Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1899-06-09
OUR CANDIDATE IN 1900
4 Conspiracy.

Hanna Democrats appear to be much
agitated over the question of what the
Democrats will make tie leading issue
in the election of 1900. The Republic
can press and leaders are giving great
deal of gratuitous advice to the Demo-
Gratis and displaying a great deal of
anxiety lest they readopt the Chicago
platform, make the fight of 1896 over
again. and lose the election. Every
Democrat knows that if the Republi-
cans sincerely believed that the DEM
ocrats were liable to make blunder
that would cost them the election that
instead of warning them against such
mistake they would encourage them
in it. The anxiety of the Republicans
is shared by another class who call
themselves Democrats, but who pre-
fer the reelection of Mckinley or any
other Republican to the success of the
Democratic party upon the Chicago
platform under the leadership of
Bryan or any other man who would be
a true exponentof atplatform. This
class of so-called Democrats are great
ly in evidence at this time. They are
clamorous for harmony in the Demo-
cratic party and demand conserva-
tive candidate upon whom all Demo-
Gratis can unite. Back of them stand
the money power, trusts and monopo-
lies, ready to furniah unlimited money
to aid them in securing a sufficient
number of delegates to the Democrat
lc national convention of next year to
prevent the nomination of Bryan I'M
der the two-thirdS rule. The money
power and monoplieS realize that a few
millions of dollars spent in corrupting
the Democratic national convention,
if successful, would secure the election
of the republican candidates without
the expenditure of the enormous sum
which they expect to contribute in the
event of Bryan's nomination on the
Chicago platform.
Their campaign is already opened
and their barrel tapped evidence of
which is coming to light every day.
1t is time for the honest voters of the
Democratic party to arouse themselves
and throw off any false sense of Sc
curity that they may enjoy and pre-
pare for vigorous work. The enemies
to be dreaded are not outside of the
Democratic party but within the fold.
An effort is being made to secure the
selection of delegates that can be
handled by certain party leaders
when the conventions assemble next
year. The friends of true Democracy
and the rule of the people must eXer-
else great caution in the selection OF
delegates to county, state or national
conventions, and see to it that none
are sent but those who are known to
be sound to the core on the Chicago
platform and who are willing that the
conventions sending them should give
them imperative instructions. A great
fight is to be made in all state conven.
lions to secure delegates that will
attend the national convention unin,
structed in order that they may be
open to such influences as will meet
them there. Beware of the men who
oppose instructions being given tx
delegates. Such men are not safe il
an emergency such as is liable to be
met at the next national convention
Ninety-tive per cent of the Demo
cratic voters in every state of thu
union are sound upon the great issues
that are to be met next year, but The
five per cent who are not sound are tn,
ones that need to be watched. The,
will have money to inspire newspaper
to talk in their behalf and to hire poll
ticianS to travel the country in thei
interests and to pay for workers il
their interest at the primaries an
conventions. 1t will be safe plan t
oppose any man who is seeking to ST
cure his election as a delegate unles
his record be such that the people ca
place implicit trust and confidence j
him. Ii the true Democrats will tax
up the work of preparing for the neA
national convention and lose no tim
in aScertaining who is sound and VIII
is unSound, who is strong upon til
issue to be met and who is weak, VII
is positive and who is Indifferent, the
will have no trouble in securing del
gates that are good and true. But
they delay this work they may be pr
pared for a defeat where they feel thu
they are most secure because none
can purchase treachery, lying and d
ceit and all of this will be resorted
and practised for the purpose of co
rupting the next national convention
With an honest convention repr
senting the will of the mass of I'll
voters and a platform yoicing tt
sentiments of the people, with cand
dates in harmony with the platform
the Democratic party will score a vii
tory next year in spite of all th
money that can be used against then
The Republican leaders and their cor
federates and hlrelings within TIL
Democratic ranks understand this
and are well aware that the battle wi
be either won or lost in the contes