56 



THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



torily. The entire country is suffering 

 and almost all classes of people, and that 

 suffering is becoming so intense that it 

 has become the paramount public ques- 

 tion, demanding the attention of the gov- 

 ernmental administrations, both national 

 and state. Old party lines are being ob- 

 literated and new ones are being formed 

 in the effort to solve the great problem 

 and to restore the national prosperity. 

 One of the two great parties has declared 

 in its platform that the tariff is account- 

 able for it all, while the other attributes the 

 steadily augmenting troubles to the de- 

 monetization of silver. There are many 

 dissenters in both of the parties, but so 

 generally has the latter belief been pro- 

 mulgated, that the republicans, who were 

 a few months ago confident of an easy vic- 

 tory in the coming elections, are now com- 

 pelled to strain every nerve and utilize 

 every resource of money and influence at 

 their command to hold their own against 

 the growing sentiment. All of the minor 

 party organizations, representing the dis- 

 satisfaction with some present political 

 conditions, prohibitionists, silver nation- 

 alists, populists, or a majority of each, are 

 joining with the democrats to bring about 

 a rest&ration of silver coinage, and the 

 contest promises to be one of great bitter- 

 ness and intensity. 



Paramount THE IRRIGATION AGE has con- 

 Necessity. fined itself rigidly in the 



past to the promotion of the single inter- 

 est which it so distinctively represents, 

 but now an economic question which di- 

 rectly involves the future of this industry 

 has become a leading political question of 

 such magnitude as to compel new party 

 alignments and upon its proper solution a 

 very great deal will depend. Its readers 

 cannot fail to be interested, for it is dis- 

 tinctively the concern of the agricultural 

 and laboring classes, who are the greatest 

 sufferers from the present conditions. It 

 is essentially a question where self inter- 

 interest, selfishness if you will, will be a 

 controlling factor. Those who are fa- 

 vored under existing systems will strive to 

 maintain their advantage regardless of 

 philanthropic considerations. All busi- 

 ness is largely conducted on the basis of 

 self interest, and who fails to recognize it 

 can hardly expect to succeed in his under- 

 takings. We expect the banker to look 



after his own interest, and he must recog- 

 nize the right of the farmer to do the 

 same. Where there is conflict as between 

 the several classes, republican government 

 contemplates the protection of the weaker 

 elements with justice to all, and public 

 sentiment as well as public necessity finds 

 expression through the ballot box in the 

 selection of representatives pledged to 

 carry out in the legislative halls certain 

 defined policies. 



Political The discussion in these col- 

 Situation. umns w i}j b e w ith reference 

 to principles rather than candidates. The 

 nominees are both strong men ; both are 

 clean men morally and intellectually ; 

 both are of Scotch-Irish descent, and are 

 singularly alike in many traits of charac- 

 ter ; both are .intensely earnest men and 

 sincere in their devotion to the principles 

 they enunciate ; both are eloquent, and 

 both are indebted to that eloquence for 

 the prominence they have now attained j 

 both are of a domestic nature, and both 

 are happily mated with true and helpful 

 wives ; both are patriots and commoners, 

 having close touch with the masses ; both 

 are men of experienced judgment, although 

 one is much younger than the other ; both 

 have a congressional experience, and both 

 were recognized for their ability as legis- 

 lators ; both are broad-minded western 

 men, and recognize that nation with a 

 capital N ; either will uphold the honor 

 attaching to the presidency of the great- 

 est republic on earth. It is, therefore, a 

 question of economic principles which the 

 people are to pass upon, and there is 

 every indication that the campaign is to 

 be distinctively an educational one with 

 every voter a seeker after the truth. The 

 platform and the printing - press, the 

 schoolhouse and the street corner will all 

 have a part in the discussion which is 

 about to begin. Business will have to 

 wait upon the exigencies of politics. 



Tariff The first public apprecia- 

 Secondary. ^ loa o f fo e depressing in- 

 fluences which were gathering head so 

 quickly followed the last change in ad- 

 ministration, it is no wonder it created 

 confusion in the minds of the people. 

 The tariff had been the issue on which the 

 campaign had been fought, and the free 

 traders had won. No matter what the 



