The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-07-25


immediate gain he may have the
promise if he is an upright man. that
he will endeavor to resist every temp
tation, and he will determine to forgo
every advantage that requires a sur
render of his manhood.
Why Prosperity Came.
$50 with our party. We cannot tell
what issues we may have to meet; we
can only determine to meet them in a
Democratic spirit, to apply to them
Democratic principles and to take the
peoples side always. In 1892 the par
amount issue was tariff reform and the
Democratic party boldly asserted its
demand for a tariff for revenue only.
1t fought the compaign and it won, but
its majority was so narrow shat a
few senators, disloyal to the party on
this subject, defeated the verdict of
the people rendered at the polls But
the failure of the party to do all that
it promised would not have been so
disastrous, but for the fact that the
Wilson bill, unsatisfactory as it was
to tariff reformers. had to bear the
sins of a Republican financial system
which was supported by our admin
istration against the protest of an
overwhelming majority of the voters of
the party. The defeat of 1894 was more
disastrous than any that the party has
experienced since, and it was due to
the fact that the administration de-
serted the people on the money ques-
ton. In 1896 the money question had
forged to the front made paramount
not by the action of the majority of
the Democratic party, but by the at
tempt of a minority of the party to
aid the Republican party to chain the
country to an appreciating dollar.
Without abandoning ifc TnSifinf1 the
tariff question the party met this is
sue and took the side of the people.
In spite of the desertion of many for
merly conspicuous in it's councils of
the Democratic party polled a million
more votes than ii had ever polled be-
fore, and would have won but for the
indefensible methods of the Republic
can party, whose leaders held all the
protectionist Republicans by declaring
the tariff issue to be paramount, mol
lifted the wrath of most of the free sill
yer Republicans by promising interna-
tional bimetallism, and won all the adj
vocates of the gold standard by reveal
ing to them the secret purpose of the
party to adopt a European financial
system But even then we would have
won but for the fact that borrowers
were coerced and employed intimi-
dated.
The Recent Campaigns.
ain 1900 the action of the Republi-
can party in turning a war commenced
for humanity into a war of conquest
compelled the consideration of another
question: question so far-reaching
in it's consequences that our party
rightfully declared it to be the para
mount issue. Without abandoning it's
position on the tariff question or on
the money question 1t again espoused
the peoples side of a great issue That
1t did not win that year was due to
a conjunction of causes, any one of
which would have been insufficient to
have accomplished defeat. The admin
istration having carried on a brief
and successful war fell heir to the
enthusiasm which usually attends
victorious conflict; an unexpected in
crease in the supply of new gold and
an unexpected influx of European gold,
due to large crops here and a famine
abroad, increased prices, relieved the
stress of hard times and gave to the
people the benefits that always flow
from a growing volume of money
While the advantages which followed
larger volume of money vindica ted
the principle contended for by bimet-
allists they were appropriated by the
party in power, and those who were in
fiuenced by conditions, without at
tempting to realize the conditions, gave
the Republican party credit for an in.
creasing prosperity.
"The protected manufacturers Of
course, stood by the administration
which had given them a Dingley law
Trust promoters and trust magnates
recognizing in the Democratic party
an inveterate foe, and numbering
among their stockholders many of the
most influential Republicans, threw al
their strength to the Republican par.
ty, and by their support purchased i'm
munity from punishment. The Repub.
licans were greatly aided by another
influence, namely, the influence of the
financiers who not yet have completed
their schemes were willing to risk
trusts, imperialism or anything else
rather than forego the advantage
which they expected from a gold stand
ard and a bank currency. In spite Of
all these obstacles the campaign of 1900
only showed a net change of 10000
votes in favor OF the Republicans out
of total vote of over thirteen mil
lions
The Situation Today.
"And what is the situation to-day?
Since the election of 1900, Imperialism
is more openly avowed and imperialis-
because the administration can point
to that election as an apparent indorse-
ment, although the party leaders at
that time yehemently denied imperialis-
tic intent. Those who expect to make
a profit out of colonial system favor
it on the ground that it will pay; these
who think that it opened up the Phil
ippines to PROSECUTING insist that it is
providential while those who are sim
ply seeking some reason for support
ing their party's policy fall back upon
the doctrine that circumstances got us
into the trouble. and that we must
stay in until circumstances get us out.
Since the election of 1900 the trusts
have grown and hourished under the
Republican administration, as might
have been expected. Almost two years
have elapsed since the last presidential
been made to Interfere with them, and
the executive efforts, instead of being
directed toward the enforcement of
criminal statutes, are confined to the
equity side of the court and these
efforts have not in the least retarded
the formation of new combines. Since
the election, the financiers are seeking
to carry their advantage a little far
Their and are planning an asset curren-
cy, a system of branch banks and the
redemption of the silver dollar. Recog-
nizing the enormous iniquity of the bill
they did not dare press Ii during the
campaign but having secured a fav-
orable report in the House. postponed
it's consideration until December.
Since the election, a. Republican
Congress has turned a deaf ear to the
laborers cry for relief from govern
ment by injunction; and o Republican