The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-06-03
THE DUTY OF DEMOCRATS.

defense OF Bryan and the Chicago platform
was written at the request of the editor
OF the Grapeland Messenger ana appeared
in recent issue of that paper
In a certain sense | am "out of poll
tics" now and am practicing law Tor
living. But do not wish TO be understood
as saying that am not taking any IN
terest in political affairs and poiltical
questions. as you may discover before
get through. believe II Is the uuty OF
every citizen to interest himself IN the
politics of his countTy. | regard such ln-
terest as largely conducive II not essen
tial, to good citizenship, ana expect 10
exercise II. Every man who Is entitieu
to a vote should do the same, ara es-
pecially should the great mass Oh people-
the common peope-do So
1t is when they lose interest IN pollIoal
affairs and become careless and indlner
that the enemies OF good government ee'
into control and flourish and prosper at inc
expense of the people. Tho masses wlll
do well to heed this statement at TINS
time, for at no period in our country
history could it ever have been more
| truthfully said that eternal vigilance Is
the price of liberty" than It could be now
Alignments are already being formed for
the battle of 1900. Next years campaign
I will result In either great good or great |
harm to the people Of this country, ana
whichever II may be Will depend in large
| measure upon tine interest the people
! take in 1t. The issues are of supreme
I importance and no man who loves his
home and family and country should lall
{. TO do his duty.
y ~
| I am still believer in the doctrines OF
the Chicago platform-dhat new "declara-
titn of Independence promulgated by the
National democracy of 1896. A platform
of principles which can so far appeal to
the good judgment and common sense OF
the people OF this country as 10 receive
the approval of six and one-half millions
OF voters Is not ana, in the very nature
of things, can not be weak or unpop-
ular document
For several years previous 10 the Ma
tional convention Of 1886 questions OF eN-
pedency rather than those Of principle,
and right, had 10 large extent dominated
the councils and controlled the policies OF
the democratic party, and campaigns had
been regularly cast upon those lines, TIE
chief object seems 10 have been to WIN,
or, to use a vulgar but often expressive
phrase, 10 get there, ELL As result
OF this "catch em-gwue-and comm
course, both the democratic and repup-
o. lican parties had about reached the stage
where it was almost impossible to tell
just what either Of them wanted or ia
vored Especially was this the case on
the currency question, and so far had this
programme prevailed that in 1872 we VIII
messed the spectacle OF the free silver
democrats and the gold standard democrats
engaging in a Kilkenny cat fight over
the platform and what 1t meant, each
swearing by the eternal that they were
= r. gNF and
! that the ether fellows were boilers and
had gotten oft the platform"
Now there is not a 10-year old school
boy in this country, nor any one else, for
that matter that will deny the truth OF
the above statement ii ne is honest with
himself and knows what he is talking
about. But this meaningless, suicidal and
dishonest policy was abandoned in 1895
) and a platform adopted which said what
it meant and meant what It said" and
which the 'wayfaring man, though fool,
could usders and. And though the party
which adopted IL met defeat at the polls
> this platform has lost no friends but or
, the contrary, is stronger today than il
ever was before. Duplicity can never wiz
for party, any more than an individual
permanent success, nor can the individual
or party that INDUCES in it retain the
confidence of the people, while all the
: world humors loves and respects an hon
/ est man or an honest party---the man oil
the party that will Gourageously express
= conyictioas which are candid and sincere
, and which speaks the sentiment that It. Il
, 'better to be right than to be president,
= = = y
e Passing from the platform of 1896 t.
the man who was placed upon it as thc
par.ys standard bearer of that year
have only to say that l have no sympath,
u with that maudlin sentimentalily which
!, undertakes to decry his popularity or i'm
y, peach his honesty of conviction and in
% tegrity OF purpose, and which, while put
- ting its opposition to him upon on
~ ground, such opposition is in reality
>, based upon quWe another and very differ
y emit ground. No nobler type of American
!. manhood exists in this country today thai
is embodied in the parsonage of VIM. j
Bryan. Men may attack him upon a pre-
tense Of his opposition TO imperialism
when, in fact. those attacks are born of hi
e steady and unAinching adherence to IN
" great doctrine Of bimoallism or the FIRE
. coinage OF silver if you please but thi
Al young Nebraskan occupies a place in tn
hearts of the plain common people" o
IS this country which is entirely our of tn
reach of all the shafts of malice and bat
~ which can be hurled against him from an
. source.
- The man who, at the age of SO years ca
d be made the leader of the greatest politica
el party in this world, and who can receiy
l. the practically unanimous nomination c
." that party for the presidency OF thes
United States, is no ordinary man" an
III those who denounce him as such and al
). tack his sincerity, by that means only ex
| pose their ignorance or make public eX
7 h.bition Of their vindictiveness and thei
S. spleen
= Bryan is not a man OF expediency, nc
:. is he Of that fungus growth which spring
We up in the night cime and fades away ~
5 fore the rays of the next days sun HI
a. strength has grown since 1896 and eve
nc many Of his erstwhie enemies are force
he 10 admit II. As evidence OF this, witne,
ne the following from the New York Worl,
OF a paper which opposed him three yeal
so ago:
a Mr. Bryan's speech at Topeka, printe
OF in The World yesterday. juifes the bell,
IS expressed in these columns on saturda
ur tina. he Will improve the great and obyiol
IS opportunity before him OF leading II
on popular movement, broader than part
!, lines, stronger than party spirit. for
radical change in our government. I'll
VA inspiration OF this strong and eloouel
10 speech was the struggle between demo-
t' raey and plu;ocTacy-between republican
" Ism and tmperialism-which the arrogan,
!, ana hlndness q the meu in plwer ha-