Show c ep- ep J THE THE I HE- HE election is now over the returns J Jare are in in the smoke has cleared from the field and excitement has given way to place common-place again The struggle just past has been one of the most peculiar peculiar peculiar pe pe- culiar in our history Not only have important policies been advanced for for decision but the manner manner of deciding them has been almost unparalleled Few times in our national politics have party affiliations been less regarded and perhaps perhaps perhaps per per- haps not since 60 has division been made more on geographical lines It has been in general a struggle between the West and South and the East The 1 outcome as a whole is not surprising though there are features of it that are different from what might have been ex ex- J It is somewhat strange that California and Oregon should have given McKinley a majority when most of the theother theother theother other western states voted overwhelmingly overwhelmingly overwhelmingly overwhelm overwhelm- for Bryan In both Mr Bryans Bryan's tariff record and his stand against the Chinese Exclusion Act were undoubtedly important causes causes of his defeat It is difficult to tell just why di division n e has been made as it has why has why the West 1 thinks that free and unlimited coinage of silver is our only salvation and the East that it would bring us dire calam calam- ity I It would seem that the interest of one cannot really be so opposed to that of the other and in general that what benefits one section must benefit us all Without doubt one of the policies advanced advanced advanced ad ad- is better for the whole country than the other and is plain that prejudice prejudice dice is at work somewhere In the West some own silver mines and it iti would be to their interest to have a aready aready a i ready market for their product Others would be directly benefited by the operations of the mines Others think there could that if were more money they J probably get it more easily Still others r honestly believe that this radical move is necessary to stop the continual conI contraction contraction con con- I traction of the currency to take out of the hands of a few the power to bring failure and panic by their combination upon the whole land and to provide I enough money to carry carryon on properly the thel l f f- business of the country They think i that we can act independently of European European European Euro Euro- countries but they think that if I we adopted this policy France and fi ot other er nations would probably join us r In the East some are capitalists and naturally desire that money be scarce and andy y interest high others are under heavy gold obligation and see that if the mints were opened to silver gold would be hoarded and shipped to Europe and andI they would be ruined And there are I many honest men there as well as here wh who desire that the interest of our whole nation be advanced They fear that the great amount of bullion if coined would I unbalance our whole financial system destroy our foreign commerce and create a spirit of wild speculation over the whole land They see the necessity perhaps of more money but think the unlimited coinage of silver too extreme Some think we should wait for inter inter- 0 j C national agreement but the more intelligent intelligent intel intel- see that this is impossible for what would international agreement be without England and when would England England England Eng Eng- land creditor as she is to the whole whole world become a party to a compact that would bring down the value of nf money The methods of the campaign have been pec peculiar liar as well as the principles at issue Not peculiar in the demoralizing demoralizing demoralizing izing and cowardly practice of blackening blackening blacken blacken- J I ing mens men's character with slander and j abuse for that is as old as politics but peculiar from the fact that never before have candidates acted just as these have Mr McKinley has refrained entirely j I from making public speeches His electioneering electioneering electioneering elec- elec j has been done in his own OWl I j home for instead of his going to the people the people have gone to him j Mr Bryan on on the other hand hand I has surpassed surpassed surpassed sur sur- passed all predecessors in the number and in the influence of his speeches His work has been almost miraculous i but though the strain was terrible he has had no bad effects Undoubtedly his defeat would have been much greater had he not been personally so energetic The outlook seems discouraging to t some a few have gone so far as to predict blood and strife and even civil war The state of affairs is indeed serious we can scarcely hope for immediate immediate immediate im im- mediate relief relief- but we believe that Mr McKinley is an honest patriotic man an and that he will sincerely endeavor to promote the welfare of the nation We have no sympathy with men that proclaim war and inevitable u anarchy as They may think this possible they need not announce announce announce an an- it Even the word of war should be a terrible one to us We should seek to drive out of the minds of men that bloodshed is a remedy We should teach them that in itself it is a calamity Americans will not submit to oppression s snow now more than they would in times times r ro past but they should now take take take-as as their weapons not musket and sword but rather thought and reason |