The San Francisco call., 1899-03-18
THE HAPPY DEMOCRATIC FAMILY.
= OLONEL WILLIAM J. BRYAN, in response
to an invitation from the Hon. Perry Belmont


to invitation from the Hon Perry Belmont
requesting him to attend Democratic
banquet in New York, replied Remembering that
you openly repudated the Democratic platform in the
last campaign, desire to know before answering the
invitation whether you have since the election pub
cly announced your conversion to the principles set
forth in that PLATFORM.
To that inquiry in which there was seemingly much
more sarcasm than courtesy Mr. Belmont retorted:
The invitation extended to you on behalf OF the
Democratic Club. Individual opinions have not been
considered in issuing the invitations to celebrate the
birthday OF Thomas Jefferson"
In that exchange OF repartee the victory goes to
the effete fastener and to the eXuberant OF
the Platte Valley. Nevertheless, Bryan was right.
Whether the declarations OF the national platform are
to be regarded principles, Mr. Bryan calls them,
or individual opinions, Mr Belmont prefers TO
term them the fact remains they matters of some
importance. Democratic banquet designed a
party festival necessarily furnish its guests with
something in the way OF feast OF reason and flow
of SOUL and Mr.. Bryan had right to ask what sort
of doctrine he was expected to swallow on the occa-
sion
In fact, these individual opinions Mr. Belmont
calls them have become burning issues even in this
off year, when politics is expected to be smodering
instead of blazing Recently the Democrats OF Mich-
gan held a State convention in the classic city of
Kalamazoo and made the free silver plank OF the
Chicago platform the test of eligibility No man was
permitted to sit in the convention who did not ac-
cept it. His individual opinion had to square with the
platform or he was counted out.
When the news of that proceeding reached New
York there was wrath in the metropolis. The Demo
cratic press Of the city did the issue of
individual opinion which could be overlooked. On
the contrary, they started up at1the sound OF a
war cry and getting their hatchets and the scalp
ing knives proceeded to lay about among the Mich-
ganders like so many rivals OF Bombastes Furioso
The New York Times, for example, warned the
Democrats of the South be msled by the action
in Michigan Its argument was that Democracy in
Michigan, being in hopeless minority, may de
clare for polygamy free rum free theft and enroll the
cheating of creditors among the cardinal virtues for
it has nothing to lose, but in the South Democracy
has great interests at stake and must be careful.
Warming to the subject, the Times said: sThe
Democrats OF Michigan enjoy all the large irrespon
sibilty OF the idiot inpoten and ease in his asy
lun who sets at defiance the laws Of decency and
ves with obscene gbberings his unheeding keepers,
The Democrats of the South are in no such free po-
sition"
When such language that is being shouted about
by the New York Democracy on the slightest provo
cation it is not to be wondered that Mr. Bryan de
sired to know what sort OF stuff he would be expected
to swallow at the Jefferson banquet He may not be
so good at reparee as the clever Mr. Belmont but he
at least knows enough to keep out Of a slaughter
house