Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1900-11-02
REPUBLICAN NOMINATIONS.
The Campaign.

election day and thus far there has been
but little appearance of presidential
campaign. People have been attending
to their business and evidently giving
little thought to the important matter c
which they must decide on November .. a
1t looks like an apathetic conditions
if the people did not care-and polltl-
clans are becoming alarmed about it,but
as matter of fact the people do care
and will doubtless express themselves at
the polls with as large vote as ever toi-
lows an exciting campaign.
The people are reading and thinking
and must be more or less perplexed be-
cause of the lack of sharpness i'll the
issues presented. Always, heretofore
there has been some well defined issue
which made sharp demarcation be-
tween two leading parties. For years 1t
was the slavery question; then ques-
tions growing out of the war and recon-
struction then the tariff question and
in the last campaign the silver question.
In all these questions the line OF demar-
cation was sharp and clear and voters
had no difficulty in ranging themselves
on one side or the other. This cam
paign is peculiar in that it seems to
present no bottom principle to fight Tor,
and that is probably the reason why
there is so little fight. The republican
party is in power and stands on It's rec
ord. The democratic party is out oil
power has no record to defend ana
assails the record made by the republl-
can party without saying what 1t would
have done itself under the same set OF
circumstances.
The contest seems to narrow down, not
to between two well defined and oppo-
site principles, but to mere matter oil
men and records. The republican party
in its platform and in the letter OF ac-
captance of it's candidate simply re-
heated the record of things done by it
during the last four years and presents
that to the people for their judgment as
to whether they want that record COLI
tinued. The democratic party presented
its candidate and its theory, and in its
platform and by the speech OF acceptance
of its candidate reaffirmed old issues,
but declared taat they were not para
mount and strove to create an Issue
which the republicans deny exists. The
democratic party has no record OF &C
complishment and can only assert a
record which might or might not have
been made. So, it seems to us, voter
can do nothing else but compare the
candidates and take the general tenden-
cies of the two parties as his guide i'll
making his decision. 1t comes Just to
this: Which of these two men is the
safest TO have at the head of the admin.
istration of this country? Which OF the
influences behind these two men is the
safer as the dominating influence ovel
the affairs of this nation? AS to the
characteristics of the two candidates
they are well known by their own words
and acts. Mr.. Mckinley has been il
public life since his young manhood, as
legislator, as congressman, governor OF
his state and president Of the United
States. Mr.. Bryan is better known as
an orator than as practical worker
He has served in congress and was colone
of volunteer regiment which was not
called into the field, during the Spanish
war. He has no record of accomplish
ment whatever, no record whatever as {
statesman. No one could prophecy wha
sort of president he would make. II
1896 he made stump speeches ant
prophesied all sorts of evil to the coun
try if republican administration was
elected. NOl ouc VI NO PioPiiSSiSo S'i'i'
true, but exactly the opposite happened
He now says that free coinage OF silver
on which he then declared the whole
prosperity Of the country depended, il
not the paramount ISSUE He has evi
IDENTIFY shifted and changed. Mr.. Nc
Kinley has record of accomplishment
He shows what has been done in foul
years of administration. A tariff law
was passed Immediately which restored
the conditions Of prosperity. The ma
tons credit was again brought up tt
the highest point currency law passet
making the basis of business stable, ant
the balance of trade turned in favor O.
this country to the amount OF millions
of dollars.
The only real issue is as to whether
an administration which has been triet
and under which the nation has pros
pered, under which it has arrived at the
foremost position among the nations Of
the world, under which people have
been prosperous, happy and contented
shall be Endorsed and continued OF
whether a new experiment shall be tried
which even those who propose it do not