The record-union., 1896-07-19
THE FIGHT WILL BE HOT
AND
PARTIES DEM0RALIZED.
Arthur McEwen on the Situation
Positions Taken by the Politicians.

SAN FRANCISCO, July 17.-There
can be no doubt about the popularity of
Bryan's nomination in this city. Last
Saturday nights ratification excited the
town and was the most enthusiastic aft
fair of the kind that has occurred since
the war But if you ask Democrats if
they think the enthusiasm Is going to
last, if Bryan is likely to be elected,
you get a variety of answers. l have
gone about among the men who rank aus
leaders, and L find that they are mostly
at sea. though few are wholly without
hope One of the most Sangulne took
this view:
Il hear the Republicans all around
me saying that if the election were to
be held this month Bryan would go
through with a whoop to the Whlte
House, but that between now and NO
yernber his boom is bound to shrink.
They hold that no man cam reach the
Presidency who has aTTayed against
him the wealth and conservatism OF the
country. And they are uckled to death
over the boiling of the New York sun,
"World' and Herald and such a lot
OF the other big Eastern party papers.
We've got the Democratic admlnlStra-
tion against the Democratic ticket, ana
1T seems to be the fad for elnlnently re-
Spectable Democrats on the Arlamllc
side to curse Bryan and come out Tor
gold. 7 don't know why this shoulu
elate Republicans or depresS Democrats
The Chicago Convention deliberately
challenged just this kind Of hostility.
There are boilers whose reco1l helps.
When, for instance, we read that rom
Brown, cashier of the Bank OF Callfor-
MIA. and John I. Doyle can't square II
with their conscienceS to approve Tree
silver Democrats in general nave rea-
sen to shake hands. Mr.. Brown is one
of the worst tempered and most unpopu-
lar clerks in San Francisco. Not to vote
as he does ought to be a pleasure TO the
young men of the business district. Mr..
Doyle is a different sort of person. he
is a man of educati and thought, but
he is rich, makes a business of hand-
ling big estates, and when he speaks on
the subject of finance IT is known that
he voices the sentiments of the opulent.
Every such bolter increases the feeling
among the humble that Bryan is man
to stand by-that he is one of the peo-
Pile There is going to be a groundsWell
this fall. The masses are the managers
of the Democratic campaign, and they
will carry Bryan through by one OF the
biggest ma jorities ever cast for PreSl-
Dental candidate"
A Republican leader put his party S
hopes thus: 1.-The Bryan boom is hol-
low and is sure to collapse. The wealth
and character of the United States are
hostile to it. 1t is simply a case of those
who have nothing inviting to pitched
battle those who have something. There
can be no doubt about the outcome of
fight of that sort in a country like this,
where every man has a fair chance to
rise by industry and thrift. The IN
stinct of such a people is necessarily
conservative. Every man who has
something put by for a rainy day will
vote for Mckinley. There is no stickler
for the rights of property equal to the
chap who has retained a few dollars out
of his wages ana put them In the saw
ings bank. AS a politician l can't but
admire the tactics Of our Democratic
friends Prior to the nomination Of Nc
Kinley they freely confessed they dldn' I
have the ghost of a show. Their admin
istration had brought ruin on the land
and Grover Cleveland was about the
worst discredited President that ever
sat in the White House. Naturally we
Republicans looked to make capital out
of this Democratic failure, but we are in
a fair way to being cheated. Cleveland
party turns on him, kicks him, repudi-
ates him, and before it gets through II
will come pretty near to holding US tc
blame for Growers sins. The audaclty
of the thing is splendid. But it won't
work, especially in California John +
Irish says this State is going to give
Mckinley about $4,000 majority, and
am with him in his judgment The sill
yer question is comparatively new here
Only the Populists are very much in ear
nest about 1t, whereas our people know
all about the tariff and feel strongly re-
specting it. The tariff is our battlefield
and on that wen win"
Speaking of the Populists, their lead
ers here do not seem to be in ardent
sympathy with their brethren of the
middle West. The Populistic politician
In this region is Intensely Jealous Of the
Democratic and Republican politician
more particularly OF rne Democratic
who has acquired the annoying habit OF
stealing his thunder. Two years age
thousands of Populists were brough'
over to Budd on the railroad issue Tht
marty is composed of men who have Ios'
their veneration for organizations as
such and 1t is not easy to hold them to-
gether 1t is not unnatural that th'
leaders who have given years OF theil
lives to building up the party ana wht
hope for reward in case of success shoult
now resent the effort TO stampede then
following for Bryan on the cry tha'
principle is everything and organization
nothing. Statesmen like Thomas V
Gator. indorsed by his party's State
Convention for United States Senator
would not be human were they ready t
put aside ambition and sacrifice per
sonal aspiration on the altar OF doc
trine The more confident Democrat:
are disposed TO scoff at the pretension:
of the official heads of the People:
nartv. .eThe average Populist," the ar
eurnent runs. lis the natural enemy O.
the bondholder, the plutocrat ana th'
politician. IL his leaders lead ham II
the direction he is inclined to go, ne VII
follow; If not, he will traVei MS Owl
road. The average Popuilst IS a serious
fellow with ideas. He doesn't need am
one to tell him that the masses are con
ouered by being divided, and that nov
they have the chance of hfetine 4
they will but unite on Bryan Ina
being apparent. the bulk OF the Popu
lists will vote for Bryan, no matter VIVA
the leaders may do. It's PLAIN case
the exploited majority against the PRIV
iieged minority, and that's just the issu
that the Populist voter is hunting Tor
He'll bolt his leaders If they try TO pu
the organization bit in his mouth.