Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-10-26
THE DOLLAR AND THE LOVE
OF 1T.

Money is the only thing to-day that
the Republican party is giving SUI
preme Importance TO. 1t was not so in
the early days of the Republican
party. For in 1859. when Lincoln was
praising Thomas Jefferson, and when
Republicans were celebrating the
then Lincoln said that the Republican
party believed in the man and the dol
lar: but in case of conflict it believed
in the man above the dollar. To-day
the Republican party believes in the
dollar first and the man afterward, if
at all; and I show you that this Is
true by citing to you the fact that in
this campaign, which involves the
rights of man and the liberty of the
human race. the Republican party has
yet been able 10 get before the people
but the one question, and it says that
the only question Is the money ques-
tion.'-Mr. Bryan at Baltimore.
Every healthy-minded American cit
lien takes proper pride in the mar
Vicious extension of our trade abroad
and the unparalleled development of
our great resources at home. Our ma
terial development has outrun our de-
velopment in any other direction. Our
wealth has grown proportionately fas-
ter than our population; has even out
run our splendid territorial expansion.
We have developed far more rapidly
in material things than in education,
morals. art. letters and the gentler and
less substantial things of life. From
Il raw nation. borrowing it's capital,
importing nearly every article of use
and comfort. including even the
bricks for It's houses, we have come lin
little more than n century, to be the
dominant commercial factor of the
world. driving European manufac-
turers from their own markets and
lending money to the richest nations
OF Europe. The material development
of the United states is the most stu
pendous fact of the 10Th century.
In this splendid record we are sure
that none takes greater pride and sat
isfaction than Mr.. Bryan. He can not,
however. be insensible of its dangers.
These dangers long ago become ap-
parent to DISTINGUISHED observers the
world over. Scarcely n European his
torian or economist of the last half
century but has left his warning TO
the American people. On the face of
the facts, no people that have done
what the American people have done
in tho short space OF a hundred years
need be advised to look out for the
dollar or TO love and cherish 1t. The
danger is always that the love of the
dollar may become the dominant pas
sion to a degree that shall make them
callous to the demands of justice and
the rights of their fellows.
Mr. Rryan's indictment of the Re-
publican party is none too strong. The
men who control it are deliberately
appealing to the Americans love of the
dollar for their own personal adj
vantage. They are deliberately accen-
tuating an already abnormal charac-
teristic of our people, that they may
profit thereby. They are doubling the
most serious danger that can threaten
the nation, and for the most sordd
motives. They seek to make love of
the dollar not only the ruling passion
of Americans. but to harden 1t into
n miserly monomania that shall first
trample on the rights OF the weak
abroad. and afterward shall crush the
weak at home.
Ii is we'll that 4 people should seek
and enjoy material prosperity. That
is II lesson that need not be taught TO
the American people. They already
know it. What they do need to be
taught is that nation can not play
fast ana loose with its principles any
more than q man; that it can not
claim rights for itself that il denies
to others. because it believes such n
course Will pay; that when a Republic
surrenders the creed upon which it
was founded. it surrcndcrs in the eyes
of the world, and of its own citizens,
the reason for its existence as Re
public. This is the lesson that Nir.
Bryan is seeking to teach, and whether
it bring him victory or defeat it makes
of him the Republics greatest citizen.