The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1898-11-22
A Divided Democracy.


A Divided Democracy.
| Mr.. w. j. Bryan, in a recent inter
view, states that the democratic party
is far from abandoning the free silver
issue, and that that question will be the
paramount one in the campaign 81
1900. Mr.. Richard Croker on the con.
trary states that the silver question
must be abandoned by democracy, that
Organism is dead, and that the party
must let 90 of populism and go back to
the old principles Of the democratic
party as expressed by Cleveland.
This is the state in which democracy
finds itself today. 1t is divided and
rent asunder by contending factions.
The old time populists are also getting
sick of the bargain by which they have
lost all identity, all glory, and all the
Offices.
1t is our opinion, however, that it is
going to take another grand national
drubbing to drive free silver from the
field. Every friend of sound money
should therefore be on the alert, many
of the voters have already come ~ their
senses on this subject, but many more
are still cliuging to the old party name
although they do not indorse IT'S DOC
trines. These are the people whom we
must reach. There are hundreds of
them in Crawford county. In fact, il
the same platform was adopted that
the democrats had this year and the
ticket was labeled sPopulist," the re-
publicans would Garry the county by
a thousand majority.
One OF the best criticisms on the
pOpulistic trend of democracy is found
in the Old time democratic standard
!! bearer, the Davenport Democrat. The
article is so strong and concise that we
wish to quote it for the benefit of our
wandering democratic friends. The
Democrat says:
In capturing tile Iowa democracy
the pOpullsts captured more Than
the mere party organization. They
captured the personnel Of the party.
They captured the papers. They
surrounded it and gathered it bod
lily in. Not by force OF arms did
| they do this, but through the ap-
| pArently glad and Wiling surren-
der of democratic principe by
democrats. The capture of Iowa
democracy by popullsm was from
within not from without. The
party, pOpulized, simply placed it
self IN the hands of a lot OF fanati-
cal Missionaries and transforming
convention ranters who have never
been democrats, and went to seed
and destruction. 1t was bestrUde
4 and rode by sundry Wild-idead indi-
n viduals, but it gave them permits
sion to ride it, and boosted tnemln
to the saddle. In short 1T was not
the popullsts in the concrete that
captured the party, but popullsm in
the abstract. The party went crazy
over the Bryan hallucinati0n that
got Ascent dollar, and unless the
\ constitution was SO amended as to
allow the passage of laws that
would compel people to take this
rotten money at its face value. 1t
J, left the wayside shrine of the inn
oil mortal Jefferson to chase the jack
All o lanterns of PETER and Altgeld and
81 Jim Weaver through the wouds, till
it was so turned around it didn't
: know the way back to the road it
ell had left. Jim Weaver didn't cap
II ture the Iowa democracy. Altgeld
: didn't capture it. Finn and Stuart
and Prohfbor Wright didn capture
it. 1t elevated them to the seat of
VI power by prOclaiming its belief in
v their pernicious doctrines. Tue
- captive did the capturing; not the
captors. That fiat money crowd
a could no more have captured the
nj old time democracy, in the right
,f| sense of the word, than the gates OF
hell could hope to prevail against
10 high heaven. Nothing but a gratui-
n tous surrender could have led the
isl party into bondage as it was led.
(. The democratic party OF Iowa can
not hope to regain the position and
- the confidence it has lost by decapi-
tating a few cavOrting fanatics. 1t
n must purge and repent" fOrsake
10 populism in its essence and spirit,
- and return clearly and unequivocal-
~ ly to the safe, solid, and honorable
Is ground it has occupied for years.
rs There was enough for it to do on
[fl the old democratic lines, and those
old issues are as good today as they
were when abandoned, but as long
do UllO OVuOOA0V0 Va 4OW0 OOAUAnOO
t. to bewail the defeat of Weaver and
N Finn and Howell and Garrettson
= and Bryan they will make indiffer-
sr emit Roadway in arriving at their
IL abandoned camp. They betrayed
at the trust the people had reposed in
IN them as safe and conservative
~ party, by taking up these men and
III their isms, and they cannot regain
g. that confidence as long as they pro-
le fess sorrow for the defeat of these
. false leaders and their doctrines,
- and seek to regain the lost esteem
a. merely by also resuming champion
ID ship of their abandoned principles.
II Whenever the democrats of Iowa
get ready to admit that free coin
age was an error, and that the at
le tempted destruction of the consti-
tuition was one equally bad, and
:. that the surrender of real demOcra-
I. tic principles to take up Kansas
- populism and Iowa prohibition was
:, = another no better in kind and de-
- gree-in short when they are ready
as to admit that they went astray and
VI are SORRY for it. they will be in some