The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-06-08
Entered at the pOstof1ce at Raleigh,
e O., az second-class matter.
BAILEY FOR BRYAN.

The young IeXaS esiueT ol the I1ouse
has not, in our Judgment, pursued the
wisest policy in acquiescing for the time
in the Republican do-nothing programme.
Lately he has seemed to see that digni-
fed protests and demands for important
legislation constituted the wisest course
for the minority. But, however unwise
Mr.. Bailey's policy may have been with
respect to the best method for the mi
nority to pursue, he has held to correct
Democratic doctrines upon all questions
of principle.
knowing that Mr. Bailey had not been
a warm, personal friend of Mr.. Bryan,
an effort, systematic and shrewdly man
ipulated, has been made to SO estrange
Mr.. Bailey from the foremost leader of
his party as to produce a fractional fight
among the free silver hosts within the
party ranks. There is coterie of in
fuential Democrats who are willing to
see free silver man chosen President,
but who are hostile to Mr.. Bryan because
he is an open enemy of the domination
Of government by great corporate enter
prises. This class has sought to use Mr..
Bailey to make such diversion as would
enable them to shelve Mr.. Bryan and
nominate some silver man who would be
the friend and ally of those interests that
need the Federal judiciary in their bust
ness.
Whether Mr.. Bailey has seen the sys-
tematic efforts put forth to use him as
the catspaw to pull the chestnuts out Of
the fire for the corporations, we have no
means Of knowing. At any rate he has
shown that he is not the man to be thus
used for the undoing of the vital prin-
ciples of his party Upon his return to
Washington from stumping tour
through the First Congressional District
of Missouri, Mr.. Bailey was interviewed
by a Post reporter. He said:
1T seems to be the almost unanimous
opinion of the Democrats with whom |
have been brought in contact personally
and otherwise, that the Democratic party
should commit itself unreservedly to the
re-adoption of the Chicago platform of
1896. The almost universal desire APP
pears to be to add nothing to and sub
tract nothing from that platform, but to
accept it without qualification or reserva-
ton as the principles of the Democratic
party for 1900. 1t will be impossible to
disassociate Mr.. Bryan from that plat
form. He is "a part of the fight of 1896,
and to adopt the platform of last year
fuse he ~ r.
would be a serious mistake.
''Mr Bryan is identified with the Chi
cago platform, and with the issues of
1896 indissolubly. No man can so fully
represent that platform in 1900 as the
candidate of the Chicago convention of
last July. 1t is my Judgment that his
denomination is a foregone conclusion.
Mr.. Bryan is a better Democrat now
than he was when he was nominated,
and he appears to be settling down upon
basis that entities him to the support
of all Democrats who stand squarly
upon the undying principles of the party
that was founded by Jefferson. ] differ
ed from Mr.. Bryan in many of his ear
her opinions and convictions, but since
his nomination he has kept himself in
everything that he has said and done
strictly within the limitations of the
Chicago platform, and that platform is
good enough for me or any other Demo
crat to stand on. When Mr. Bryan first
entered Congress, six years ago. he was
a tariff specialist, his studies having been
confined largely to economic questions.
Since then he has broadened out i'm
mensely, and | know of no man who
more fully represents the popular idea
of pure Democracy than he does. He is
a true American, a patriot, and man
whom the Democrats of the country
feel that they can trust. The Democrat
ic party today is more united than /
have ever known it to be. The Populists
who left the party because of Cleveland
and his policis have returned and are
with us again heart and soul. The mid
dle-of-the-road Populists are still against
us, as they always have been, because
we have not subscribed to their extreme
views, and the gold Democrats are still
an uncertain quantity. They will have
to come to us, however, or go over to
the Republicans. We cannot afford to