Kansas City daily journal., 1897-02-11
THE DECLINE OF BRYANIsM.

THE DECLINE OF BRYANIsM.
Perhaps the only thing in American poll
tics more remarkable than the rapid and
picturesque rise of the silver movement be-
fore the last presidential election is the pre-
cipitous downward tendency of the same
movement since the defeat of its vocifer-
Gus prophet. William ]. Bryan.
As the period of sober afterthought
lengthens out, and as the time for the inau-
guTation of President Mckinley draws
near, the conviction is forced upon Repub-
licAns that they were unnecessarily
alarmed and upon Popocrats that they
were 5foolishly hopeful.
The delusion that Bryan was dramatical-
ly near the goal. and that he could keep up
the fever of silver enthusiasm for four
years and win, hands down, in 1900. was
soon dispelled. When the clamorous din of
his oratory died away. all the enthusiasm
went with it. Among his followers the Bit
terness of first disappointment has been
followed by the hopeIessness of utter de-
spair.
A careful study of the official returns has
convinced the sincere men of all political
faiths that McKinleys victory was, with
one exception, the most sweeping in the
history of the country, and that Bryan's
defeat was deliberate, honest and mighty
protest against dangerous fallacies. de-
signed to mislead the unthinking and catch
the time serving.
Considering normal conditions, the most
emphatic population of Bryanism came
from the states where he expounded his
doctrines most persistently. In the eight
cen decisive Mckinley states McKinley's
majority over Bryan was 1,54S,0OO. with 24t
electoral votes, not TO speak of the 30 ad-
ditional electoral votes received in the
close states
The monstrous and unwarranted libel
that certain states had been purchased by
Chairman Hanna never gained enough ere
dence to mar the Republican victory or as
suage the Popocratic defeat. About the
only man of note to give public declaration
to these senseless charges was Anarchist
Altgeld, who referred particularly to Nc
Kinley's own state, calling attention to the
great increase in the Ohio vote over that of
1892
General Grosvenor, in a review of Ohio
presidential politics covering ninety years,
published in the Congressional Record,
shows conclusively that ohio's vote was
not larger, considering the increase in pop
ulation, than in most previous presidential
elections. He also notes what Altgeld
failed to mention-that the vote of 1892,
owing TO internal dissensions in both par
ties, was comparatively light; also that at
the last election, in the state of Missouri,
which gave Bryan nearly 600 more votes
than it gave Cleveland in 1892, the total
gain over 1892 was 1874 46S votes Yet no one
has charged that Missouri was bought for
Bryan.
The inexorable force of facts and figures
has told nightly against the idol of the
Popocrats. The election was no sooner
over than Bryan announced that he would
carry the fight to 1900. He declared that
the ultimate triumph of silver was as GER
tain as the day of judgment. But, alas! he
went duck hunting and the people forgot
him.
Mr.. Bryan still travels about considera-
bly,. but he can lose himself in a crowd
just the same as any other citizen. His
goings and comings are no longer an
nounced. Since his defeat he has made
two visits TO this city, and on each occa-
sion the only one so poor to do him rever-
ence was his friend Robidoux, the Union
avenue saloonkeeper.
In politics it is possible to set in motion
a great wave on a false issue; but when
the tide once begins to ebb it never re-
turns.
There is nothing unique in the neglect of
Mr.. Bryan. He is simply the champion of
a lost cause.