The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-10-17

manned silent. He will owe his second defeat
more largely TO his tongue than his first.
He has hurt himself at every step. and
with every word he has uttered he has
lost votes. Now that IL is too late to
rectify the mistake, IL has become pain
fully evident to the Democratic managers
that the role for Mr.. Bryan to have fol-
lowed would nave been that Of dignifed ST.
lence, instead OF hurting himself about
the country, giving exhibitions of vocal
gymnastics and amazing physical endur-
ance.
Mr.. Bryan's campaign has been a series
of colossal blunders from start to finish. He
frightened away all the sound money
Democrats excepting the professional poll
ticians, by personally forcing 16 TO / into the
Kansas City PLATFORM, and then alienated
many free silver men by subsequently, at
tempting to relegate that issue to a back
place. Throughout all the Mississippi val
ley States and everywhere west of the
great waterway, he lost caste and ground
and votes by his exploitation OF the anti
Imperialism issue and by continuing to
harp on 1t after ii was revealed that the
idea was offensive TO millions upon millions
in their hearts to take a stand a~ntagonistic
to the government while 1t was attempting
TO enforce its authority In a newly acquired
territory. Finding himself in bad odor with
the farmers of the country he thereupon
avoided them as much as possible and de-
voted his attention to the workingmen,
great class OF voters Is especially taxed by
reason of trusts. Though this is not adj
mitted by Republicans), 1t is the farmers.
and If any great mass of voters is espe-
cially benefited by combinations of indus
tries, 1t is the workingmen, but with a fatal
disregard of logic he chose for his audience
the workingmen, instead Of the farmers
and told his auditors how he would abolish
trusts and throw them out OF work as soon
as he could get into the White House. He
still refuses to admit that he made a mis-
take in not going to the farmers instead of
the workingmen with his free trade issue.
He still nurses the delusion that he is
----~l- 10 ~ xrtth a. ~ ~.
attack on their jobs and by his threats to
throw them again into the slough Of
poverty.
The foregoing is not a Republican essay.
1t is a statement Of facts as they have be-
come revealed during the last two or three
weeks. The people were apparently slow
in making known their preferences this
year. 1t is now evident they were simply
waiting until Mr.. Bryan could put him
self on record and give the country a
clear understanding of what his candidacy
A theory generally prevailed that he had
learned something during the last four
years and had become conservative. This
theory was entirely friendly to him, and
II he could have shown that II was well
grounded, a great number of people might
have voted to give him a trial in the ad-
miDistration Of affairs. His ~utterances
proved the incorrectness of the friendly
theory and turned great masses of voters
against him who were disposed to extend
a cordial hand to him..
BRYAN LEARNED NOTHING.
Instead OF toning down, as had been
hoped and confidently announced. Mr.. Bry-
ans speeches made it plain that he is even
more radical now than he was four years
ago, and willing to go to greater extremes
to gain popular favor. AS soon as this be-
came clear multitudes of voters who had
previously been noncommittal FASTENED to
take a stand against him. Then, and not
until then. did the Republican managers
begin to feel that hey were on solid
ground. Previously their estimates and
arguments were speculative, to a consider
able extent. They felt that the tide would
eventually turn their way. but in the abb
sence of proof could not be sure.
The Western country awoke with a start
from its apparent lethargy. There was lit
tie time between the first signs of life and
the period of energetic action. Since then
the demonstration has been growing and
swelling in strength and volume. The
awakening is the most curious feature of
a remarkable campaign. The life and
energy of the entire campaign is being
concentrated into the last five or six
weeks. instead of spreading over three or
four months as usual. The strain was
hard on the professional politicians who
were running headquarters and trying to
1nfuse the voters with enthusiasm, but
1t Is now evident the people knew their
business. AS soon as they made up their
minds fully they were not slow in giving
tAPiCSclOll W OplfllOn III anu COnClu-
sions reached. In the early stages of the
campaign the statement was heard in all
quarters that there would be a very light
vote in November; ranging from
10 per cent. to 20 per cent. decrease from
the vote OF 1896. 1t now looks as though
the total would exceed that of four years
ago. The enormous registration in New
York shows that the interest Is not con-
fined to the battle ground States of the
West. but extends from one end of the
country to the other. Democratic hopes
of success based on Republican apathy
must now be abandoned. and as that was
practically the only hope they had. confess
sion Is now commonly heard whenever
well-informed Democrats get together.
There is a remarkable sameness in the
reasons advanced by the multitudes of
ism. The reasons given by the farmers
and business men of Dakota. Nebraska
and Kansas are identical with those voiced
by men similarly situated in Illinois, In
diana and Ohio. They are the same i'm
Minnesota and Michigan as in Kentucky
and West Virginia. In substance and es-
sence, they are that Bryan offers nothing
which the people can safely take as a
substitute for prevailing conditions, and
that the policies he recommends and in
dorses will not do to adopt. In other
words, that ne proposes dangerous expert
ments for established stability, and that
there is nothing inviting in the proposition to
which sensible men can tie. The Bryan
plan Is not attractive TO the common sense
VI lax NOltIS. II IL Hdu kept quiet at MS
home In Lincoln, that friendly theory to
which l have made reference might have
carried Colonel Bryan through. 1t re-
manned for him to furnish proof that he
had learned nothing during the last four
years, and that he is the same William
jennings Bryan in 1900 that he was in 1896.
when he threw the country into conyuI-
sions or alarm. and aroused il 40 the
desperation of self-preservation.
Tt is hardly possible that anything can
now transpire 10 turn back the tide which
Is running so strongly against Bryan. Less
than three weeks remain of the campaign.
and the minds OF voters seem To be made
UP. There is little that BRYAN can say 10