Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1896-10-25
wnAr wlLL nEcoME or THE popuLlsrSf

the principles enunclated In the Omaha
platform of 1892
In the populst platform of 1892 the
reason for the existence of third party
Is clearly presented in protest against
abuses from which the American people
have suffered during the last quarter of a
century. Populism, we have been time
and again assured, is protest against
the corruption which has characterized
the old parties and an uprising against
the domination of the corporations and
the money power. In 1892 the popu-
lists denounced, in language as forcible
as 1t could be written, both the democrat
and republican parties and pledged their
honors and their fortunes never to re-
sumo allegiance to either of the old
parties.
The action OF the national populist
convention at st. Louis and the general
fusion which has followed between dem
ocrats and populsts in every state of
the union practically give the lie to
the professions made by the leaders
and conventions of the third party. 1t
proclaims to all the world that the pop
ulist party, for the sake of prestige
patronage and plumber, is willing to
make common cause with Tammany,
the rottenest element in any party, and
to retract all that it has said hereto
fore concerning the corruptions and dis
honest methods of democracy.
If Bryan is elected the third party
which originated as Il reform movement,
Is destined to go to pieces. Bryan is
above all things, full-blooded demo
crat, cultured and reared in the old
Virginia democratic school of states
rights and free trade. His election will
not be a triumph of populism, but a
triumph of democracy-of regcnerated
democracy, as Bryan will call it. Bryan
may throw a sop TO the populists by
giving them place in his cabinet. He
may distribute few thousand post
offices and minor appointments among
populists. But he will be still demo-
crat of democrats and popuism will
have received its deathblow. Bryan's
highest aim will be to 80 down into
history us a second jefferson or Jack
son, and not as Il second Tyler or An
drew johnson.
Bryan's course with regard to the
vice presidency clearly shows what he
Is made of While loudly proclaiming
himself the emancipation of the toiling
masses and the enemy OF the classes,
the sworn enemy of plutocracy, he
has chosen deliberately for his running
mate Il notorious mOnopolist, n pluto
crat and a man who never had the
remotest sympathy with the toilers. 1t
was dyed-in-the- wool democrat he
wanted as his running mate. rather
than a man who was affiliated with
any reform movement in or out of his
party. 1t was so in the campaign of
1891 when Mr.. Bryan was n candidate
FOR senator in the state of Nebraska.
While seeking the support of populists
TO crafty his ambition he was ready
to bctray his allies If it served his
! purpose. While pledged to do all in his
| power to nominate Silas A. Holcoml
for the position of governor to the
| democratic state convention, he had
deliberately connived ut selling out
Holcomb as the price of being endorsed
for the senatorship by that conven-
| ton. 1t was only because Senator VIII
liam V. Allen threatened him with po-
litical humiliation that he made the
fight of his life. rs he called it, to nom
mate Holcomb in that convention, after
it had been arranged between his man
Friday and Tobias Castor. the goldbug
democratic national committeeman. TO
throw H0lcomb overheard and take in
his place Judge Oldham.
These facts we can vouch for and
are ready to prove. They are known
to William V. Allen and they are
known to Silas A. Holcomb, and have
been known to them for the last two
years. These are historic facts and
they point the way to what might fol-
low in case William ]. Bryan were
elected president of the United States.
The chairman of the national demo-
cratic committee, Senator Jones' is n
sagacious politician and he has given
1t out coniidentlally that he has al
ready won great victory for the dem
ocratic party, even if Bryan is de-
fcated. He has succeeded in diSmem-
bering the populist party of the south
and breaking up its cohesion by link
ing it with the democratic party and
making. 1t dependent upon democratic
favor. Whether Bryan is elected or
defeated, therefore, the populists as II
third party will find themselves con-
fronted with II great problem after the
fourth day of November-the problem
whether, as n party, they can be per-
petuated, or must go out of business
rs the greenback party did after 1876
AN EXPERT FINANCTER