost or
/ its astral body is abroad. and seems IN
altcrabIy determined to continue walking.