The San Francisco call., 1896-11-05
DEMOCRATS CLING
TO THEIR HOPES
Cheerful Under the Most
Discouraging Cir
CumstanceS.
California Claimed for Bryan,
with Indiana and Mich.
gan Doubtful"
AFFORD AND TROY HOLD OUT.
Governor Budd and ] j. Dwyer Not
So Conf iient-Governor Smith
Civ His Views.
Afford AND TROY HOLD OUT.

There was more. buoyant feeling
among the Bryan men at the Democratic
State campaign headquarters in the Cali
fornia Hotel last night. Many of them
appeared to think that Mr.. Bryan had a
chance to fill the Presid entail chair, not
withstanding the discouraging reports
that were received by the newspapers.
The figures of Senator Jones of the
Democratic National Committee. by which
he convinced himself that Mr.. Bryan had
fighting chance, seemed to impress the
Democrats, Silverites and Populists of
California to a degree beyond the under
standing of ordinary mortals.
Relying on Senator Jones' statistics,
Chairman Afford of the Democratic State
Campaign Committee declined TO express
an opinion in regard 10 the causes that
tended TO the defeat of Mr.. Bryan. He
said he had to be fully convinced of Mr.
Mckinley's election before he would be
willing TO discuss the causes that led up to
such a result.
r. 2. Troy, secretary of the committee,
said:
We would like to have the public under
stand that we do not concede California to
Mckinley. On the contrary, we believe tina I
it mas gone for Bryan by 1000 plurality. Ii
Bryan has carried Indiana and Michigan, as
the reports first sent over the wires, with the
help of California he will win That is WHY
we are feeling SO hopeful tonight.
Hon. J. J. Dwyer. California's represen-
tative on the Democratic National Com
mittee, also felt that there was still a
slight hope for Mr.. Bryan, though he ad-
mitted that the prospect was not so bright
as he could wish. He was willing to dis
cuss the matter on the hypot hess that the
sage OF Canton is elected. Mr.. Dwyer
said:
II Mr.. Bryan is defeated il is due to num-
Der OF causes. In the first place it is too much
to expect great and radical change i'll the
financial views of the people 10 be accom-
plished in campaign of three months
me Republicans were Just as enthusiastic
for John c. Fremont in 1856 as the Democrats
have been tor Bryan this time. The Republi-
cans were defeated as completely as the Demo-
they swept the country.
l expect history TO repeat itself, and that
with Bryan as the standard-bearer four years
hence the Democrats will carry the day as the
Republicans did with Lincoln
The array OF forces opposed TO Mr.. Bryan
was the most formidable this generation has
seen. The aggregated wealth of the country
ana the enormous influence of most of the
great newspapers that were formerly consid-
cred Democratic had to be met No doubt our
years from now the places OF such journals
VIII be supplied by newspapers that are gen.
timely Democratic.
The tide in favor of the Republicans coming
lIoHl tue IesulI OI lne last election had to be
stemmed. The hard times were against Mr.
Bryan. Then ne suffered from the odium of
being compelled 10 criticize his own party ad-
m1nlstration as at present carried on, which
was undeniably heavy load of itself.
In view of all the circumstances the general
result OF the campaign has sa isfied me that
the Democratic party was all right on all the
principal issues, and that no mistake was
made in choosing Mr.. Bryan as the standard
bearer
With any other nominee we would not have
done hall so well. No other man in the Demo-
cratic party compares with Bryan in intel
Iectual power, stalwartness OF character cour-
age, or that magnetism without which a man
who relies on agitation as his only weapon TO
accomplish great reform cannot succeed
In the history of this country there has bee n
nobody to compare with Mr.. Bryan as a popu-
lar agitator and leader except Wendell
Phillips and William Lloyd Garrison and Mr
Bryan seems to combine the best and strongest
qualities OF both
L look to see Mr.. Bryan the candidate of the
Democratic party four years hence and con-
| hdently expect his election at that time with
| IS per cent of the American people behind
| him.
| Hon. Robert B. Smith, Goyernor-eIect
OF Montana, who remained in California
to work for Mr.. Bryan because he felt that
| his vote was not needed in Montana to
secure his own success, was gratitied to
learn that he was 10000 ahead of his most