Evening journal., 1897-01-02
sA,URO,Y. JANUARY ?. 1907.
THE FUTURE OF DEMOCRACY.

The FUTURE Of DEMOChAt1.
Sufficient time has gone by since the
election to consider dispassionately the
effect of the choice of Mckinley upon
those he defeated. as well as upon
those Democrats who favored his cleo
tion rather than cast their votes for
Bryan on the platform upon which he
was nominated, for personally Mr.
Bryan was not unpopular and the re-
suit shows that if he could have con-
troled the entire Democratic vote OF
the country, he would have been
elected. His supporters consisted Of
the most radical and enthusiastic ele-
ment of the Democracy, and his defeat
has caused them to do many foolish
things.
It is plain to see now that the first
great mistake made at Chicago was the
union, or attempted union, with the
Populists. Even the financial views Of
the latter are not those of the silver
Democrats, who, though they believe
in establishing a parity between gold
and silver never went so far as to in
sist, as the Populists do that the gov
ernment stamp is sufficient to make
money out of anything. wheat, paper
or any convenient commodity. Then
again. diverse as were the views of
these two parties regarding financial
affairs, II is quite sure their principles
on other matters of public concern are
still farther apart
It is to be noted that though the
Populist party made very respectable
showing of votes in 1892 for their own
candidate, that Cleveland was elected
by the Democrats with a larger vote
than the combined Democratic and
Populist vote OF last year for Bryan,
Notwithstanding the fact that the
Populists have been increasing in
power largely since 1892. When we
consider that the free silver Demo-
Gratis were even more opposed to the
Popuhst ideas generally than TO their
financial plans. It is omewhat supris-
ing that these two political elements
held together as well as they did in the
support of Bryan. Yet, for all this,
Bryan's defeat has apparently cement
ed a friendship between them which
never before existed and lifelong
Democrats have been so blinded by
their disappointment in this regard
that IL seems impossible for them to
view the present situation dispassion-
ately.
The silver question divided the
Democratic party. If we look as far
back as the Chicago convention. does
not the action of that convention show
that the Democratic party was unnec-
essarily divided? In our mind the silver
question, right or wrong. is a tempo
rary one. II is a thing which will set
tie itself. Some Democrats have man
aged to think that free silver and moth
ing else will bring prosperity to the
country, and they cannot seem to get
any ether idea into their heads. Others
are almost as crazy-headed with the
gold idea, but the fact is neither one
nor the other would make or unmake
the United States. which is bound to
prosper under any permanent financial
system.
Itisevident that many Democrats have
become Populists, while the sound
money Democrats are never likely to
reioin the party while it adheres to
Populistic ideas and principles. Luck
ily we have four years to consider
these matters, and within that time
many changes will take place Our
passions will cool down and it is to
be hoped that the Democratic idea as
established by jefferson will again
predominate the American people.
Mckinley is keeping quiet and