The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-07-14
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
BRYAN's CHANCES.


not the remotest possibility that Mr.. Bryan
can be elected by the Democracy. Even it one
third OF the party had not rejected him and
his platform, but remained loyal to gold,
there would be no hope of success without the
support of the Populists. The fond and per-
sistent delusion of Democrats, in the face OF
reason and common-sense, that the Popullsts
would abandon their own organization to vote
for even so popular candidate as Bryan upon
q platform in many respects wholly antagonis-
tic to Populist convictions and then be classed
and counted as Democrats, will soon be dis
PEELED even from muddled Democratic brains.
There is only one way possible by which
receive the nomination OF the Popullst Ma
t1onal Convention at ST. Louis, and that Is 10
come before the convention after the PLATFORM
has been adopted and before the assembled
delegates declare in plain and unequlVoca1
words that he accepts the principles enunci-
ated IN the platform and win STAND upon , l.
openly and honorably, and IL elected, ne VIII
| cal TO his aid distinguished, sound ana loyal
Populists as member of his Cabinet; also that
due and full share OF all his appointments
| shall be true and tried Populists. On these
| terms alone is it possible as believe Tor Mr.:
Bryan or any other man to receive the support
| ana votes of the Peoples party.
The persistent taunting OF Mr.. Bryan since
his nomination with Populistic affiliations by
| Republican and Democratic newspapers COM
mltted TO gold and Mckinley may have sig
nificance which will be fully understood when
! the Peoples party National Conven ton assem-
| Dies July %. ] am half inclined to surm1Se
/ that 1T means more than an ordinary partisan
| slur. 1t may point to a secret understanding
] between the prominent Populists in attend
ance on the Chicago convention and the sup
| porters OF Mr.. Bryan. 1t may be that Mr.. Bryan
| and his following have agreed that he shall go
| before the P0pulist conVen ton and openly &C
eept their pla torn as their candidate, on con-
d1tlon that he shall receive their nomination
/ ana deal fairly by them in appointments. bnt
still doubt it. Yet it may prove to be true.
| The question then arises: How could he
IN Mo f0rrr1 icl1 pa he
made to harmonic with his Democratic plat
| form? 1t is difficult question to answer but
only one answer can he given: The adoption
| OF substitute platform disposes of the first
one, as second will or contract So persedes and
sets aside the first, in so far il differs from it
| in any of its specific declarations. Ever such
a pledge given by the candidate might fail to
satisfy dangerously large element in the Peo-
Pies party. as it is not party given to making
| compromises and is, in fact, a party of deep
rooted and stubborn convictions.
Assuming, however, that Mr.. Bryan and the
National Democratic Committee have come TO
| such an understanding with representative
Populists that all the obstacles in the way of
| its contamination may be finally and fully
| overcome and he has been duly ard even
unanimously nominated by the Populist con-
| Vent1on, there will yet remain the Democratic
contingency to be considered and Daciied.
How is that to be done? I may answer this
! question pretty nearly by asking, where will
| silver Democrats go if they reject Mr.. Bryan
as an avowed and pledged Populist? 1t may
] be true that the great majority of his Demo-
TO vote for him as an outcnd-out Populist
Turning now TO another view of this ques-
ton OF union candidates to be nominated and
supported by silver Democrats, Populists and
Iellerite Republicans, am free to say that
| 1t is a grave question with thoughtful and
| sturdy Populists whether it is desirable to
! enter into any such alliSnce with men who are
SO ignorant of the distinctive economies of the
! Peoples party as to be in fact still more in
! sympathy with their old parties on all matters
except the comparatively insignificant one of
free silver coinage. Will the result be salts
factory to honest and loyal Populists? Can
to any good purpose? Would it not be better
for the country and the Peoples party to make
haste slowly?
desirable for Populists to come into power
| hampered as partners of silver Democrats and
Republicans May it not in the end, be better
| Tor the country and the party as we'll, that the
| people should suffer four years longer under
gold McKinlevlsm? If not in open insurrec-
ton by 1900, theywil have become sufficiently
| educated in the Popul1st system of economies
TO know how to use the ballot to protect them
| selves and secure the fruits of their labor.
There is still another view Of present con-
ditions which certainly should receive due
consideration, namely this: Concede that a
union OF silver forces can be secured which
will result in the election of Mr.. Bryan by a
conelomerate party held together mainly on a
financial issue which has been enacted into
| law, and on other issues there is, in fact, no
actual agreement whatever, and on such
| characteristic Populist demands as the Govern
ment ownership of railroads, telegraph and
| telephones, and the land question there would
/ be decided antSgonism, what would the future
of that sort of party be?
Does any one imagine, even in his most
hopeful moments, that the gold power Is going
to let go easily and periodically? The word
! patriotism is unknown in the vocabulary OF
the gold power and its equally greedy and IN
patriotic allies, the great trusts and railroad
and telegraph monopolies When the new
party goes into power 1t should be homo
| geneous in all its elements and held together
/ by lofty ideals OF unselfish patriotism. A con-
/ nrT1a 70 rnodc of 1zr-1,r
! but little in common, and little to be elimi-
mated at once after it obtains control of the
Government by proper enactment, which
way possible by powerful, vigilant, thor
oughly organized and admittedly unscrupu-
lous enemy, with unlimited resources and a
determination to use them for the overthrow of
| the new party, would probably soon go to
pieces. Populists are not likely to rush head
| long into any uncertain and underlined union
| with silver Democrats and Republicans. Bet
/ ter wait till 1900 and win complete straight
| Peoples party victory, unless there can be a
substantial union on great National issues of a
| permanent character.
July 1.-THE foregoing letter was written
| Sunday afternoon. / desire now to add that
have read in THE CALL this tMonday) morning
| the astounding address issued at Chicago last
Saturday, July II, from the headquarters of
! the Timetable Union, indorsing Bryan and
Sewall, the Democratic candidates, and urging
upon all who can agree with them to join them
at st. Louis July %, there to indorse and ratify
| THESE HOtutudtlOud, ana signed Dy A. j. War
ner, president, II. F. Bartine and FIVE Others
| write this postscript TO say that as one
delegate to the Peoples party National Con-
yention, denounce this Warner Bartine adj
| dress as piece of brazen assumption ana an
act of bad faith, and as false and misleading in
its statement of the purpose of the Silver party
formed at Washington, d. c., January %, in
calling a National Silver Convention to meet
| in st. Louis July %, as being the time and
! place previously fixed by the Populists for
holding their National Convention.
have not space here to enter into particu-
! lars and cite the call issued by Dr. J. ]. Mott,
chairman of the National Committee OF the
Silver party, for such National Silver Conven-
ton and thus prove that this Warner Bartine
address, in so far as jt states the purpose of
the National Silver Conven tiOn is false in fact,
| false in spirit, false in inference and false in
/ ennnlnsinn. and inasmnch A. ]. Mariner