The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-11-16
COLONEL BRYAN TALKS.
The Nebraskan Discusses Last
Weeks Elections.
TIE RESULT NOT SURPRISING.
People Voted Not on Party Issues,
But to Sustain the ADMINISTRATION
That Conducted q Successful War.
Chicago PlatformWill Be ReafIlrmed.

People Voted Not on Party Issues,
But to Sustain the ADMINISTRATION
That Conducted Successful War.
Chicago Platfornwill Be Reafilrmed
Lincoln, Neb., Nov. 16.-Colonel w. J.
Bryan last night gave to the press the
following Interview relative to the late
election:
while do not understand that SER
= vice in the volunteer army prevents a
colder from expressing his opinions
upon political questions, declined to
take part In the late campaign lest I
should be accused by partisan oppo-
nents Of attempting to embarrass the
administration. Now that the election
IL over I shall exercise a citizens priv
ilege of discussing the returns.
Compared with the election of 1896,
the Republicans have gained in some
places and lost in others. 1t was not
sweeping Republican victory. On the
whole the result is not surprising when
1t Is remembered that the administra-
tion Is just concluding a successful war.
While a majority of the soldiers are
probably anti-Republicans, the man
agement Of the war has been entirely IN
Republican hands. and the strongest
argument used during the campaign
was that Republican defeat would
discredit the president in the eyes Of
foreign nations, while his commission
ers were engaged in making treaty.
1T was not trial upon the issues
now before the people, but successful
plea for continuance of the case. The
people have not accepted the gold
standard; they have not fallen In love
with. the plan to give the banks a
monopoly of the issue of paper money;
they have not decided to retire the
greenbacks; they have not surrendered
to the trusts
These questiors were forced into the
background by the declaration of war,
but they must be faced again as soon
as peace is restored. The Chicago
platform presents for public consider
alton certain vital economic questions.
That platform has not been abandoned
by those who indorsed it in 1896. 1t
will be reaffirmed in 1900. because it
gives expression to the hopes and as
pirations of large majority of the
party.
when the Democrats, Populists and
Silver Republicans favored Cuban in
dependence they understood that war
would give temporary advantage to
tie party in power, but the v We're will
ing to risk defeat in order to aid the
people fighting to be free.
Neither can the election be regard
cd as an Endorsement of any definite
foreign policy. Until a treaty of peace
has been entered into and the terms
made known the people cannot pass
Judgment upon it. Whether the war
will raise any question of sufficient i'm
portance to turn public attention away
from Democratic problems remains to
be seen"
In regard to the Nebraska election he
said:
"a light vote was cast in Nebraska,
but the fusionists have elected the en-
tire state ticket and carried the same
congressional districts that they car
ried in 1896. If Senator Allen Is de-
feated for reelection it will be be-
cause senators are elected by legsa-
tors instead of by the people. If
Republican senator Is chosen by the
new legislature he will go to Wash.
inston to represent minority of the Z.
people of the state, and to thwart the
will of the majority"