The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1900-07-13
DEMOCRACY'S PLIGHT.

It's Organism or bust with the
Democratic party. and the most con-
servative of Democratic leaders sadly
admit that it will be both.
Gen Grant once remarked that the
Democrats would be relied upon to
blunder at the right time, but the
greatest blunder which old line Demo
cracy ever committed, is as nothing
compared with the blunders of Bryan
and his immediate followers. Whom
the gods would destroy they first make
mad, - and it would seem that they
had thoroughly turned the head of
Vim. J. Bryan. The platform that was
presented to the Kansas City conven-
ton Thursday, indicates fully how
thoroughly Bryan dominates modern
Democracy. All opposition was borne
down, the pleadings of the conserva-
tives thrown to the wind and specific
declaration in favor of free silver
coinage at the ratio of 16 to 1, without
the aid or consent of any other nation
was Incorporated Inefeln
The interesting story comes from
Kansas City that Mr.. Bryan compelled
the incorporating of this plank under
the dire threat that he would decline
the nomination unless it was inserted.
BRYAN was the boss, and Democracy
bowed in humiliation before his au-
gust majesty. Never was the Gar OF
all the Russias more dominating in
his tyranny over any of his subjects
than has Bryan been over his party
since he came upon the scene of action
four years ago, and is today over the con
vention at Kansas City. If his desires
were not carried out he threatened to
decline to have anything further to do
with Democracy, accept the nomina-
ton of the Populists and free silver
Republicans, issue an appeal to the
country and so let responsibility rest
upon Democracy. The conservative
leaders were in a box they dare not
take up the challenge at this late day,
for they saw it would leave Bryan the
popular leader of the Populists, with
a large faction of Democracy follow
ing him, and the conservative element
would make a poor third showing in
the field And so bitter as the pill is,
they have seemingly accepted Bryan
ISM in the hope that it will kill
c+o 1f
the wreck in 1904 1t is a desperate
remedy, but it was all they could do.
The Democrats have decried
against the alleged bossism of Mark
Hanna. But Hanna has been an or
ganizer and a leader. The worst that
has ever been charged against him,
has never equalled the actual bossism
today exercised by VIM. j. Bryan.
But the way of the transgressor is
hard The Democratic party today is
paying the penalty for it's course
through the past quarter of century.
1t has been too prone to put principle
to one side and fiirt with every side
issue and vagary that came along,
where it thought it might win a few
votes 1t deserted its time honored,
honest and sound views upon the
money question when it took up with
greenbackism back in the seventies,
and became imbued with the idea that
there need be no intrinsic value in
money but that the people and the
nation could be made rich by simply
stamping paper as worth so much.
Since then it has turned to every va
gary afoat and was therefore in ex-
cellent shape to be- captured by Mr..
Bryan and his Populistic notions in
1896, and so thoroughly has his person
ality dominated it that the conserva-
tive leaders have been unable to re-
sist it, but must stand by and see the
party go to sure defeat, while the
whip of Gar Bryan cracks around their
defenseless shoulders.