Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-04-10

stand why Mr.. Bryan is cuhivating the
memory of Jefferson SO assiduousiy
nowadays Next Tuesday is the l54tn
| birthday anniversary of the great
statesman. While paying tribute 10
the memory of those who have achieved
greatness one may be in a more con-
spicuous way to have greatness thrust
upon him. Possibly. too. Mr.. Bryan
thinks his greatness. will ripen best in
the splendor reflected from the mirror
he proposes to held up before shrines
of dead Democrats, as were Democrats.
He possibly has forgotten those lines
| from Shakespeare about the killing
frost, which when he thinks, good
easy man, full surely his greatness is
a-ripcning, nips his root" Be that as
| it may Mr.. Bryan ard the Bryantes
have gone about this celebrating of
ANNIVERSARIES with much method and
sounding Of brass and silver.
OF course it is plain why Mr.. Bryan
is so anxious to have these celebrations.
1t is a rare occasion for him to show
himself. His gorgeous style of oratory
does not pail upon the taste at such
times as it does on the lecture platform.
And along with his words he would
excite in the minds of all, within sound
of his voice or reach of the report of
it, the idea that after all he is a Demo-
Graf delighting to kneel humbly at the
shrine of the founders of the party.
We can also appreciate the motive of
the national Popocratic chairman,
Jones, for urging general celebration
of the jefferson anniversary. The
Popocrats want to be known as Demo-
Gratis. There was a time when they
didn't much care. Instead of troubling
themselves about the founders of the
Democratic party they wore busy ar
ranging to be founders of a party all
by themselves. They laid the founda-
tons, fat money and subordination of
the supreme court. Now they would
move the Democratic party off the
foundations where it was placed by
Thomas Jefferson and Andrew jackson
over onto the foundations they have
laid ard from which the structure of
their hopes was swept in the cyclone Of
November 1896. They would have the
Democrats assist in this under the
mistaken notion that they are doing
homage to the original founders when
as matter of fact they would leave it
in such condition that the originals
never would recognize it, and if they
did would refuse to countenance it.
Altogether it is a very artful plan, but
will it succeed?
The Jackson celebration this year did
not shed any particular glory upon the
participants. Some of the people took
occasion to read up on Jackson's life.
and they found that the principles he
espoused were Numerically opposed to
Popocracy. He believed in the gold
standard and acted up to his belief.
He had nothing but encouragement
for such outbreaks as the Chicago riot
and would have put that down with
more rigorous hand than did Cleveland.
Indeed had he occupied the seat of
chief executive during Cleveland's term
he would have been eXecrated by the
organs, Altgelds and Tillmans for the
same reason as was Cleveland. Will
these incendiaries of public opinion.
these men who went about the country
making revolutionary speeches last
fall, preaching the doctrine of revOlu
| ton. will they on Tuesday recall these
words from the inaugural of the sage
of Monticello: Il believe it the only
one government where every man, at
| the call of the law, would fly to the
| standard CT the law, and would meet
| invasions of the public order as his own
personal concern" Will they refer to
Jefferson's words respecting a coinage
ratio? Will they put on the one side
their declaration that the stamp of the
government creates the value of dol
lar and in comparison these words of
Jefferson: 1.-The proportion between
the values of gold and silver is a mer-
cartile problem altogether. The pro-
|