The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-01-07
WISE DECISION OF DEMOCRATS
By JOS; OIL.

i congress TO make no fight on the raiflca-
ton OF the peace treaty. but 10 fight out
/ the territorial question as separate
proposition, Is becoming every day more
+ and more manifest. 1t is very evident that
q condition which babe fair to produce dis
senslons and differences in democratic
ranks has been so changed by the wis
! dom OF few men that the party presents
practically solid front on all political
questions and has been strengthened
where there was danger Of It's being greatly
weakened.
] This fact OF united democracy is the
first and more important effect OF the con-
fcrences held between Mr.. Bryan and Other
democratic leaders upon the occasion of his
recent visit here. Another result OF that
vlsit-and It Is one which In sure to play
an important part upon the politics Of the
future-is This: Mr.. Bryan himself has
| been greatly strengthened in the eyes OF q
! great many people by the wisdom OF the
course which he pursued.
Men VINO few weeks ago were inclined
to Join In the criticism OF Bryan and TO
I regard him as too closely allied TO one
| particular lssue to be an altogether safe
man on other issues=-a big, broad leader
! in other wor1s--are NOW the loudest In
Nebraskan is all that his most enthusias-
! tic friends have ever claimed for him
y \ +
! or course there has never been any
ground for this criticism Of Bryan, but 1t
has been of a character designed TO do the
I man himself harm. The misrepresenta-
ton of the Eastern press has been con-
! tinuous. Everything Bryan did, every
! word he uttered, was criticised and dis
! torted. The motives OF the man in enter
/ ing the army we're questioned. and his a.
titude upon the question of staying in or
| getting out of the service was distorted.
! 1t was declared that he was anxious to re-
sign when he had no such thought; the
fact that ne did soldiers part and re-
fused to open his mouth either in praise
or criticism was made the subject OF ridi-
cule, just as was the fact that before he
entered the service ne had something TO
say about the war: the same crowd which
criticised him for volunteering his services
when the president had called for voun-
teers also criticised him for resgning his
commission when the treaty of peace had
been signed.
All of this was. Of course, inspired by the
interests which fear the influence of Bryan
upon the politics OF the future. Ordinarily
a man who has been defeated for office is
not regarded as formidable; defeat in most
cases is sin for which 1t is difficult to find
forgiveness; but the republicans realize
that Bryan is no ordinary man, and that
the defeat he sustained in 1898, when all
the odds were so terribly against him, was
no ordinary defeat They see the man is a
power, and seeing this, they have from the
first, done everything they could do to
weaken his influence.
One result of this onslaught of criticism
was that not a few democrats here in
Washington where public men fall more
or less under the influence OF the Eastern
prese, were inclined. as they expressed 1t,
to "wenken on Bryan"
~
One of these men, member OF the house
whose Influence on the democratic side is
great and who ~ recognized as a National
figure. sasd to me tonight, in discussing
Bryan:
Il give 1t up. You know have been In
clned all the time to the belief that
Bryan's career was largely meteoric, and
that while he was undoilbtedly a splendid
candidate for us Ia that last campaign
which was made entirely upon the silver
issue, he did not possess all the elements
of big leader. confess that have
studied his utterances in vain for evidence
to substantlate my idea, but despite this |
failure l, and good many others like me,
have been inclined against Bryan. But |
my opinion has changed. | believe now
that he is not only brilliant orator and a
man of great force. but that he is also a
man OF great brains and possesses the
bremith and the wisdom for a wise and
safe counselor He is in reality great
leader"
Continuing, this member Of congress-
went on TO say: Bryan has saved the
party In congress from making two very
serious mistakes, With the best Intentions
t.
ting into two holes, both Of which woula
nave done TO the party great harm. In the
hrst place. our democrats In the senate
were most OF them inclined to make The
mistake OF placing the party in the posi-
tlon OF opposing the ratification OF the
peace treaty. They We're, of course in.
spred by the purest of motives, their oh
lect neihg to give expression to their Views
On the question of the disposition of the
phiilppines. They did not ieem TO knnw
exactly how they We're going to he able
70 90 this unless they sought TO amend tho
peace treaty and do everything in their
power 10 prevent its ratification. To haya
ioae that would have meant 10 pu. me
party In false light before the country 4
we never could explain to the satisfaot m {
y the American people our advocacy ~ {
ne policy which would result. technlca,Iy ,
y least in returning to a state OF war,
~ IL
The American people want peace !.
great many Of us believe that the Ameri. I
'an people do not want to retain the Phil. S
ppines permanently, but It is even mora
certain that great majority of the peopIe
would not think OF allowing these posses
liens going back to Spain. When Mr.. Bryan
anne and advocated the prompt ratifcstica | #