The Atlanta constitution., 1900-04-02
A Humorous Effort.

Semi-occassionally we see in the dis
patches a grave statement TO the ef-
feet that there is a revolt i'm the DEM
ocratiC party against the denomination
of Bryan. At such moments it is the
correct thing for Uncle Beriah Will
kins. of The Washington Post, to trim
his midnight lamp and announce that
If the democrats stand by their princi-
pies and reafiirm the Chicago platform,
Mr.. Bryan cannot be reelected.
The busy newSmongerS whose duty
it is to keep the newspapers Informed
of matters in general put these things
on the wires in Washington and send
them broadcast over the country. DEM
ocrats who are connected with what
NAV he called the ground wires of ma
tional politics. understand these out
goings thoroughly. They know that
the branch Offices of the republican
press bureau are trying to prove that
there is a reason for their existence.
Just at present. it seems absolutely
essential to bolster mp the republican
imperialis.ic programme with Outgo-
ings OF this kind. Hence this hui
morous effort to show that there Is
opposition to Mr.. Bryan in the demo-
q y tfNNAAH
invariably preface such publications
with statements to the effect that ow-
inc To the industrial revival at the
south. the building OF new cotton mills
and the like. the southern democrats
are getting ready to turn Mr.. Bryan
down.
Naturally. such statements are
laughed at by everybody except Uncle
Beriah wilkins. whose affability is
such that he believes every word that
issues from the fountain pens of those
incorrigible wags. Wightman and Mer-
rick. The only victim of these hui
morous outbreaks is Mr.. German. We
take it for granted. without calling for
the ayes and noes. that there Is NO
man in public life who has more fool
friends than Mr.. German, and none
who better deserves to have wise ones
lie is the one individual in the eve OF
the public who can conscientiOusly say,
save me from my friends"
For months and months we have
seen the statement made by irresponsi-
hla editors that Mr. German is engaged
in a conspiracy with eastern gold dem
ocrats to defeat the nomination OF Mr..
BRYAN. As the result of all these pub
lications an idea has grown up in the
minds of the public at large that Mr..
German is nothing but greasy, schem-
inc politician who would rather tear
things down than build them up. The
impression has gone abroad that Mr..
German is "A crafty schemer who has
an underground connection with
Hanna.
II is pity that this should be so,
and vet Mr.. Germans fool friends are
responsible for this impression. They
have sedulouslv sought 10 present him
10 the public as a sort of political Oily
Cannon. cunning as a fox. and prefer
ring to work in the dark and under
ground. We have the best reasons
for believing that these publications,
given ont bv Mr.. Germans fool friends,
are slanderous. but so long rs he keeps
such friends about him and permits
them to misrepresent him. the impress
sion we speak of will continue 70 exist
and grow.
The latest publication is dealt with
elsewhere by our Washington corre-
spondent. II is not materially differ
ent from the rest. Mr.. German is
represented in the character OF n polit-
ical Oily Cannon. conspiring with va
rious eastern democrats to capture
the Kansas City convention, repudiate
democratic principles and defeat the
nomination Of Mr. Bryan. The details
Of this scheme as given out are so stu
pid and absurd, that ten-year-old
schoolboy could invent a better
II may bo that Mr.. German is not a
BRYAN man. His eastern connections
and affiliations are OF such a character
as would naturally lead him to believe
in pretty much everything that Cleve-
landism stood for; and yet he has al
WAYS supported his party, on the the
orv that. no matter what objection he
might have TO certain declarations OF
the platform, anything would be bet
ter than republican rule. Thousands
of democrats felt and feel the same
way: and this feeling is today we'll
nigh unanimous among those gold dem,
ocrats who protested against the Chi
cago platform in 1896. Some of them
refused 10 vote for the democratic can
didates. and in this way gave substan-
tial aid and comfort. to the Hanna
crowd.
Now that the republican party is
making its real purposes known. and