The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1897-12-03
Letter From. Hon. W. j. Bryan.


Under the date of Lincoln, Nov. G
Mr.. Bryan wrote the following inter
csting letter to the New York Journal
The elections of 1897 indicate dissat
isfaction with the republican policie!
and prestige the overthrow of the re-
publican party. They also indicate
that the boiling democrats canno
long maintain separate organization
and must either go over to the repub
licans or return to the regular demo
cratic party and accept the platform
adopted at Chicago in 1896. In Ohio
the home of the president, as we'll as
the home of Mr.. Hanna, chairman Of
the republican national committee, tbs
republican majority was reduced al.
most one-half, and the legislature is
close. Certainly in Ohio, if anywhere
the republicans might have been ex-
pected to hold their own, but instead
OF doing SO they show a distinct loss
in spite of the fact that they had an
abundance of money for campaign
purposes and an organization as COM
plete last year, together with the in
terested aid of those who have re.
ceived Office at the hands of the ad-
ninistration or expect Office.
In Kentucky the democrats carried
the state by about 10000 and secured
a good working majority in the leg
lslature, notwithstanding. the efforts
put forth by the republicans and gold
democrats. In Iowa the republican
majority was cut almost half and large
democratic gains were made in the
legislature Notwithstanding the fact
mat heavy vote was polled for an
on year. In Pennsylvania and Mass
a chusetts the republican majorities
were largely reduced. In Virginia the
democrats made decided gains on the
state ticket and in the legislature. In
Nebraska the fusion plurality will ey-
coed my plurality of last year, not
Wlthstanding a considerable decrease
in the total vote. The PERCENTAGE OF
votes cast by the silver forces in Ne
braska is greater than ever before. Iii
the states above mentioned, namely:
ohio, Kentucky, Iowa, PENNSYLVANIA,
massachusetts, Virginia and Nebraska,
the democrats reaflirmed the position
taken in the Chicago platform, and in
each OF these states the republicans
discussed national issues and pointed
out that democratic gain would
strengthen the Chicago platform. We
nave right, therefore, to claim the
political advantage which they fore
saw and tried to prevent
In New York the democratic gains
were so great that the democratic
candidate for judge Of the court of an,
peals overcame the enormous major
1ty of last year and was elected by
over $4,000 majority The democrats
also made gains in New York City
and IN the New York, New Jersey,
and MARYLAND legislature I am not
sufilciently acquainted with the local
situation in New York City and in
New York, New Jersey and Maryland
TO be able to Judge how far the gains
there strengthen the Chicago plat
form.
The small vote polled by the gold
democrats last year was explained nv
the assertion that most of the gold
democrats voted the republican ticket
out THIS year In several states spe-
cial effort was made by the gold dem
ocrats to poll a large vote in order
10 give their party standing in the pub
nc estimation. This was especially
true In Nebraska, Iowa, Kentucky and
massachusetts, Ex-Secretary J. Sterl-
ing Morton made speech at the state
convention of the gold democrats, in
Wnlch ne asserted that there had been
a large increase in his party's strength
and that the gold democrats would
poll 25,O00 votes in Nebraska this
year. In order to bring out a full
vote he consented to be a candidate
Tor regent of the state university. and
the chairman of the gold democratic
convention made the race for supreme
Judge The returns are not complete,
out sufficient is known to make II
certain that the gold democratic can.
uldate Tor supreme judge did not, poll
one-haiI or one per cent of the vote
OF the state Qess than half as many
votes as the party polled last YEAR,.
Ex-Secretary Morton, notwithstanding
ms large personal acquaintance. did
not carry a single precinct in the
state. In Iowa ex-Congressmen pat
terson and Bynum canyassed the state
IN the interest of the gold democrats
ana yet the gold democratic candidate
Ior governor only polled about 1000
more IMAM the party polled last year,
" 9 niue vi more than / per cent of the
vote Of the state. In Kentucky. where
perhaps the hardest fight was made
by the gold democrats in order to vim
tilcate Mr. Carlisle and the Courier
journal, the candidate of the gold
democrats ei only polled about 10000
votes In Massachusetts so distin-
guisned 9 man as ex-Conpressman
Mveret!, running for governor on the
g : o1 ticket. polled less than one
..lItn as many votes as Hon. George
freq Wlinams, who made an agrees
slve nght Tor the Chicago platform.