Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1899-03-24
A JeHersonian Test.

William J. Bryan lately responded
to an invitation from Perry Belmont,
President of New York Democratic
Club, for him to participate in ban
quet to be given by the club in honor
Of Thomas Jefferson, April 18th. The
invitation was dated New York, March
9Th, and was for Mr.. Bryan to speak
at the banquet upon any subject the
limit OF 90 minutes. To this Mr. Bry-
an made the following reply:
LINCOLN, Neb., March l3.
"To Hon. Perry Belmont, President Of
Democratic Club, New York:
Invitation received. Remembering
that you openly repudiated the Demo
cratic platform in the last campaign
desire to know before answering invita-
ton whether you have since the election
publicly announced your conversion to
the principles set forth in the platform.
WILLIAM J. BRYAN.
In answer Mr.. Belmont telegraphed
as follows to Mr.. Bryan:
"The invitation extended to you is on
behalf of the Democratic Club. Indi
vidual opinions have not been consid.
cred in issuing the invitations to cele.
brate the birthday OF Thomas Jefferson.
PERRY BELMONT.
Mr.. Bryan's final answer, under date
OF Champlain. ILL.,, the 10th inst, con-
tanned these expressive sentences:
81 might plead a previous engage.
ment as reason for declining, but that
would be equivalent to saying that
would come but for the engagement, but
frankness cOmpels me to address another
reason. | appreciate the compliment
which the Democratic Club pays me in
extending an invitation, but do not un-
derstand how individual opinions can be
ignored at political gathering. You
arc the President of the club and repre-.
sent the club before the public. Your
position upon public questions was well
known in 1896, and your telegram indi.
Gates that your position has not been
changed. My position upon public ques.
tions is also well known. The antago.
nism between our positions is so great
that we cannot with propriety Join in 8
political banquet given in honor of De-
mOcracy's patron saint. Jefferson stood
for certain well-defined principles. II
your views are correct reflection of his
ideas, fear that my voice would sound
Q discordant note at your banquet. If,
on the other hand, the Chicago platform
applies Gas believe it does) Jefersonian
principles to present conditions, then
V0I1r PnnanInnnrrc NJ tho v1E
6Onlan banquet would not honor the
memory Of the worlds greatest Demo-
crat.
do not misunderstood me. You
may be right and may be wrong, but
take it for granted that we are equally
conscientious, and I trust l may not
show myself less courageous than you.
You proclaimed to your fellow.citizens
In 1896 that my election upon Demo.
cratic platform would endanger the ma
tons welfare; you will pardon me if I
suggest that banquet presided over by
you will injure rather than aid the Dem
Ocratic party. l believe in harmoniziug
personal differences, but differences in
principles cannot be harmonized, and, in
my Judgment, no party advantage is to
be derived from political communion be-
tween Jeffersonian Democrats who stand
upon the Chicago platform and the Re-
publican allies who masquerade as Dem.
ocrats between campaigns in order to
give more potency to their BETRAYAL of
Democratic principles on election day."
1t is we'll that Mr.. Bryan should
have an understanding with the party
traitors who knitted him so unmerci-
fully three years ago. 1t is we'll that
he should make enough queries to de.
termine whether he is to sit with hon.
est and sincere friends, or Benedict
Arnolds who might again betray the
party into the power OF the Wall street
gang.
Mr.. Belmont's diplomatic" reply is
asplendid example of how to talk and
say nothing. But Mr.. Bryan's in.
quiry is justified by the fact that JEFF
ferson's teachings are the embodiment
of Democratic principles at the pres.
ent day go far as they are applicable
to public affairs. They are interviewer
in that immortal Declaration of Inde-
pendence, which laid down the broad
proposition of political equality of man.
kind and inculcated a. the true con-
ception OF free government, q rule
maintained by consent of the gov
erned. He is just as much the patron
saint Of Democracy, as was Alexander
Hamilton the teacher, promoter and
demi-god of that aristocratic feeling
which contended that freedom be.
belonged to themselves, their relatives
and their wife's relatives, and probably
a few Others, but were extremely re-
luctant to extend that freedom to
everybody else. Hamilton's teachings
were unmistskably the leaven which
gave rise to the Wing party, and which
to-day is the inspiring sentiment of
the shoddy kings, who through pro-
lection and federation of trusts, have
enabled the money power to install .
man for President who had not been
elected, and to apparently elect an.
other by fraudulent votes obtained by
the grossest acts of coercion and brib-
cry.
1t is we'll for Mr.. Bryan, in dealing
with men who bow to the behests of
Mammon, to consider the possible mo-
tives of those who have already shown
recreancy to party duty. It would be
we'll for party leaders everywhere to
make his course an example and con.
slider we'll who are admitted to party
councils held under the sacred pres
tige of the great Jefferson. The OBJ
ject of party organization is to pro-
mote that unity of action which may
give reasonable assurance of success,