Morris tribune., 1900-07-21

another porIlOn Oh 1no pAduorm. Ii q
man announces that he believes in the
doctrine of the reputation of debts, il
makes not the slightest difference as tc
| the order in which he puts his two pol
icies. Neither does it make any differ.
ence whether the populistic Democracy to
which we are now opposed lays more
! stress upon it's determination to debase
the currency or upon it's determination to
| degrade the flag. We are opposed to both
| nronositions, and no self-respecting citi-
zen. in making up his decision, can afford
to neglect either.
There is little need to argue against
free silver now What need we say
against a doctrine which would work a
sweeping and destructive revolution in
orr financial system, and yet which is ad-
yanced by party after violent contest
in which nearly half of that party has op-
posed itf
Comedy and Tragedy 9ntermingled.
At Kansas City it took the Democrats
two days to determine upon the free silver
plank in their platform The rest of the
blanks did not need an hours work And
vet the party solemnly ask that the two
days plank shall be relegated to second
ary position. Indeed, if their attitude on
this question was not full of such terrible
possibilities of tragedy to the nation, 1t
would amount to farce.
MY fellow townsmap, Mr.. Richard
Croker, the arbiter of the destinies Of the
New York Democracy, has recently
evolved theory which is entirely worthy
of consideration by any man who Is will
ing to take the Kansas City convention
itself seriously. Mr.. Croker has an
nounced that he thinks congress should
change the ratio every four years so that
the one thing certain about our dollar
would be that no one ever could prophesy
more than th$a length of time in advance
what it would amount to. Mr.. Croker s.
party associates appear inclined, 1t is
true, to treat his views on finance with
leyity. But in reality he is just as much
entitled to serious treatment from them
as they are entitled to serious treatment
from US. 1t is hardly necessary to say
that not merely free silver, but the very
threat of free silver would paralyze our
whole industAial life
What Bryan's Election Would Mean.
The election of Mr.. Bryan would cause
such economic and financial chaos as to
reduce this whole country to.a condition
of fearful and acute distress that cannot
be imagined even by those who keep
fresh in mind the dark days of 1893-only
seven years ago. Any representatives OF
the populistic Democracy, as at present
whom Mr.. Bryan could ap-
point as secretaries of state and for the
treasury, would inevitably bring this
country to the brink of ruin; they would
do far more to harm it now than they
could have done four years ago.
Now as to expansion. 1t hardly seems
worth while to waste any time upon what
the Kansas City people call imperialism
and militarism The dominant note OF
the Kansas City convention was insincer-
ty The convention which nominated
Mr.. Bryanin 1900 was in character infin-
tely below that which nominated him in
1896. In 1896, for all their. wild and
dangerous folly, his advocates had at
east the merit of sincerity in their bitter
'anaticism. However wrong headed they
knew what they believed and they stated |
t without fear.
Merely Matter of Policy.
In 1900 their actions were determined |
purely by policy, and their pandering to
he worst and most degraded passions in
'ur national life, bad enough in all con-
cience sake in itself, was rendered inf1n-
tely worse because robbed of every YES
ige of honesty and sincerity It took
hem two days to find out what they be-
leved about free silver and this was the
My plank concerning which they took
he trouble to find out their beliefs at ALL |
hey reasserted the doctrines Of anarchy
which they preached in 1895, not because
hey longer believed in them. but because
hey hoped by announcing them to attract |
o themselves all men of unsound and |
iolent mind. When it came to dealing
7ith our foreign policy they deliberately
trove to foster resistance to the national
ag where such resistance already exists
nd to call itinto being where it does not
xlst, with the hope of gaining some petty
arty advantage at no matter what cost |
ruin to the nation They mouth about
Imperialism and militarism knowing that
here is not one thread of truth in what
hey say; knowing, if they know any
alng, that their words are putting pre-
llum upon .ouble in every island from
'hlch the Spaniards have been driven;
nd caring nothing, because they wish to
urchase party success even at the cost of
lshonesty to to the flag or death and suf-
,ring to the men who fight under the
ag. Bitter indeed is the cup they hold
ut to the nation to drink and thrice bit
'r it will be for the nation if it does not
ourn it,
Regarding Cuba and Porto Rico.
What they say about Cuba and Porto
,ico need not detain us for a moment. In
orto Rico we now have Governor Allen
| charge. We have established a system
nder which the island is advancing py
aps and bounds to prosperity In Cuba
g have put General Wood in charge
nd all the preliminary steps have been
ken to give to the people of the island
lelr own governments. Our pledge to
uba shall of course be kept. General
food's administration is synonym for
onesty and cleanliness and the minute Il
lat fraud was discovered in the postal de- !,
srtment the wrongdoers were hunted
own in unspairing pursuit, and the best /
ossible proof was thereby given that we I
eant what we said and that government
i cleanliness would be obtained in the
ally possible way by the unspairing cut {,
ng out OF corruption wherever it was
'und.
We now come TO the Philippines and to
l0 general uueafiop Of avpDps;ax ~. ,