New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-07-11
TIE FREE SILVER NOMINEE.

The Nation thanks Democracy for putting
off the mask 1t has worn many years. for a
platform frankly bad. and for candidate who
matches ii perfectly. William j. Bryan or
Nebraska, the boy Orator." as his friends de-
light to call him. Is worthy embodiment OF
the frantic spirit which produced the Populst
movement, has taken the Democratic party by
assault, and proposes reputation and anarchy
as medicines for existing ills. 1t Is the better
II Mr.. Bryan, as is said, is a man of unblem-
ished personal character. The more clear and
distinct the issue can be made between the
Jacobnism which nominated him and the Re-
publicanism which nominated Mr.. Mckinley the
better for the country His nomination Is also
q gratifying defeat of the Senatorial plot, which
has been six months at work to force boiling
Republican upon the Democrats on the silver
Issue alone, ignoring the tariff The conspiracy
set up Mr.. Bryan to kill off Mr.. Bland, but
found that Nebraska understood the sinful
game" and held the cards.
This selection Is a fitting end Of most ex-
traordnary Convention. AS the JacObins across
the sea chose passion instead Of reason for their
guide, and were ever ruled by the men of fiery
tongue and no sense of restraint, their imi-
tators at Chicago have held the most hystercal
Convention on record and have chosen above
all others the man who appealed most to their
emotions Democrats Of great ability and ex-
perence In lawmaking and in administration
have been tossed aside for one whose sole pub
lie service has been for two terms in Congress,
In which it Is not known that he ever framed
or helped to frame a practical measure. and
who never had the least administrative ex-
perience in Nation, State. county or town office.
flo Ial IF
1000 plurality, he barely crawled back In
1892 with a plurality Of 40, while 2,409 Pop
usts refused to vote for him. and he was com
pletely obliterated by the Republican revival
in 1894 He had modestly aspired to be United
States Senator, but was left out of sight by
Mr.. Thurston, the Democrats electing only
s and the Populists only % members OF the
Legislature, against 81 Republicans.
Nebraska does not appear to have discovered
that 1t had within its borders the most emil
nent law giver in the land or the bestquafed
person for Chief Executive. Whether Mr.
Bryan is a Democrat at all or not. he arrived
at the National Convention as a member of
contesting delegation against which the Demo
cratic National Committee decided, but he
broke in by the expulsion Of the delegation
supported by Secretary Morton. and it may be
State Convention adjudged regular may make
their reply to Mr.. Bryan at the polls. His In
tense sincerity Of devotion to the most extreme
and radical Populistic ideas Is his only dis
coverable qualification, except his elOquence
man Of little depth of knowledge or thought
but powerfully gifted in passion and the faculty
Of moving it in others, he appeals to those who
are governed by emotion hnd not by reason at
ALL OF his judgment, it is enough to say that
In his reply to Senator Hill at Chicago he de-
clared with tremendous conviction that the Sill
yer ticket would carry every State In the
Union. And his supporters were capable of
wildly cheering that assertion.
The nomination Of such a man brings the
true issue before the country with startling dis
tinctness The elements capable Of giving to
such man 800 votes in n Democratic National
Convention can be trusted for one thing only
to ruin this country with astonishing rapidity
IL they ever get power to rule 1t. The most
dangerous are not the rascals who profess any
thing for the sake of office, and want office as
q chance to sell their convictions The thor
oughly sincere and determined enthusiasts
whose faculty for believing is so stupendOus
that they can 20 wild over Bryans assertions,
cannot be reached by reason, and can only be
crushed by overwhelming majOrities. 1t Is to
the honor of many Democratic journals that
they did not need this emnently suitable nom
ination to cause them to bolt From this time
on. the chief duty Of every good citizen, what
ever his political associations in the past Is TO
make overwhelming and decisive the defeat
of the JacObn candidate by Mckinley and
Hobart.