Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1899-12-20
WHAT ARE WE HERE FoR3
OF the Democracy, Let Us Dis
band and Quit the Field.

Il
band and Quit the Field.
For some little time past, the Kan
sas City Star has ben persistently
advancing theory that is epitomized
| in the following editorial in its issue
of December s:
Gen. John NJ. Palmer of Illinois. the
gold democratic candidate for president
in 1885, says he iwll not vote for Mr.. Bry-
an and has not predicted his election. Gen.
Palmer was led to make this statement
on account Of a story to the effect that he
would support Bryan and that he believed
that he would get the votes of the gold
democrats. Gen. Palmer, in his denial,
says that the gold democrats will not
vote for Mr.. Bryan, and he will lose Illi-
nois by 100,0 900 votes.
This Is interesting, because Gen. Pal
mer belongs to the school of democracy
which Is represented by Mr.. German and
Mr.. Whitney and Richard Croker. The
dinerence between Croker and Gen. Pal
mer, In 1885, was merely a mater of con-
duct and not of belief. One remained in
the party and the other led a forlorn
nope. Mr.. Croker was the artful poll
tician and Gen. Palmer was the bold
champion of his convictions. Gen. Pal
mer says he will not support Mr.. Bryan,
and Mr.. Bryan will not be elected, while
Croker declares he is a Bryan man and
believes he will win.
Croker wants to give Bryan a chance
to compass his own destruction by a
second defeat. He is as much opposed to
the Nebraska claimant as Gen. Palmer.
VINO differs from Croker, at least so far
as Bryan is concerned. only in the quail
ity of candor
And, again, in its next evening edi-
ton, the Star said:
No one has risen to dispute the theory
that the leaders of he ocfa 20
intend to support Bryan in the national
convention to get rid of him by defeat at
the polls. 1t is evident that they have
studied the situation and are reconciled
70 that solution of the case. The Cro-
kers and Germans do not wish to break
up the democratic party. To make a fight
on Bryan would create a schism for the
sake or campaign w.-.ch is regarded as
futile, anyway. With Bryan, the contest
Is hopeless. With a democratic candi-
date nominated by beating Bryan in the
convention and who would be frost in
the Bryan stronghold, the contest would
De also in vain. The eastern democrats
thus find that they have before them the
| task of holding the party together for a
new deal in 1902 and 1904. The first step
In the programme is to get Bryan out of
the way without giving open cause of Of
Iense to him or his followers.
Of course it may be retorted tc the
Star that its ingenious theory is
| merely assumed in the nature of
hedge" to offset its formerly repeat
| edly reiterated assertion that Croker
and Tammany would never support
| Bryan, but would do their utmost to
| prevent his nomination by the demo-
| cratic national convention. Or, it
might be pointed out that the Stars
policy is just what might be ex-
| rpofR6 nf trnld CT
organ, with the end in view of Gre
ating discord and distrust in the
ranks of the democracy.
| But this article is not written with
! view Of indulSing in idle speculation
concerning the motives which
prompted Tammany's espousal of Mr..
Bryan's candidacy and the consoli-
dation of the democratic gold and sill
yer clubs of Chicago. Rather is it,
as it were, the rising to a question
| of personal privilege, of life long
third party man who is anxious to
| know just where he is "at,' and who
recognizes the absurd futility of the
endeavor to bring about needed gov
ernmental reforms by cooperation
with party which is very badly di-
vided in opinion in reference to the
reforms which it is desired to accom-
plish and for control of the organi-
zation of which the reform wing
thereof has to wage ceaseless bat
tie.
The Kansas City Journal of De-
cember 9, said:
conference was held yesterday in a
the
Gen. James B. Weaver, presidential can
didate on the populist ticket in 1892 and
Judge ]. G. Johnson, democratic national
committeeman from Kansas, who is also
the chairman of the executive board of
that committee. Gen. Weaver arrived in
kansas City about noon and repaired at
once to the hotel where the Kansas state
committee was in session. He was pres
ent during part of the afternoon at that
meeting. but later he and Judge John
SON went into executive session.
In an interview with reporter for
the journal Gen. Weaver stated that he
would stump the country for the demo-
cratic nominee during the next presiden-
tial campaign and 1t is said that his con-
ference with Judge Johnson was in refer
ence to this.
mo-" said Gen. Weaver, in reply to the
question. II am not a candidate for any
ONCE. but l have always been an active
worker and shall be in the thick of the
fight during the coming campaign
'Will you take the stump for Mr. Bry
an?'
Il will do as have always done-take
the stump for the nominee of the party.
The united democracy Is fortunate in hav-
ing man like Mr.. Bryan at its head to
lead them on to victory and there Is no
doubt In my mind that he will be the
nominee. A better man and a more cap-
able leader could not be chosen"
It is peculiar and interesting fact
that Mr.. Weaver, who was formerly a
republican, then a greenbacker, and
then successfully union laborite and
populist, should speak of united
democracy" Does he mean to say
that the populists of the northwest,
who were, for the most part, formerly
republicans. now are but wing of a |
united democracy?" And does his
phrase nominee of the party mean
the democratic nominee, as his action |
in conferring with the Mr.. johnson /
would seem to infer? And are we to |
understand that Mr.. Weaver, in thus |
discounting in advance the action of |
the national convention of the peo-
pies party, will take the stump for |
Mr.. Bryan, even if he should not be |
nominated by the populists?
These are leading and vital uues- |
tions, and apply to many other popu-
list leaders? who seem to be acting in |