Show EARTH OF POLITICAL FEEL ING In his speech thanking the convention conven-tion for again nominating him for congress con-gress Speaker Reed said among other things All over the country also there is a dearth of political feeling I never knew less of it in all the years in which I have known of such things There Is much truth In the observation observa-tion and it is one that all who give much thought to political matters have made in the past three months Doubtless Doubt-less the reason is that the country has been engaged during that time in a foreign war and that fact has caused little or no interest to be taken In anything any-thing else No one knew how long it was going to last or what new issues it would give rise to it is even yet too early to determine what Issues the war will give rise to in fact this cannot can-not be known until after the treaty of I peace is ratified It has surely embarked em-barked the country on some radical departures from its traditional policy There is not much feeling over the political Issues that were so prominent in 1896 Interest In them especially I the silver question which was the I paramount issue that year has not died out by any means and some great issue as the result of the war not coming up which does not seem at all likely now there will be a renewed re-newed Interest in the silver question this fall but not the interest there will be two years hence The reason is that neither Democrats nor Republicans Republic-ans feel that there will be enough gains by either to make possible radical financial legislation In the next congress con-gress Perhaps neither expects to do much more than hold their lines and prevent inroads upon them But two years hence when the presidential election is on there will be plenty of political feeling and unless all signs fail the paramount issue of 1896 will I be that of 181S I |