The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1900-04-28
PROPHETS WITH BLlNDERS
They Reckon Without Considering the
Average Hard American Com
mon Sense.

United States for 1900 will notice
the singular fact that on the 2oth
of March both the great parties
were beaten, according to declara-
tons made by some of their leaders.
There were Republicans who were
displeased because of things done
or not done about Puerto Rico, and
who were solemnly assuring hear
ers that if the election were held
that day Bryan would be chosen.
The same day there were leading
Democrats whose disgust at the
platform adopted and the speech
made by Mr.. Bryan at the Nebras-
ka Democratic Convention led them
to declare that he would be buried
under a mountain Of hostile maiori-
ties, and beaten worse this year
than in 1896. Evidently the two
set of prophets cannot be infa1lible.
Something hes been overlooked by
one or the other, or by both. But
when men insist upon looking at
nearby objects only through mar
row tube they always fail to see
some things, possibly of more i'm
portance than the things they do
see. It is we'll to put binders On a
cart horse so that he may see moth
ing but the narrow path ahead, but
it is not well to put bIinde1s On the
driver.
Infallible estimates of the future
are not to be expected from men
whose minds are fixed exclusively
on single phase of events. The
Republicans who assert that Indi-
ana and Minnesota, and even I1li-
nois, would vote against the party
today because of Porto Rico can re-
member if they try how dire disaster
was predicted four years ago if the
Republicans put gold plank into
their platform. 1t was in about
the same States, too, that idiocy on
the part of voters was then predict
ed. But Indiana gave IS, 900 plur-
ality for the gold plank and Nc
kinney, Minnesota 81, 900, and Hi
nois $4,000. The things these
prophets did not see were evidently
< much bigger than those they saw.
The people who predicted Demo
cratic victory through alliance with
the Popu1ists had not a much wider
vision. In Presidential year it is
quite the fashion to be certaio that
things disliked will bring utter ruin.
A rather useful exercise of the
mind just now is to consider what
the millions ofvoters who supported
each party in 1896 will think of the
results after they have spent some
months in discussion and in person.
al reflection on the subject. When
the campaign gets warm the mil
lions Of Republican voters will hear
from their Democratic neighbors
much about the :outrageous' and
"shameful' behavior oftheir party,
and they will naturally answer by
reclting what it has done for the
whole body of workers, whose
wages have been largely increased;
tor the business men, whose trans
actions have been more than doub-
ted; for the great industries, whose
progress has been such that dia,
gram of them for the last three
years looks like the profile of the
PALISADES, and in victorious war
tor the honor and future safety o.
the nation. How large a proper
ton of them will have these fruits
OF their wise action in 1896 recalled
to them every day for five months
and then vote the other way? O
course, there are cranks so consti
tuted that it is to them into1erabl
TO agree with sensible men, eve1
with their sane selves of yesterday
But are they more numerous thai
the Democrats who have 1earne,
something from the last four years
Men who have the pryphetic f