Omaha daily bee., 1896-12-13

Cunning county, l.. J. T.. Jaeger of Dawes
county u G Cavenaugh of Platte county,
j. j. Mcintosh of Cheyenne county and
Jacob !: Paine Of Sarpy county. all in the
Waving any technicaities, purpose call
ing your attention to a few facts in rea-
tion to this matter. That we may discuss
the subject intclligently, let us first deter
mine what the object of the Jacksonan
club H. in this summary action. Is 1t for
the purpose either OF disCplining your mem
bership or enforcing that democratic doc.
trine that the majority must rule" or
must we look further for the motive which
actuates you?
SEEKING A MOTIVE.
I take 1t for granted that 1t Is not a de-
the rule requiring submission to the ma
jCrlty because you charge me with failure
to support William j. Bryan for president,
whom you designate as the regular nomi-
nee. Certainly your claim would fail in this
case from the very impropriety in using Mr..
Bryans name, because he himself has vic.
lated this rule in not submitting to the will
of the people as expressed November last,
but Immediately upon receipt of the infor-
nation that the peoale of the United States
had decided against him. announced that
he would not submit and allow Mr.. Mckin-
ley n fair chance to demonstrate the justice
of his platform, but upon the contrary an
nounCed that the battle had just begun;
and, besides this, Mr. Bryan has at various
times during the past FIVE or six years stated
publicly mat he would not support candi-
dates or platform at variance with his own
IDEAS Hence we must seek for further mo-
tive.
Certainly your action is not for the pur-
pose of disciplining your members, because
IL IL were you would have taken n much
palmer case. You, for instance. could have
gone back to the election of 1893 and pro
furred. charges against such members as did
not support Judge Irvine for Judge of the
supreme court of this state. There was no
question as to Mr.. lrVines nomination He
was the nominee OF democratic state CON
vontion in which many of your members
participated, and was the only democratic
nominee before the people at that time. 1t
may be that your committee which has pre-
ferrcd charges against me was not in po-
sition to use the Irvine election, because II
might have seemed inconsistent for the
committee, but this certainly would have
would have had to substantiate ClargCs
against members for having failed to sup
port a democratic candidate, regularly
named, and about which there was no Ques-
tion as to the regularity of his candidacy,
and no partnerships in his nomination In
candidate for president, the nominee of a
syndicate of conventions with n superfiuity
of caudal appendages: standing upon plat
forms as undemocratic as II was possible
to make them. and apparently as much at
have chosen men to make the Investigation
electoral ticket half of which was admit
tedly popullst. and for a state ticket COM
posed of populSts, with one exception, and
vet men casting their ballots for such a
ticket propose to sit in judgment and eXpel
II ON democratic organization n man who
supported candidates for president and vice
president about whose democracy there Is
no no question standing upon platform in
organization of the party; man who voted
a democratic state ticket composed of dem
ocrats entirely, and about whose democracy
there is no question. And yet YOU say to
him That we will eNpel you from a demo-
cratic organization because of your unfaith-
fuIness to party doctrine. You propose to
say that men who voted against Judge Ir-
vine are competent to determine the de
Bryan-a man who in 1893 when asked to
say by letter or otherwise that he would
support the regular democratic ticket, de-
c'inea doing so. This then, is to be your
model for democrats to follow.
l think we must look still further for a
sire to build up the club, because all admit
that the club will be weakened by tiis ac-
tion and that the party cannot he made
success without uniting the different ele-
ments.
who failed to vote for Mr.. Bryan, because Il
Is well known to the members who preferred
these charges, that you have not included
one-half of the men who failed to do so
who are members of the club.
Your action may be explained upon the
theory That i Is your desire to especially
the club, and some five or six honorary
members by expelling them from your or
sanitation. and with this view of the case
| am in nowise DISPOSED to take issue with
you. 4 membership in n club which in a
spirit of childish FRENZY tears down from its
walls the pictures of the president of the
United states and his cabinet and strikes
from its rolls without hearing the names
,
Hon. John u. Irish for giving uttcrance to
the same sentiments which caused the en-
rolment of his name, Is certainly one of
If your desire is not to build up the club,
Is not to punish men who really refused to
support the democratic ticket is not to
build up and perpctuate democratic doc
trines what Is the object? Is II not found
IN the fact that the men who are now con-
trolling your organization are following i'm
the footsteps of their patron saint" and
are desirous that the populist party may
sunplant entirely the once grand old demo-
cratic party?
1t must be well known to your member
ship that there is n very serious question
as to whether or not Mr.. 3ryan Is n demo-
crat or populist Upon this question there
Is n wide divergence of opinion all over the
nation
The Jacksonian club has never endorsed
him. His only endorsement was by ma
iortv of peonle assembled at a convention
in Chicago July last consisting of some
democrats, some free silverltcs and more
pOpullsts. But the action taken by this
body of men has never been approved Inv
the democratic party of the nation. and
by the men whose influence has always
been the greatest in maintaining the prln-
ciples of democracy.
SERVING PRIVATE ENDS
Has II ever occurred to YOU that the
Jucksonian club has departed from the pur-
poses for which II was organized and that
II Is no longer an earnest body of true
democrats, sinking their personal prefer
ences and hiding their dIsikes in an honest
democracy. but, upon the reverse, has de-
generated into an organization whose prin-
cipal aim seems to be to advance the po-
cuniary affairs of n few of its membership
who seem to have abandoned all idea of
regularity and who appear to be running
the club entirely as personal matter? To
so great an extent is this true that II Is
questionable today whether the JacIsonan
club is democratic organization or
whether the name signifies the rallynE
point OF popocratic. populistc schemes of all
kinds and conditions, including legislative
contests
| was selected as n member Of the execu-
tive committee, and yet | have not been
notified of n meeting this year and the
treasurer of the club advises me that not
n cent has been paid into his hands for
eight or ten months.
Is II not true that the Jacksonian club
has practically drlfted into the hands of n
few designing and unworthy men of doubt
ful political genealoGy, more bent upon en-
riching themselves than advancing the
cause of democracy? Men who are using
the club for the purpose of venting tfeir
snleen upon party leaders?
! speak thus plainly OF these matters. with
sincere regret. because / know that the
Jncksonian club has in its membership
many good and true men but when rep
resentatiye OF your club now active i'm this
work OF demolition comes to me I'm August
and asks me not to resign, that II Is the
purpose of the club to continue it's well
known policy of ignoring the money ques-
tion, and that they will again be prepared
10 unite after the election. and when your