Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1900-09-13
ATTORNEY GENERAL OLNEV DECLARES
FOR BRYAN AND The DEMOCRACY.
SOUND REASONS FOR 4 SOUND MIND.

DENCE FROM BRITISH CONTROL FINDS
THAT INDEPENDENCE IMPERILED BY
THE DOMINATION OF CORRUPT coaIBI-
NATIONS OF WEALTH AND POWER.
The following letter was written by Mr..
Richard Olney, Attorney General under
CleyeIands administration, to Mr.. H. /.
Nelson, New Rochelle, n Y, and by him
given to the press:
Boston, % Court ST., Aug. IA.
DEAR SIR: / have yours Of the 18th ult.
You refer to a previous conversation IN
which ] had intimated my intention to vote
the Democratic ticket at the coming Presi-
Dental election and ask for the grounds for
so doing. You urged at our interview that
such a decision should, as a matter Of duty,
be accompanied by willingness to avow
the reasons behind it. ! recognize the force
of that view, and though it is against my
inclinations and habits, proceed to state
some considerations which seem to me to
Justify the purpose have formed
| need hardly say that Mr.. Bryan is not
the candidate / should choose could / have
my way about the matter, and that | en-
tirely dissent from parts of the Kansas City
platform
But in laying his course upon the all
important subject OF the Presidency, citi-
zen is bound to bear in mind that he is
dealing with practical matter and must
seek the best practical results through such
legitimate practical methods as are avail
able. Parties cannot be ignored, for exam
pie, because ours is a government of parties;
the real issue is which of them shall con-
troll, and individual effort independent Of
party must at best be abortiye, while it may
further the success Of the worst party in
the field So the choice between the par
ties, one OF which must certainly prevail,
calls for the exercise of the same sound
common sense. Perfection in a candidate
or platform is an idle dream, and infirmities
in its creed and defects in its leadership
will always characterize every party. But
they i'll n0wise excuse a citizen from taking
his assigned part in the government of the
country-from making up his mind what
the common veal demands and what party IS
success will come nearest satisfying the
demand, and from using his influence and
casting his voice accordingly. If one citi-
zen may properly withhold his vote, logic
ally all may, and all the wheels Of govern
ment be stopped, while to decline voting
because practically assured that others win
vote is but to give the latter an undue share
OF political power and TO forfeit the right
to complain Of any abuse Of it. The obli-
cations of citizenship are avoided, not per-
formed, by standing neutral in an election.
The voting power is trust which calls for
use and is violated by the neglect to use.
There is always a choice between the con-
sequences of one party's ascendancy and
those of its opponent, and therefore the
true question before every citizen always is
of the general attitude of party upon the
vital issues of the day, and whether, in
view of that attitude, its success is not the
best thing in sight. Such is the real issue
now confronting every American citizen.
Be it admitted that the Democratic party,
its platform and its candidate are open to
much just criticism, yet, all things consid-
cred, would not its triumph be the best
outcome of the present Presidential contest ?
M'KINLEYIsI AND ExCREscENcE ON
REPUBLJcANIsM.
In my Judgment it would be- Nothing
is now so important as that the American
people should take this, their first oppor-
tunity, to emphatically protest against that
excrescenee upon original RepubIicanism
which may be called McKinleyism- term
used solely for breyity and not because Mr..
Mckinley is largely responsible for what ii
eomprehends except as he has proved him.
self unable Or unwilling to resist the pres
sure of political and personal friends or to
Withstand the temptation of trimming his
sails to every wind of apparently popular
doctrine. 1t may not be feasible to undo
what has been done-the weakest and siili-
est of administrations may involve the
country in difficulties from which the
strongest and wisest may not be able to ex-
tricate it, Nevertheless, the evil courses
pursued should be condemned and not con
d0ned. The future may be helped and
safeguarded even if the past is remediless,
while so far as the injurious consequences
something may be hoped from those not
primarily responsible for them From
their official authors and justifiers nothing
but persistence in them can reasonably be
expected, and, should McKinleyism prevail
in the pending election, who shall say-in
view of the Administration proved capac-
ity for reversing itself-that we shall not
soon find ourselves in the tolls of a Chinese
problem even more costly, menacing and
insoluble than the Philippine problem
itself? Surely every argument urged in
defense OF our seizure of the Philippines
can be used a second time with even greater
force to justify our appropriation of slice
of China
WHAT M'KINLEYIsM STANDS FOR.
To support the conclusion to which /
have come it is only necessary to consider
what McKinleyism stands for-what is the
necessary effect Of indorsing it-what it
win mean if the American people now
solemnly record themselves as approving
the Mckinley Administration and all its
works.
A sYNDICATED PRESIDENCY.
First-It will mean that the American
people sanction a syndicated Presidency
Presidency got for the Republican party by
the money Of a combination Of capitalists
intent upon securing national legislation in
aid OF their particular interests.
Second-It will mean that the American
people approve the legislation thus obtained
and justify such legislation as the Dingley
Tariff bill, with all its devices for taxing
consumers and wage-earners- is. the
great mass of the people-in exoneration of
accumulated wealth.
NEED FOR ALIEN TERRITORY.
Third-It will mean that the American
people uphold the policy of greed and con-
tempt for alien peoples whose retributive
consequences are seen in recent events in
China; approve of our joining the ranks of
international land -grabbers, and sanction
the rapacity as well as folly by which,
while pretending to buy, we in fact forcibly
expelled Spain from her Philippine posses
sions and, without excuse either in the de
mands of national honor or in considera-
lions of the national interest, have saddIed
ourselves with the gravest responsibilities
for some eight or ten millions of the savage
or at best half-civilized brown people Of
the tropics.
THE PERVERSI0N OF 4 PEACE TREATY
INTO BLOODY WAR
Fourth-It will mean that the American
people approve the tactless and brutal
policy pursued since the Philippine acquisi-
ton was made, whereby what was pressed
upon the country as treaty of peace was
IN fact but the signal for another more
costly, bloody and prolonged war.
GRAB THE PHILIPPINES AND LET CUBA Co
Fifth-It will mean that the American
people approve the extraordinary fatuous
policy or impolicy, or no policy at all, by
which the Philippine Archipelago, many
Thousand of miles from our shores, becomes
and integral part of the United States, while