The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1901-06-29
THE COMING ISSUE.
Growing Prosperity I'm the sesth
Pats the Democrats In .
Quandary.

Mr.. Breckenridge, formerly demo-
cratic congressman from Kentucky,
suggests an issue for his party in 1904.
1t being impossible to win without
holding the Bryan or regular demo-
Gratis and ut the same time bringing
back the revolters of 1896 and 1900, he
would have brand-new issue which
bears no relation to the currency
question or any other which has been
productive of democratic discord.
This issue, he thinks, should con-
Germ "our relations with our new pos
sessions" on the sensible assumption
that these will be retained as mat
ter of course, and that of a certainty
"the principles promulgated by the
supreme court in the late opinions will
be accepted by the people"
Undoubtedly Mr.. Breckenridge pro-
poses a step ahead for the democratic
party, which would keep it in pace with
the progress of enlightened public SEN
timent and rescue it from futile
struggle to keep alive dead and buried
issues. But, so far as we have seen,
he does not define the issue he pro-
poses to make. If there is to be
contest over "our relations with our
new possessions" it must be over
something more than mere pretext
for difference trumped up in order to
pick quarrel. 1t must be principle
regarding which there is natural and
radical division between the two par
ties; that is actually in broad public
sentiment.
| At present, no such issue has crys-
tallized, and none appears to be in
process of crystallization. Nor is there
now any more indication of unity and
homogeneity in the democratic party
concerning the question raised by Mr..
Breckinridge) than there was over the
issue of 16 to ] raised by Mr.. Bryan in
1896 and 1900. The stronghold of the
democracy at this time is the south
ern states, but it is manifest that
III them largeNpart of the most intel
! ligent and enterprising democrats are
practically in accord with the McKin-
! ley administration as to the policy to
be pursued toward our new posses
sions. The south is eager for the
progress which will come to it from
| the extension and development of our
oriental commerce, and obviously, Bry-
ans issue of the consent of the gov
erned" cannot appeal consistently or in
any way reasonably to states which
I have united in DISTINGUISHING their
! own negro citizens. Moreover, the new
manufacturing development of the
south has created there notable sym
pathy with the old republican tariff
policy of protection.
Meantime, Mr.. Bryan denounces "the
principles promulgated by the supreme
court in the late opinions" and still
clings to his ''anti-imperialism,"
though, obviously, Mr.. McKinley's pos
tive refusal to take n third nominal
ton, even if it should be offered to
him, has made that humbug issue i'm
possible. He also declines to surrender
the leadership of the democratic party,
and seems to be cherishing n purpose
to resist to the last any attempt to
depose him from it made by democrats
who revolted against his candidacy in
the campaigns of 1896 and 1900. What
ever shall be the democratic issue in
1904. Mr.. Bryan, it may be assumed,
will insist on shaping it.
He must be regarded as still .
prime factor in the democratic prob
lem, and more especially since there
has appeared as yet no other man
with any particular title to leadership
because of his distinction as the rep
resentative of restored unity of dem
ocratic sentiment.
| Nor is there any probability, nay,
any possibility, of the uprising of n
new leader representative of a new is
sue, Mr.. Breckinridge's or another,
until the next congress meets. Unless
| the democratic representatives then
make n definite issue which shall har-
monte and unity the party in the
congress selections of 1902 it is not
! likely TO be together in the presiden-
! tial campaign. Not until those cleo
tions will there be practical test OF
public sentiment.
! AS it is now, there cannot be said to
be any organized opposition to the
policy of the administration relating
/ to our new possessions or to any other
: question. Such political controversy
as there is goes on languidly only,
and is rather within the parties than
between them. What the issue of 1904
is to be. so far as concerns the
democracy, certainly, is still as much
in doubt as it has been at any time.
since the last defeat of Mr.. Bryan,
and there are no indications of any
precise drift Of public sentiment to
suggest what il will ben. Y. Sun.
DSome of the free trade newspa-
pers are urging American rope-mak-
ers to import large cargoes of hemp
| from Manila before congress has a