The Bad River news. [volume] (Philip, Stanley County, S.D.) 19??-1912, 1908-10-15
Position Of First Voters


fourth year rs per cent of the
voters cast their first presidential
ballot. Eight years have passed
since Mr.. Bryan's second battle,
so that large number of voters
will pass judgment upon his claims
for the first time. The popular
judgment against this persistent
agitator was 600, 900 in 1895 and
800, 900 in 1900, and in both con-
tests he was for the free coinage
of silver at ratio that would have
reduced the value of the dollar
one-half. That proposition was
rejected by the country twice, and
Mr.. Bryan is not talking about it
in the present campaign. He has
never said that he was wrong, nor
pledged himself against the re-
vival of his imitation theories the
moment he could do it with any
promise of effectiveness. Aside
from free trade, which he has a.
ways advocated, the leading issues
of Mr.. Bryan are somewhat ob-
scure, but his general contention
is that the republican party has
been unfaithful, and that his party,
led by himself and nobody else, is
entitled to take control of the
government.
In q business sense the young
voters who have come forward
Epince 1904 have more at stake than
any other class in rendering Z
right decision. Their active lives
are ahead. They have moro years
to live, and are now laying The
foundation of their business
careers. National policies and
conditions are of the highest con-
sequence to them. Perhaps they
are farmers. If so, let them ask
the older generation how farmers
Jared under the last Democratic
administration. Let them take
the market reports of today and
compare them with the prices that
prevailed when Mr.. Bryan made
his crusade for free silver and
hurled defiance at President Cleve-
land because he stood by tho gold
standard. At the same time Bryan
denounced the republican party
for its protectionist As we'll ss
sound money position. Perhaps
the first voter is to engage in man
ufacturing or mining, IS wage
Garner or otherwise. Does he
want his American rate Of wages
and the industry he chooses rea-
sonably protected against foreign
competitiong If he does Mr..
Bryan's leadership will take him
in the opposite direction.
Since Mr.. Bryan's defeats the
prosperity of the country has gone
far beyond the former figures and
mounted steadily without Interrupt
tion until the furry Of last October
with some resulting disturbance of
business conditions, = derange-
ment quite Is evident in Europe
and other parts of the world a il
the United States. The causes Of
the practically universal furry are
not entirely distinct, but tho
general opinion is that business
had been too much expanded or
the strength of unexampled pros
perity, and that the time had COME
to apply everywhere searching
tests of solvency. The period of
liquidation has worked no great
harm. Business is moving again
toward the high water mark.
Farming has remained there
throughout. Manufacturing in
this country is doing we'll. Ex-
ports of our manufactured articles
are the highest ever known. All
national duties aro efficiently per-
formed. What inducement is
there for = first voter 70 support
Bryan2 None, unlees 20 consti...
tuted as Is be caught BY the chs1p
claptrap of : demagogue who Is
exploiting = party from defeat 70
defeat, and disturbing business
more than any other cause, while
he gets out Of it for himself m in
como Of SIS, 600 . year and Z per
petual gu4h Of hysteriesl aduh-