Democratic Sentinel, Volume 22, Number 33, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 August 1898 — POLITICS OF THE DAY [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

POLITICS OF THE DAY

trtROWS OFF THE MASK. The Republican party fit iaiit fiat? abandoned even the pretense bf maintaihing that plank of the St* Jurats platform which declared for bimetallism; Senator Hanna, as Chairman of the Republican National Committee, has begun serving notice upon the local leaderd that nothing which eveii squlntS toward bimetallism will be permitted in the State platforms. And what Mr. Hahna says goes—in Republican circles. It is just as well that the Republican party should take this action, though its hypocritical professions of solicitude for bimetallism have deceived nobody. Rut the new departure in favor of out-and-out- gold monometallism merely brings out iu strong relief the had faith and treachery which the Republican party has manifested in dealing with its bimetallist members. It 6hows that there was at no time an Intention to act honestly with them. They have been cheated and deceived *irom first to last The bimetallic plank In the St. Louis platform was a humbug to begin with. It was framed with the hope of averting the bolt of Teller and Ids followers. It failed of that purpose, but it Was retained ih tfa# platform; though it was repudiated bh the stump, hs a bait for the Silver Republican vote bf the West; Tile Woiaett cemmlssion was another - humbug, not as regards the commissioners tbemselves, but lit the sense tha.t the administration and the Republican party hoped that it would fail and meant it to fail. . From the moment of the’ departure of the commissioners for Europe until the time of jfcheir return their mission was jeered .-at, derided and discredited by Republican newspaper in the country. Europe was notified that the United States did not want bimetallism; the SL Couis declaration was fgr campaign purposes only, and that the commissioners had beep sent out t)h ' a WncFlooße'’"chase merely as a concession to the Republicans of the silyel* States. Nor has there beeh any change in tile attitude of the party since that time. The itepubliean presS, led bjr the recognized Organs of the administration, has kept up a "cohtimjai and vindictive warfafe upon tHe very proposition advocated in the St. Lbitis platforih. fcbt alone tlie id to 1 theory, but any Suggestion of bimetallism in any ratib has been howled at as ,if h Were rank treason instead of being an avowed doctrine of the Republican party enunciated in its national platform. Never in the politcal history of the United States has a party declaration been so.quickl.v and thoroughly disavowed by the party leaders and the party press. Mr. Hanna evidently thinks that the timC has come to do away with the last shred of affectation and to avow openly that the Republican party is nOt a bitnetallist party, and that binletailists heedj expect nothing from it. He realizes that I the pretense has become ludicfouS and aS doifag the party more harm than good; « H(j is right about it, and be is to be commended for eveii tardy actioh ih discarding humbug and hypocrisy and revealing the Republican party ih it is true attitude, but this belated Coticessibh to edminoh history, it will not alter the fact that the Republican party, seeking for votes, held out the hand of fellowship to the bimetallists and then stabbed them in the back, and that it lied at St. Louis and boasted of its mendacity while the ink was still wet on its solemn declaration.' Mr. Hanna would no doubt be glad to have these matters fotgotteiii hut they Wil be forgotten by ho one—ieaSt of ail by the swindled and humbugged Republicans of the Western States.

