The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-07-26
THE END OF BRYAN.

The political checkerboard changed
Friday at midnight with astounding
suddenness, startling development and
Kaleidoscope confusion.
Mckinley will be elected, beyond
doubt. beyond the shadow of the cavil
of one. Young Mr.. Bryan, through no
fault of his own, stands in most en-
barrassing position. He asked the Chi
cago leaders not to put rich man on
the ticket with him. He knew the
Populists would object to one. But
Sewall was nominated. Then in his
speeches Bryan began praising Sewail
with a hope of warming PopuliSm TO
the man from Maine. NoUWithstanW
ing that the Populists at st. Louis re-
pudiated Sewall-repudiated him when
Bryan had telegraphed them that he
could not alone accept the nomination.
The nomination of Bryan by the Popu-
lists merely entangles Bryan deeper.
He cannot accept Or recognize In any
way the nomination of Tom Watson.
To do so would be to sacrifice the whole
eastern Democratic organization which
is in need of strong nourishment and
fast true fidelity from Bryan just now.
Bryan could not for a moment break
away from the men in the east who are
standing insults in jeers for being
Democrats today. He must preserve
Democracy there.
IL
by disowning the Populist nomination
of himself not only, but that of Tom
Watson, he is insulting the great band
of Populists who believe their party is
outside of silver. entirely independent
in orbit from the Democrats. This is
Bryan's position. 1t is one of dissolu-
ton which he cannot escape.
Populism still lives. but it is breath
ing heavily. 1t is about gone. 1t has
nominated n vice president. To the
middIe-of-t he-road POpulists, who be-
ieye in a separate organization entire
ly. this surreider of the principal place
ON the national ticket is humiliating.
TO the men who wanted Bryan and
Sewail nominated the nomination of
Watson is unsatisfactory. The middle
of-the-rad men viii by the hundreds
go over to the other parties in disgust
The men who wanted Sewau will vote
for Bryan and Sewall and forget all
about Watson. In two months Watson
will have become a cipher in the cam
raign il he is not withdrawn. The
Populist national platform amounts TO
nothing. Who is pledged to carry it
out: A candidate for the presidency
of the United Statesl Populism has
then refrigerated -Four years ago it
had its two candidates. Today Ii has
enc. The man at the head of their
ticket is a Democrat who VIII not re
cognize the Populist platform, who
does nor recognize the man who stands
on the Populist ticket with him: who
will not even confess in public that he
Is the PopuIist candidate. The Popu
lists in other words have nominated a
man for president who disowns them.
VIII PopalisIn survive under such a
load: Certainty not
What else has happened? Outside
% politics. the most curious thing Is the
savage refusal OF the north and south
To get together. 1t is still impossible.
Some day it may be a oonsGmmatiOn-
The angry. riotous result AT ST Lotus
shows that PopuliSzn Is a thing not 70
he longer feared Populism has threat
ened socialism. With PopuGsm north
and south disunited there can be no
socialism in America for P0pulism can
clone never succeed Democracy can
Use IL occasionally TO get Office. but
Democracy, however incompetent IT
may be, is always safe
The political change OF tie week
Blaysbe summer mp ~ follows: The
Democratic scheme OF swallowing the
PopuliSts has been tried II has prov
ed itself about half successful II has
swallowed half OF Populism. The
other half VIII die either by sarrender-