Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-05-14
WILL VOTE FOR M'KlNLEY
EX-REPRESENTATIv BELFORD
NOW BACK IN REPUBLICAN PARTY.

Ex-Representative Belford Of Colorado.
who was a republican when in Congress
some years ago and one of the most pic
turesque figures in the House, Is now in
Washington. In '96 he went over to the
Bryan people on account Of silver and was
very prominent as a silver republican. He
and his son, both men Of eccentric bril-
liancy were on the stump for Bryan and
he was one Of the most effective speakers
in the campaign. At the great Auditorium
meeting of the democrats in Chicago i'm
mediately before the election Belford tn
troduced Bryan and himself made speech
which fairly set the immense audience wild
His wonderful flow of language, eccentric
and unexpected metaphors and power of
invective made his attack upon the republic
can party, to which he had but recently be-
longed extremely agreeable to "a demo-
cratic audience.
Will Vote for Mckinley.
AT the close of long talk with a Star
reporter yesterday he said: That's why 1
am not going to support Bryan this time.
but am going to vote for Mckinley If the
Lord let's me live to do so.'
He had given good many reasons why,
in his most characteristic language. There
is much about Belford that suggests Tom
Paine. He Is a philosophic reformer of
great intelligence and some lofty ideals.
He does not think that the sum OF human
liberty has yet been attained. and Is con-
WINGED that few people are exercising In
fiuence over the affairs of mankind entirely
disproportionate to their number and the
services they rendered the government. II
was this perhaps as much as the fact that
he lived in a silver state that took him over
to Bryan in '93.
Democratic Party Cannot Be Trusted.
In giving his reasons for turning again to
=, A.
that he did not like the immense influence
exerted in that party by corporations and
capitalists, but that 1t was party that be-
lieved in doing something for the country.
and until an ideal party should be formed
1t was better to take it with all its faults
than to put any dependence in democrats
The democratic party, he said, could not be
trusted for anything. 1t could oppose
things and sometimes be right in Its op-
position. but it never could do anything
and often interfered with good things that
others were doing. 1t was. he said, a party
without fixed principles and not to be trust
ed In any transaction. 1t was insincere in
dealing with its allies and incapable Of per-
forming any great work.
Many Coming Back to the Party.
Most of the republicans In his section or
the country, he said. who had supported
Bryan in SO were back in the republican
party again to stay there until they could
get out with prospect of accomplishing
some good to the country. People, he said,
looking about for the truth. seized upon
some idea that happened to attract them,
and for time might think they had the
whole truth in captivity, but after while
they began to find out other things, and
finally discovered that the whole truth
could not be taken in at one glance nor
grasped at one time. 1t had to De mat
ter of evolution. good many silver re-
publicans had come to the conclusion, he
said. that the truth would never evolute
out Of the democratic party ana were not
going to waste their time trying to work
wonders through that organization.