Republican Consistency. An esteemed local contemporary estimates the cost of the war at $141,000, 000. Another equally esteemed iocai Contemporary puts it at $943,000,00C). As both esteemed contemporaries are tteiiubiidan in politics and both, presumably, have access to the official figures, the discrepancy is somewhat puzzling. Inaccuracy in the matter of statistics is notoriously a Republican Weakness, but as both our esteemed Contemporaries have; at one time or another, figured out that the Dlngley bill produces a surplus Instead of a deficit; they Will no doubt be able to patch up this little difference of $800,000,000. A trifle like that presents no difficulty to fi good Republican editOri—Chicago Cbrohicle; Politid3 and Public Service. Nothing could be mote humiliating to the country than the talk of a Congressional Investigation of the war de* partment, but scandals may be expected wherever polities is permitted to In* fluence the public service, When the President gave the war portfolio to a man peculiarly unfitted for its management, in payment of a campaign debt and by way of promoting party inteiy ests, he prepared the way for the exceedingly unpleasant developments which have marred the satisfaction attending the victories of the army, and which will subject the government to unwelcome comments by foreign pow-ers.-v Kansas City Star. Democracy aud the New Questions. Opportunity, coldly and carelessly enough, has cast at our feet the wrecks and hulks of oppression. They are Jull of people, human beings like ourselves, though they are aliens and strangers. Shall tve set them adrift, or shall we summon our boasted democracy to a test? That is the essence of the new acquisitions. We are very sure, indeed, that the great party of Jefferson will nbt shirk or postpone-the issue. It must be met and disposed of now to the end that other important Issues may not be obscured.—Atlanta Constitution. Another Blow to Dlnsleyism. If is the great, high exponent of Pennsylvania protection, the Philadelphia Manufacturer, which now inquires whether the Dlngley act might not well be modified in the interests of larger trade with Canada. It can even contemplate a reduction of the duties on lumber, wood pulp and the like with-out-shivering for the fate of the nation. Imperialist blow is serving one good purpose. It is revealing to all the utter absurdity of the Dingley enactment Springfield, Mass., Republican. Need of Markets. What is the use. of shutting out importations when our producing capacity is twice our consumption? We are obliged to do one of two things—run on.half-time or find hew markets. The Interest of our producers in this last ptyn has grown wonderfully In a few fears, but toe development of market*

does not keep pace with the need of them. This explains also the reason for tiie compiaint that there is hot business enough to employ the idle money in the couhtry. The limit of production, at leaSt in many lines, has been reached, unieSs we can ihcrease consumption by opening hew ihdrkets;— Louisville Courier Journal. The Ding-ley Fran J. And that is the situation in which we find Ourselves to-day. We have relied hpoh Idol Dlngley to fill our pockets. We have gone ahead and made extensive outlays, confident that he would come to the rescue fit the critical moment with the promised benefactions. He has disappointed us. Either he cannot or he will not fulfill his contract. We are worse off than we were before we ever heard of him, and yet he sits in his shrine, cross-legged, selfcomplacent, shining with the palm oil he obtained from us under false pretenses, and still insists that we should fall down and worship him. Shall we continue to do it? Shall we keep on lavishing homage and gifts upon this braken old idol who has shown himself to be a pretender, an Impostor and a shanieless humbug? Shall we not rather knock him off his perch, throw him oh the rubbish heap with his felIbws, and, Worshiping no idols at all, rely upon bufi owii ekeftions for Our own prosperity Miiy We not, in this case at least, profit by the example of our frienJS; the Papuans?—Chicago Chronicie; Encroachments of Monopoly. Pick up a newspaper of any date and the advancing strength Of monopoly will appear. Yesterday it was the wall-paper trust, completed and launched, with the announcement that prices would be raised 25 to 50 per cent, at once, and that there would be a profit of $6,000,000 for the company next year. The wall-paper trust was yesterday’s contribution to monopoly. What to-morrow's may be no one can guess. Everything from beef to coffins, from rubber overshoes to collars, Is already a trust. We pay to monopoly for individual profit the heavy taxes which a, few decades ago were considered intolerable when paid tO tbe nation;— Netv Tork Joufhai. He Miglit Coiriniand a Lumber Camp. Cannot FreSident McKinlej’ find some place, horth or south of the equator, to locate Secretary Alger and renew confidence in the capacity and integrity of the War Department by the selection of some one who has the qualities needed? Alger was appointed for pretty much the same reasons Mr. Lincoln named Simon Cameron, to discharge obligations and pledges incurred in the nominating convention. Pittsburg Post, Wbfth Its Cost, From every Standpoint the War Is destined to be d blessing to the nation. It will pay iil patriotism; in industry, in labor find in national greatfaess. Its deeds of valor have shed gldry on ihe American name, and crowned the republic With luSter as the proud possessor of such sons.—Denver News.