The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-09-01
LASSITER STATES HIS VIEWS.
Wants to Do the Thing That Is Surest
to Defeat Bryan and SewaII.

Mr.. N. H. Lassiter. of Fort Worth, Tex,
says he was entirely misquOted in the Sen
tinel yesterday. The following is his own
statement of his position on the subject of
a nomination:
A Il men concede that the present cam
paign Will result in the election of Bryan
or Mckinley. No other candidate now out,
or who may be nominated by any party or
convention, has or will have the shadow of
admitted isn't it our duty as sound-money
Democrats to accept the lesser of the two
vote for Mr.. Mckinley. not that we like
Republicanism more, but Organism less?
lions? Do we love our country first and
our party second? If Republicanism and
Organism were equally Objectionable and
even were we without hope of success. but
as it is, one is decidedly preferable to the
other, and as We cannot defeat both, isn't
it our duty to choose directly between
them? No matter what we may do in con-
v%entton. we must decide, on the day of
election, whether we prefer Bryan or Nc
Kinley and vote accordingly. Voting for
anyone else will not defeat both of them,
but may result in the election of the one
who is more Objectionable to us than the
other.
II we nominate candidates and vote for
them, 1t would still only affect the result
as between Bryan and Mckinley. There is
no way we can vote without helping one
and injuring the other. Have We a pref
erence between Organism and Republican,
ism? Do we prefer the present success of
the party of Lincoln and Blaine, or the
party of Altgeld and Tillman? We will
have one or the other, and must contribute
to that result directly or indirectly. Shall
we be men and vote to maintain the honor
Of our common country and the supremacy
of it's laws. or crouch like towards at the
feet of party prejudice? This is not the
country and who desire the maintenance of
law and order to divide and misdirect their
efforts, and they will not; We can perpet-
uate our party organization without the
nomination of candidates. Who of us be-
lieves that the party and principles of JEFF
ferson and Jackson will die and pass be-
yond the power of resuscitation, because,
forsooth. we fail to nominate candidates
for certain defeat?
that we Democrats have had an opportu-
nifty to convince Republicans and all others
that our love of country is superior to our
love of party; that we are patriots first and
partisans afterward.
For those, if any there be, who are so
full of sectional and party prejudice as to
refuse salvation from threatened national
dishonor and the destruction of law and or
der, because offered by the Republican
party, a second ticket would possess the
merit of giving them a choice between it
and Bryan. but such men never vote a
ticket they know cannot win, and Bryan
would get their support in the end. A great
many big and little things influence and
yet been discovered that certain defeat is
a potent factor in harvesting votes. Sound
money Democrats who are without preju-
dice and who wish to help save this coun-
try from it's threatened anger should not
be hampered with another ticket, but left
free to choose each for himself, between
favor Bryan should vote to place a second
ticket in the field, but those who prefer the
success of Mckinley should oppose the
nomination or Endorsement of any candi-
date. Let each man choose for himself on
the day of election between Bryan and Nc
Kinley, and vote directly for the man and
principles of his choice. One of these men
will be elected. Let us be partiots when
we should, partisans when we can, but fools
never"