The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1899-11-10
DENIsoN, IOWA, NOVEMBER 10, 1885,
One Meaning of the Election
Des Moines Leader.

and the nomination of Mr.. Bryan in
1896 was precipitated on the assumption
| that the democratic and populist votes
| could be united. and that these, with
the aid of the silver republicans from
the mountain states, would make GER
tain democratic success. 1t was &C.
knowledged that the democrats, by
| nominating Mr.. Bryan on 16 to plat
form, practically abandoned the field in
the east, but it was believed that the
| solid south could be retained and that
| its vote, added to the vote of the west,
would elect the fusion candidate. What
was the result is familiar history. The
south did hot stay tableware,
Maryland, West Virginia and Ken
lucky went republican, as also did Ore
gon and California. Mr.. Mckinley was
elected president by an unprecedented
electoral and popular majority.
Since 1896 political history has con-
tinued TO be made The first chapter
was in 1897, the next in 1898, and the
last was written on Tuesday. The text
of each is of increasing democratic dis
aster. In 1897 and 1898 Washington
North Dakota, Kansas and Wyoming
left the fusion ranks, while Kentucky
came back to the democratic column
On Tuesday the republicans held all
they had had the previous year, except
Maryland, and added South Dakota,
with the large majority of 10000, to the
republican list. Nebraska was kept
among the fusion states through the
extraordinary efforts of Mr.. Bryan, but
this is the only CLEAN of comfort the re-
turns afford to him and his friends. The
local elections in Kansas show that
state to be now reliably republican. and
the democratic victory in Maryland is
| confessedly no Indication of how that
state will go next year if a declaration
for free silver is put in the democratic
platform; for this year the democrats
were able to win there only because
they refused to endorse that doctrine.
To sum up the political situation, it
now appears that Nebraska. except. the
small mountain states of Nevada, Ida
no, Utah Montana and Colorado, is the
only state west of the Missouri river
Mr.. Bryan reasonably hope to carry if
nominated again. Mr.. Bryan thought
he could hold the trans Missouri coun-
try solid. He must confront in that
region the loss of Oregon, Washington,
California. Wyoming, North Dakota,
South Dakota, and Kansas. Such are
the cold facts. And theirs, are no COM
pensating gains, Maryland is safely
republican if the money question is the
issue, and the sowing Of faction which
has been made SO plentifully in Ken
lucky this year probably means that
next year it also will be republican. 1t
will take more than twelvemOnth, I'M
der ordinary circumstances, for Ken
lucky democrats to forget that they
hate one another more than they do re-
publicans. If coming events ever cast
their shadows before, it may be assert
ed with confidence that Mr.. Bryan, if
nominated again, is foredoomed to de-
feat. 1t may be that no democrat can
be elected-for such are the probabili.
ties-but certainly Mr.. Bryan cannot.
1t would make no difference what was
the phrasing of the platform, for he is
a platform in himself, and popularity
his denomination would be given but
one Interpretation. Many voters this
year voted the democratic ticket who
would bolt Bryan again.
| AS every indication now is that the
democratic party will blindly ,defantly
even uproariously, renominate Mr.. Bry-
an, the confident smile on the faces of
republican leaders is not out of place.
They look toward the future with un-
ruff1ed gaze. There is no cloud on their
sky. Unless an extraordinary revul-
sion of political sentiment should take
place. which is not likely, Mr.. Bryan in
1900 is likely to be beaten by about
double the electoral majority that over
whelmed him N 1896.