The times., 1899-03-23
THURSDAY. MARCH %, 1899.
Rcpcntance Before Communion.

Some little time ago The Times ven
tursd to assert that the President had
risen to the plane of a great opportunity
when he declared the universal American
gospel of expansion to the Philistines
practically on the steps of their capitol in
Boston. In daring that Mr.. Mckinley
crowned himself with laurels that can
never fade unless exposed to the pestilen-
tial odors of Alger's beef.
From an almost similar standpoint VIII
liam Jennings Bryan has marked himself
as worthy to be done in marble by the
side Of that other splendid Western Amer
ican. Henry Clay. 1t is not that We wish
TO be taken as endorsing everything the
young leader has said or done. The Times
is not an adulator. nor is it bound by the
political thumb law of st. Simon. 1t ad-
vocates and fights for what it thinks TO
be right. whether that right be represented
in the policy or conduct of William Nc
Kinley. Mr.. Bryan, or any other man TO
whom authority or privilege is accorded
10 speak for or in the interest of the
American people.
Nothing brayer or more honest than the
traitors of 1896 can be found in American
political annals. The fact that he dared
TO throw the gauntlet in the face of those
whose money influence might be expected
to make or mar Presidential candidate
is all the more to his credit. No one can
doubt his righteousness in telling men like
Perry Belmont that they must not dare to
use their peridy to the Democratic plat
form in the latest Presidential campaign
as a reason why they should control the
party in its organization for the next
struggle, Their denunciation by the can
didate they conspired and paid TO defeat
is just, and, under the circumstances, more
than moderate.
Belmont and his kind were open and
blatant traitors to the party in 1886.
They abandoned and contemned the organ
ization and did whatever they could 10
assist the purchased election of the Re-
publican nominee For such people to as
sumo that they are Democrats today
amounts TO a degree of impudence inde-
seribable in decent English. They do not
repsnt-at least they have not recanted.
Now, as on every day since they bolted
their party. they stand, prima facie, before
the world as political traitors. Yet they
seem TO expect that the honest Democratic
majority of many millions will stink into
their little Waldorf dinner camp like whip
ped ours, and accept their treason as the
pure milk OF the Democratic Word
They have been wofully mistaken If they
have entertained any such idea The
Democratic party holds its gates open for
the return of prodigals, but not until after
they have sickened OF the husks. have
thrown them up. and asked pardon. In
other words, they may not come back into
the fold until they have pledged them
selves to abide by the law as it has been
written, and by the future law as it may
be enacted by Democratic conventions. The
convention of 1900 may alter. amend, oil
abrogate the platform of 1896. Until it shall
do one of these things, no man can truth
fully call himself Democrat who does
not adhere TO it. In any case. the gold
boilers of the Mckinley Bryan campaign
need not hope TO receive recognition until
they have acknowledged their wrongdoing
and given hostages for their submission
TO the action Of the next Democratic con-
yention. whatever that may be.