New-York tribune., 1900-07-30
MR. BRYAN AND PUBLIC ORDER.

At 10 point in his whole catalogue of dema-
gogy does Mr.. Bryan more clearly show the
sham of his pretended Jeffersonianism than in
his attitude toward public order. Jefferson was
q radical who used class prejudices to serve his
ends but he was at the same time respectful of
law and no friend of anarchy. His standard of
duty was expressed in his first inaugural ad-
dress copyright by James D. Richardson, chair
man Of the Kansas City Convention which
nominated Mr.. Bryan as follows Il believe
'it (the Government Of the United States) to be
the only one where every man, at the call Of
'the law, would fly to the standard Of the law,
land would meet invasions Of the public order
''as his own personal concern"
Can Mr.. Bryan say as much? Has he made
the supremacy Of law in this country his per
sonal concern and used his great influence 10
check invasions Of public order? On the con-
trary, he is seeking the votes Of the disorderly,
appealing 10 the anarchistic spirit Of the baser
elements TO elect him President on the ground
that they could then invade public order with
impunity and that under him law would not be
supreme when it clashed with the unruly pas
sions Of the mob. One Of Mr. Bryan's first
speeches after his nomination for President in
1896 gave the clearest possible revelation Of his
disposition TO pet the mob He appeared on
balcony in Chicago TO acknowledge the greeting
Of some Of the cranks who had just stampeded
the Democratic Convention for him, and hear
ing in the crowd the voice OF one Of the army
Of tramps who had some time before moved on
Washington with Coxey and tried to turn the
Capitol grounds into a gypsy camp he uttered
this piece Of deInagogy as his first campaign
slogan: There viii be no sign up to keep off
the grass when I am President
With that same appeal repeated in a hundred
different forms Mr. BRYAN has ever since sought
the support Of the lawless. That lawn which
he was going 10 let the hoboes tramp down
was the type Of everything beautiful and or
derly hedged about by law into which any
agitatOr or anarchist with votes desired TO
break. and ii was so understood by his hearers
II was the notice 10 every one who was envious
and TO every who was discontented that
the bars were 10 be taken down from the green
fields and that they might have freedom OF
pilIage There was 10 be no keep off the
grass order from courts 10 stop rioting The
followers of Debs might destroy property and
threaten life Al win, and Mr. Bryans ideal citi-
zen was not he who, like Jefferson, made the
public order his own personal concern even IN
private station, but he who, like Altgeld used
public Office TO foment disorder when 1t was
his sworn duty to suppress it,
-Four years have passed and Mr. Bryan is
again the candidate Of the vandaIs who want
70 tramp down the grass. He himself has
shown no change of sentiment. His platform
reafirms the Chicago declaration against gov
ernment by injunction which is the catch
phrase for the maintenance Of public order by
the courts 1t reaffirms the threat to pack the
Supreme Court Of the United States so that un-
schemes Of taxation and spolia-
lion may be tried by the statesman who pre-