Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1896-1899, 1896-11-09

In the remarkable campaign just
closed the peoples party was the only
party that supported solidly and un'
itedly the great aud vital issues rep
resented in the candidacy of Mr..
Bryan. This was natural, for the
peoples party came into existence to
bring to the front and to press to vic
tory the principles of Lincoln and
Jefferson, already long discarded by
the two old parties. The money power,
feeling reasonably sure of its control
Of TIE leaders and controlling intlu-
ences of the Republican party,in 1892,
gave its support to the candidacy of
Cleveland for the especial purpose of
having him, through the use Of
patronage and otherwise, crush out
the silver sentiment in the South, and
max, the leaders of that PARTY as COM
pletely subservient as those in the
Republican party. To accomplish
this purpose, four cabinet ministers
were selected from the South, and an
unusually large amount of patronage
was used on political leaders to the
same end. 1t will be remembered
that Mr. Cleveland demanded that
Democratic senator and congressman
give a decisive vote in the interest of
the gold standard before he would
give out the postofficeS.
"This deep-laid plan might have
succeeded had not the peoples party
at this juncture sprang into existence,
exposed the plot, stood in the breach
and appealed to the patriotic hosts Of
both parties to check the scheme of
the peoples despUilers aud rally to the
common defense. The peoples party
forced the Democratic organization to
repudiate Clevelandism and return TO
the correct fundamental principles;
not this, but the peoples party then
forced the Republican party to cease
hedging and straddling for the purpose
of deceiving the people, and drove
them to take stand on one side or
other upon the vitual issues at stake.
"The issue now being sQuarely
joined, it was evident that those in
fluences in the Democratic party
which had dominated and debaunched
the party for quarter of century
would be driven to the support of the
party that took a position on the side
of the trusts, monopolies and money
gamblers, while, on the other hand, it
is evident that large percentage of
the Republican party favored the
principles now squarely forced to the
front, yet only small per cent would
in this campaign support them be-
cause they found them under the
Democratic banner. Had it not been
for prejudice against the Democratic
name, as well as want of confidence in
Democratic promises, for which it
must be frankly admitted past expert
ence furnishes ample ground, major
ity of the voters Of the country, in
spite of the tremendous and unparal
leled forces put forward by the Re-
publican managers, would have cast
their votes for financial reform and
American independence.
"The peoples party with high
patriotism and unselhsh devotion to
principles, greater than ever exhibited
by any other party, stepped outside
its organization to throw it's 2,O0O,-
600 votes solldly for bryan. Had not
more than this number of those
who called themselves Democrats in
1892 given their support to Mr.. Nc
Klnley, the cause of the people and
American principles would have
triumphed this year. This class of
Democrats will surely support the
party of monOpolies in the future.
Their places in the ranks of refOrmists
must be taken Eby patriotic Republic
cans. cannot believe otherwise for
l have no less confidence in the
patriotism of this class of Republi-
cans than the rank and file of the
Democratic party has also demon-
strated. Therefore large per cent |
Of those who, though not fooled by
the ambiguous pleas of honest money, |