Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1900-07-13
Paramount Issues.


William Jennings Bryan is the Pres
1dential candidate of three parties He
was. first nominated by the Populists
in convention assembled at Souix
Falls. Then he was nominated last
week by the Democrats at Kansas
City. and almost simultaneously the
Silver Republicans met also in Kan
sas City and placed his name at the
head of their ticket. These three con-
yentions have adopted platforms diff
fering in several respects. The Souix
Falls people showed that they would
not be content with silver dollars, but
would demand unlimited greenbacks,
while greenbackism at Kansas City
was manifested only in the selection
OF an old Greenbacker for Vice Presi-
dent. All the platforms, however have
one thing in common, that is, devotion
to free coinage at the ratio of 16 to /.
1t is that common element which
brought about the Populist-Democrati
Silver Republican fusion. 1t is the
purpose to achieve the overthrow of
the gold standard which stimulates
these diverse efforts arising in differ
ent quarters and all working for an ell
ovation OF Mr.. Bryan, and if Mr.. Bryan
succeeds his success; will mean, first
and foremost, the triumph of the pol
icy on which the parties supporting
h inn IN yscs III i- fol CO
pretence for any one Of those parties
to try to fool voters who do not be-
fieses 4, e. e. -.common principle by de-
claring that something else is the
paramount issue If it were, would
there be any such union of silver
forces? If it were, would Mr. Bryan
be the Democratic candidate?
Everybody knows that nothing but
free silver would have taken the Sfl-
yer Republicans from allegiance to the
party with which on other things they
were in general agreement. If they
had thought imperialism" the para
mount issue" they would not have
been holding a convention. If it had
not been for silver and their devotion
to the great champion of silver, Mr.
Bryan, the Populists would be making
a hight of their own instead of waiting
while their candidate for Vice-Presi-
dent decides whether he can best
running or retiring. If imperialism"
were paramount with the Democrats
the real "anti-imperialist" leaders
would have been turned to at this time
rather than the silver leader. But they
had no more influence at Kansas City
than the advocates of the gold stand
ard Mr.. Bryan's power is the power
of silver. He was nominate four
years ago because of silver, and his
subsequent ascendency is due to it.
ANY other issue than the anarchistic
and silver policy of the Chicago plat
form taking hold of the Democracy
would infallibly have brought Other
men to the front.
Mr.. Bryan has no consistent record
on the expansion question. He favor
ed the treaty annexing the Philippines
and, according to the constitutional
theory which he now advocates, max
ing the Fihpinos citizens of the Unit
ed States, entitled to the personal
guarantees OF our Constitution and in
due time to participate in the govern
ment of this continent. Yet the DEM
pcratic version of the triple platform
on which he stands declares that the
Filipinos must not be citizens, and he
is striving for the Presidency pledged
To help them to form a government
quite unwarranted by the Constitution
which he says they are under, and
which, II that is true, he helped to put
them under. The fast is Mr.. Bryan's
nanti-imperialism is merely an ex-
pedient to gain votes. Until 1t seemed
useful he had no conviction on the
snbiect. He was the Prophet Of Sill
yer. ready to lead imperialism" or
.ants-imperialism" or both in another
financial campaign, mad when the
Democratic leaders in Congress first
took issue with the Republicans over
the annexation OF the Spanish islands
ne kept himself carefully in position
10 Jump either way concerning their
disposition, and now in his Democratic
platform jumps both ways, protesting
in one breath that they are in the I'm
ion and also that they cannot be in the
Union.
Real serious thinkers over para
mount issue" do not blunder in that
way n trying to lind out wha their