The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1897-05-06
ELSEWHERE IN THIS number Of The Com
BRYAN ON WAL.
D0RF DEMOCRACY.

DhIAU v ~ n 4 N''
DoRF DEMOCRACY. monwealth will be found a letter from
Hon. W. j. Bryan to the New York journal, in which that gentleman sub
mts a few thoughts which came to him while reading ex-prestdent Ceve'
lands recent message to the little band of superilious' purse-proud Wall
street nunktcs and opuent asses whoscs only ambition in life seems to be to
goify Grover and rob the government.
In this letter Mr. Bryan outlines the plan Of campaign for lsOo-he
demonstrates the absurdity o. the proposition looking toa reconcihation-a
reunion Of the botpats with the democrats, and very pertinently says
1.-THE democratic party will in 1900 reiterate its demand for free and unlim.
tied coinage at lG to /, and it will be opposed by those who at that time be.
IlieGcd in a gold standard, This being as certain as any future even a De-
why should those affiliate now who expect to engage in combat % soon here
latter"
However disagrccable the reflection may be, we had just as well meet it
canddIy and couageousIy. Mr.. Bryan states the situation fairly. There
lis one thing very certain, the democratic party, embracing $500 900 voters
will not surrender to the faithful $780, 900 who went down to ignominious
and dis9raceful defeat swinging to the tails Of those two old ''decoy ducks, "
Palmer and Buckncr. 1t could hardly be expected land indeed nobody but
an cgotstica idiot would imagine such a thing possible. The democratic
party is stronger better organized, more thoroughly disciplined and IN bet
tr. lighting trim today than it has been for a number OF years. The dis
money sharks, corporation hends and government wreckers that have always
attcmped. because Of their great wealth, to rule the party, has been driven
ont. These gentlemen, in the profundiy of their egotism, their consuming
vanity and nnmcasurable ignorance believed at one time that they were the
life and soul of the democratic organization. In that they were mistaken,
and in the course Of time their error will be demonstrated. Grover Cleve.
land now believes or rather, affects to believe, that he and his little crowd
possess a monopoly Of all the political wisdom, patriotism and purity in Am.
erican politics. He is so constructed mentally that he sees naught but dis
Indignation and death for the democratic party without him. Indeed, he
and Il few kindred spirits met IN New York a few days since around an elab-
crate feast, 'as PATRIOTS, ~ for the purpose Of re-establishing prosperity for
our fellow citizens and saving the country from scandal " etc. Not only Is
this band of "plutocratic patriots going to wipe out from the face of the
earth the democratic party but they insist upon ruling the republican
party. Such cheek is simply indescrhable. You might combine every Ian
guage that was ever spoken and you could not fully describe 1t. But 1t Is
too weak to do harm and not strong enough to effect any good. AS Bryan
says; at is long on pmtitDdS md short on performance, it reaches its maximum
at a banqut and its minimum at tie polls. 1t is the toy Of those fnanciers who
prate about national honor while they fatten OF the nations extremity, and
is poweress to protect the people from the extortion OF trusts and the greed
of unresrained corporations"
It lisa sort of political prostitute, whose meresrcious apparel and loud
ways publish to the world her true character notwithstanding her protesta-
ton of innocence and virtue. Their unreasonable claim that they alone rep.
resent the living principles of democracy is unspeakaAy absurd. Bryan sg-
gcsts that, 1--WE now have a harmonious democratic party, and we have a
boiling organization which claims to represent another kind of democracy
Let them both exist and time will determine which is fttest to survive"
That will settle it. 'Upon the waves Of error tost, " we leave them.