Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1900-11-10

past subSisting between the Democratic |
organization and that of the Populists.
1t is certain that the people of the
United States will not take their poll
tics from u mongrcl combination whose
first purpose appears to be the driving
away In alarm of men of business. men
of affairs. men of substance and men
of intelligence.
1t is certain also that no alliance of
free silver Republicans. Populists and
Democrats can. in the face of innuncr.
able Democratic prccedents in favor ot
expansion and free trade. set mctcs and
bounds to the development of American
power and prestige in the politics and
commerce of the world.
In spite of the crimes of the Rcpuh-
lean party. in spite of the declarations
of the Kansas city convention. in spite
of the cnga ging personality at Mr.. Fry
an. in spite of all preachmcntS oral &nd
| written In behalf of the Democratic"
candidates, there has been but one real
| issue this year. and that issue has been |
| the political vagarics of Mr.. Bryan him
| self. Democracy and populism would |
| not mix. No convention. no ncwSlhpr. |
| no amount of oratory. no combination !
of favorable circumstances. could bring |
| about u true fusion between elements |
Fundamentally antagonis,ic. Mr. Bryan |
j. defeated by Democratic votes. hr-
cause Democrats could not he mad" I"
believe that his candidacy represented
anything better than 1t represented four
years ago. All else has been ignored
All other issues have been postponed.
populism alone has gone down. never
to rise again. let us hope. with the aS-
sistancc of anybody who calls himself
a Democrat
This should have been Democratic
year. Except for the forbdding record
of 1896. all of the conditions were favor
able. The Republicans were shameless.
~ committed to u dozen vicious policies
which the people hold In horror and
contempt. They had fastened upon the
country an outrageous tariff. They had
created and fos,crcd monopolics and
. trusts. They had surrendered igno-
miniously to the sugar AMI tolrcc"
trusts in their Porto Rico legislation.
They had taken the first steps toward u
colonial policy wholly in the interest of
monopoly and not at all IN the interest
of true American expansion. They had
embarked upon u dangerous program
of foreign alliance and adventure. They
had declared In favor of u great army
and great navy. They had doubled
the expenses of government AMI I'M
mcnscly increased the burdens of TAX.
alton. They were pledged tn steamship
subsidy legislation involving many mill.
ions of dollars. They were in open an
avowcd league with the organized avar.
Ice of the republic. They had tram,l"d
upon the Constitution and tiou,cd the
decisions of the supreme Court. They
were led by u candidate who had given
evidence on more than one occasion
that his political fortunes. his official
conduct even his personal opinions.
were all held subject To the ccnsorlous
bOssism of the syndicatcs.
To defeat this aggregation of greed
ana infnmy only one thing was needed.
There was need of u Democratic party
inspired by undOubtcd Democratic
sentiment AMI led 10y Democrats of m.
questioned sOundncss In the faith. IN
Its place appeared an organization led
: chiefly by Iopulists AMI ,ipliol,lng doe.
trincs which few Democrats recognized
and which great multltudcs of them ~.
. pudiaicd.
q, Under such auspices the mischief
. done In 1896 could not bc repaired IN
- 1900. even though the conditions were
In some degree changed. II Is now
seen clearly that the authors of the
>. earlier disaster were doomed from the
!, beginning. The leaders of 1896 were
the leaders of 1900. The awful blight Of
l'opullsm was upon them. The silver
y ghost. mndly raised ut Kansas city
# would not down. The small fanatics
4, and ignoramuscs, the bankrupis IN
purse aud character. the failures IN
business. the drcamcrs ana radicals
T. the cheap pcddlcrs of every Iuack pollt
II lcal n0strum, the idle. the vicious. even
n the hoodlum -all rcdolcnt of Populism
M came 10 the front and occupied III,
places which mighty party had once
seen filed 10y Democrats Of command
a ing ability and Of unqucstioncd leader
c ship. The impressive result Is mrfor,
Il us. The wreck. such rs II Is. Is total
, hut It l. u Populisllc wreck and moi Il
Democratic wreck. u Is u wreck IN
which few great Democrats are In
y volycd AMI In which no great Demo
l. cratic principle has been carried down
;, Organization, candidates, loyal work
crs, millions of cvcrfalthful voters al
have been overwhelmed. hut the No
blc ideas which they lightly abandoned
y the examples of illuslrlOus Democrats
dead and gone. the doctrines born will
49, the republic and destined In survive II
= neglected for the moment. remain IN
dimmcd and impcrslnblc.
l. Shall this second demonstration %
the folly Of present Democratic leader
ship suiiiccI Are there lower depths
yet To he sounded! l. there In the ~
public today u saving remnant of iru'
Democracy around which the scatl"rc,
g. leglons of Democratic voters may IA ly
n. j. there II tlmc-scrying politician any
" where who, In the face of to.day's iig
r, urcs, needs further evidence that hon
T.. esty Is the best policy? Are the lhuu
%. sands Of defeated Democratic caudl
re- dates in all parts of the country read,
:. to acknowledge that the surrender %
Ill. A.