Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1898-02-02
v LILLIAN j. BRYAN.

Luc " tciupt VI tuc pdlb vi luc BOlu
organs to di,miss Hon. William J.
Bryan as a elk numbers dead
ISSUE" AID t, releg tie him 10 the
limbo OF ilsia nifc mt d forgotten
de- elicts, do lot strike us as being
particula ly happy. Whether they have
ueen enspil ed by ho est jgno ance of
public sentinel mt thrt ugl olt the csur-
try or are mere dem nstrations of NAL
ice and deceit, we d. lot undertake to
say. Perhaps we should accept bob
explanations with GO rap ic III d.
visi n, tlibuting the ignorance to
the East ana the Il. ceitful purpose to
the w st. No newspaper, in the
Unil ed Stat s h we pc re under
standing popular opinion than the
"great metropolitan dailies," because
none are so cock sure of their own
omniscieLce and OF The oyershadowing
importance of he community they
represent. To find the tru provincial,
the hopelessly narrow view of things,
one must 60 20 New York. Compared
with that big, bumptious and COM
placent aggregation of piigs. Hog
eye, Texas, is seritable c. smopolis.
We can easily believe that New York
ers speak in perfect candor when they
say that Mr.. Bryan is "a closed incident,
for they regard their own verdict on q
national issue as beyond appeal.
But neither conceit nor misre pre-
sentation will avail to dispose of Mr..
Bryan. Every intelligent snd compre-
hensive observer of public events knows
that he is stronger with the party to-
day than he was year ago that lie
h is lost none OF the marvellous personal
influence which he exerled during the
CAMPAIGN Ct 1896; that the principles
for which hs stands al as ardently es-
poused by the Democratic masses as
they were when Bryan proclaimed
them with the fire of his enthus asm
and the witchery of his eloquence. No
one need be deceived by tie CT cum
stances OF the recent campaign in New
York city. The fact that Tammany
ignored the Platform is of no gnif-
canoe. We may admit that, for The
immediate purposes of that particular
struggle, and in order to recover col
lrol of municipal affairs-to rescue
Greater New York, in fact, from e
of an impudent and by
pocrltical tyranny-the Democratic
masses C nsented to the Or kerr Whit
ney program. But that proves no,h-
ins. Indeed we may say that even if
it involved the permanent rejection OF
Mr.. Bryan aid the Chicago declar At on
by the New York organization-which
it does not-the fact would be of
minor consequence. The Democrats |
Of the nation are not under New York
control. The billions who voted for
Mr.. Bryan in 1896 do not lock IN that
direction for guidance and leader ship. |
They would Tot b, moved ons hanl'-
breadth from their purpose if New
York were to threaten them with alb
solue secession. They lost New York |
in 1896. They can offord 10 lose it
IN 1900. They have no calculations |
based upon New York as an indispen-
sable factor in their scheme. They
know that Mr.. Bryan and The Chicago
platform brought out more volts, year
before last, than any Democratic candi-
late ever received before--nearly a
million more than Mr.. Cleveland had
n 1S92-and they ale content with
hat record and the brilliant prospect
t opens to them in the future
Let no one imagine that Mr. yam
S dead issue. If a Democratic con-
rention were to assemble to-day, he
would be without serious competitor.
Unless all political conditions be revo-
utionized meanwhile, he will he even
tronger two years hence.-Washing-
on Post.