The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-10-05

JOINT ldDOTS.
Two great campaigns have been
waged in America in which the para
mount issue was the question that Mr.
Watson claims is the great question
today, and he takes up much of his
time abusing the Democrats because
thew have not made the money ques-
ton the leading issue this year.
The opening Of mines and the discov-
ery of great volumes of gold have elm
mated the money Question. Everybody
recognizes this except Mr.. Watson.
Now, however, when this question has
been eliminated by the operation of
the laws of Providence up comes Mr..
Watson "paramounting" the money
question. His zeal for that cause now,
when everybody recognizes that 1t Is
not a live question, suggests the in
curry: What did Mr.. Watson do to
secure the success of Mr.. Bryan in
1886, or in 1900? There was an ex-
celIent opportunity to win in 1876.
Indeed many people believe that Mr.
BRYAN really was elected if the votes
had been fairly counted in Ohio, In
diana and other States If the eiec-
ton had been held in August, 1896,
according to the admission OF MI.
Hanna, there would have been no
doubt of the election Of Mr.. Bryan.
There was not cloud in the Demo-
cratic sky until the Populist conven-
ton met in st. Louis. Every leader
of the Populist party, who put reform
above office, favored endorsing the
Democratic National ticket and throw
| ing the solid weight of the party to
electing Bryan and SewaH. They
were sterling Democrats, known to be
sincerely in favor of the free coinage
or silver at the legal ratio of 16 to l,
and both were in every way worthy OF
| the confidence and support of every
advocate of free coinage. The Silver
Republican National Convention
promptly and enthusiastically endorsed
| BRYAN and Sewell and threw them
selves into the fight like honest men.
| No sooner had the Democratic Conven-
| ton at Chicago adjourned than the
ulous managers of the Republican
campaign saw that they must make
confusion in the ranks of the, allied
parties who were advocating silver.
Then agents were sent to the various
Populist State Conventions armed with
plenty of money, and they fairly
swarmed at the Populist National Con-
vention in ST. Louis. They did not
dare to say a word against Bryan. He
was too we'll known to the Populist
voters. They began a systematic
trade of misrepresentation of Mr..
Sewall, charging him with being out
of sympathy with men who toll, and
at heart in sympathy with great
Eastern influences that were antagonis
tic to the Chicago platform. A greater
never done. But the Republicans were
desperate They succeeded in buying
and fooling enough iPopulist delegates
70 carry through the scheme Of nomi-
mating Bryan and then trying to de-
stroy it's effect by refusing to nominate
Sewall. The history of how that Re-
publican deal was carried out and how
Tom Watson was made their stalking
horse is known of all the world. If
Watson had sincerely desired to see
the cause win, If he had thought as
much of securing free coinage for
the nation as he now says he wants
monetary reform, he would have re-
fused to permit the "sell outs" and
idiots to make him the agency of dis
sension and trouble that embarrassed
the campaign at every step in 1896. If
the Democratic leaders, aided by the
other sincere leaders who were work
ing for Bryan's election, had not been
annoyed by the friction caused by
Watson's candidacy they would have
been able to have done much more
to advance the cause they had at
heart. But, from the day Hanna S
agents secured the nomination Of Wat
son at ST Louis, the Watson candidacy