The Courier. (Genoa, Nev.) 1899-1904, 1902-08-22
Not on the Defensive.

At the very outset of the campaign
it should be definitely understood by
all that the opponents of the Republi-
can party in this State are not on the
defensive, and will not permit them
selves to be placed in that attitude.
From Nevada point of view the Re-
publican party has not a political leg
to stand on. In 1896 it was repudiated
by an overwhelming vote. 1t came
about as near being exterminated as
any party in any State ever did. Full
eighty per cent of Nevada's vote was
cast against the party with a false
promise upon its lips turned its back
upon it's own traditional monetary pol
icy, at the same time striking a deadly
blow at the very foundations of our
States prosperity.
Only about nineteen hundred votes
were cast in this State for VIM. Nc
Kinley, and of these at least eighteen
hundred professed to be opposed to the
gold standard as advocated by the Re-
publican party. This, in itself, was an
admission that the Silver party was
right upon the great issue in the cam
paign Of 1896--an issue which the Ne
vada Republicans had themselves in
their State platforms declared to be
the most importantly before the coun-
try. 1t was deemed so important that
one-half of the States delegation
walked out of the National Republican
Therefore, those Nevada Republicans
who supported VIM. Mckinley simply
occupied the position of men who were
determined to stand by their party no
matter how wrong it might be, or how
injurious its policy to the best interests
of their State. These men are too few
In number to make their political
course either in 1896 or at the present
time, matter of any particular conse-
quence. They are referred to in this
connection merely to show that when
Nevada broke away from the Republic
can party, her people were practically
a unit in sentiment upon the great issue
involved.
Such being the case, if any who
formerly opposed the Republican party
now think of supporting it, the burden
rests upon them to give good and salts
factory reasons for SO doing. They are
bound to show in what way the Re-
publican party is better now and more
favorable to Nevada's interests than it
was when they repudiated it with in
dignation and scorn. Mere generali-
ties about larger gold supplies and
prosperity will not meet the require
ments of the situation. The increased
gold output has affected business con-
ditions in every country where gold is
used as money, and the 'posperity'' of
recent years has been almost world
wide.
Mr.. Stewart, who is now the recog-
nized leader of the Republican party
of this State, and all who draw their
inspiration from him, admit that the
new gold has been the cause of the i'm
proved business conditions, and that
but for this fortuitous increase Repub-
lican policy would shave ruined the
country. This excludes the idea of
the credit belonging to the Republican
party. Although he seems unconscious
of it, Mr.. Stewards own plea in sup
port of his contention that the silver
issue is dead, is terrific arraignment
of the party with which he is now
acting, and which he is leading in the
State of Nevada. Republican policy
would have ruined us, but nature
stepped in with new supplies of gold
and averted the ruin; therefore stand
by the Republican party which tried to
ruin us but failed" Such is the broad,
economic and political philosophy of
Nevada Republicans. Something
deeper and sounder than that will be
needed to enable them to come within
2500 or 5000 votes of carrying the State.
Republicans must show in what way
their party is better now than it was in
1896, and what there is in its present
policy which so far atones for the sins
of its past as to justify us in once moro
giving it political control of our State.
AS matters stand here the Republi-
cans hold the affirmative of the issue,
and they must either prove their case
or lose. The former they certainly
cannot do for in every feature of it's
policy the Republican party is less de-
serving of support than it was six
years ago. 1t has done literally moth
ing to redeem itself, and much that
should work it's condemnation in the
hearts and minds of all right-thinking
and truly patriotic men.-Reno Jour
nal.