Omaha daily bee., 1896-09-10

mn. BRTAN'S FORMAL ACCEPTANCE.
Tho letter Of Mr.. Bryan formally ac-
ccpting the nomination Of the Chicago
convention is best described by the
term 'glittering geneTalitles.' His sup
portcrs will be ~gricvously disappointed
In the omission from 1t of any discus
sion OF free silver. for they have little
or no interest in Mr.. Bryan's views
regarding anything else. 1t is only as
the champion OF the free and unlimited
coinage Of silver at Is to 1 by this
country, without the aid or consent of
any other nation. that a majority of the
followers of the Chicago nomince and
especially the populisjlc element take
amy interest in him and when he strayS
away from that and cndcavOrs to pose
as an exponent of general political
principles and particularly democratic
principles. there is certain to be n great
deal Of disappointment. If not more or
less disgust, among those who look TO
him for free silver instruction and
stimulant solely.
Mr.. Bryan is impressed with the re-
sponsibilitics and power of the chief
executive Of the nation AMI promises
that If elected he will under no cir.
CumstanCCs be Il candidate tor ~rc-clcc-
ton. This is entirely incOnSSqt"nliai.
although he evidently thinks otherwise.
He reailirms unqualified endorsement
OF every plank in the Chicago platform.
A convention of old-line democrats.
some of them the ablest leaders The
democracy has had in late years. has
denounced that platform as undemo-
cratic. revolutionary and anarchistic.
What are some of the things which
Mr.. Bryan. now assuming to be Il demo
crat, endorses? He approves the at
tack on the supreme court of the United
States and the insidious suggestion
that the great tribunal should be re-
organized in the interest of II political
party. He endorses the proposal to re-
strain the arm of the national eXecu-
two from the repression of lnwlesS vio-
lence. He approves the proposal to re-
strict the freedom of private contracts,
If not to violate the obligation
of existing contracts. These features
Of the Chicago platform, endorsed I'M
qualiirdly by Mr.. Bryan, attack what
is vital to our form of government and
to the perpetuity of free institutions.
They are condemned by the wisest and
most conservative men in the nation.
both democrats and republicans. as Il
grave menace to republican government.
They are cnunciated now for the first
time in our history by n large party and
their revolutionary character is IL just
cause of alarm to all good citizens. The
worst consequences are reasonably to
be feared from Il president and congress
entertaining such views. Some express
sionS in Mr.. Bryan's letter are not quite
consistent with these declarations of
the platform, but there can be no doubt
that he is in full sympathy with them
and rs president would carry them out
to the letter. When Mr.. Bryan says
that without obedience to law govern
ment Is impossible" he states an incOn-
trovertible truth, but obedience to law
Is secured by the existence of an ade-
Quate power to enforce the law. This
would not be under the operation of
the doctrines of the Chicago platform.
What Mr.. Bryan says in regard to an
increase in the bonded debt and the
issue of paper money by national banks
is not of immediate Importance. The
former was made necessary by the fiscal
policy for which Mr.. Bryan is in part
responsible, a policy which would be
continued in aggravated form should he
be elected. Mr.. Bryan concludes his
letter by saying that it is not necessary
to discuss the tariff question at this
time. Nobody understands more clearly
than Mr.. Bryan himself how perilous
such a discussion would be 10 his
chances of success. AS we have here
tOfore said, he dare not attempt to de-
fend before The American people the
record made by the tariff law which
he helped to frame. The letter of ac-
ceptance will not strengthen Mr.. Bryan
in the country at large. 1t will not
attract conservative men to him and
it will not encourage his free silver sup
porters.
NJ re