The Opelousas courier., 1896-08-15
Washington Letter.
From our Regular Correspondent.

From our Regular Correspondent.
WASHINGTON D. c., Aug. 10th, 1896.
Mr.. Bryan's speech accepting the dem
Ocratic nomination for President, which
will be delivered this week at the mon
ster notification meeting to be held III
Madison Square Gardens, New York
City, is Just at present the most discuss
! ed political topic. That speech will be
the foundation stoncs for the entire
democratic campaign, besides being an
important factor in influencing the
minds of many democrats who have
not fully decided whether they will sup
port the ticket or bolt. Mr.. Bryan'S
reputation as IN orator is already made,
but the way in which he interprets the
Chicago platform in his speech of ac-
ceptance will fix in the minds of thou
sands, opponents as well as supporters,
the round Of the ladder of statesmal,-
ship upon which he is entitled to stand.
ocrats who know Mr.. Bryan about that
speech. They are confident that he
will make no mistake.
The silver democrats are ia some in
stances not claiming as much as some
OF their opponents are willing to con
cede them. A prominent democratic
eX-ConereSsinan, who is opposing Bryan,
says hat he is certain mere democrats
will vote for Bryan this year than voted
for Cleveland 10 1892, yet he claims to
believe that Bryan will be defeated.
Every student Of election figures knows
that it was the falling Oft in the repub-
lican votes, and not the increase in the
democratic votes, that elected Cieve-
land the last time, but all the same, If
Bryan gets as many democratic votes as
Cleveland got, in addition to the Repub-
Iican aud Populist votes he Will get,
his election will be certain.
Virginia it said to be more enthusiasts
tic for Bryan and Sewall than it has
been for a National ticket for Il long
time. Mr.. Flood, of A%ppon,altox, who
will be elected to the next House IN
place Of Representative Turner, IA v Of
the situation and prospects in the state !:
1--WE will carry the Old Dominion for
Bryan by 10000 majority. There never
was a candidate or platform mOle to
the liking of the people. In my district
the enthusiasm among democrats grows
daily in intensity, and | think that the
voters will break all records in Novem-
Der. 1t is pretty certain that Virginia
will send a solid democratic delegation
to the next Congress, and every man Of
them will be for free silver" Senator
Martin takes the same view OF the VIZ
ginia outlook and said of the country at
large: =" think it is reasonable to con
clude that the great popular wave in
favor of the democratic nominees will
not subside. There are no causes in
sight to create a reactIOn.'
Senator Martin is one of the demo-
Gratis who hopes that the call of the vot-
ing gold democrats for a National Con-
v~ention to meet at Indianapolis, Sept. .,
will result in the n%omilSrtion of a gold
democratic ticket, nots,ecause he wants
to support it, but because he BELIEVES that
it would be of great benefit to Bryan by
catching votes that would otherwise be
cast for Mckinley, while it would not
take a single vote away from Bryan.
The average democrat echoes the
words of Senator Faulkner, who, when
he was told that Il minor official in one
of the government departments had
boIted Bryan and Sewall, quietly said
.Ihat is his right; but le did not re-
sign the Office which he owes to the
democratic party before bolting the
regular democratic ticket?' 1t does
seem a little qneer that some men
should be willing to go on drawing Il
democratic salary after having bolted
the nominees of the democratic party.